Successors
He sat on the edge of the ship as it cruised slowly through the gleaming sapphire sea. The sun was shining brightly and the seagulls flocked around the crow's nest hanging high in the air. He was surprised that it still stood, after all the adventure it had seen when his father used to drive the ship.
His father always used to have a crew with him. He was always being hunted by someone or another, always wanted. Every day of his life, he spent it fighting against his oppressors, all for the one thing he treasured most, and that was treasure itself.
But as he got older, he mellowed somewhat, knowing that in order to raise his child properly, he would have to stop being such a child himself. So his days of fighting became less as he spent the majority of his time raising his son. Eoleo.
He looked into the cloudless sky and breathed in the clean air that surrounded him. Closing his eyes, he thought. About life. About how far he had come in life. His rise to the throne of Champa. Within a week, he was to attend a ceremony that would crown him the new king of Champa, as successor to his legendary pirate father, Briggs.
But Briggs wasn't around anymore. Eoleo wondered is his father was looking down at him on this moment, as he sat with his legs dangling off the ship, looking up into the sky and wondering about the future. Both his parents had died now, his mother died when he was rather young after falling ill from pneumonia. Eoleo could remember being only seven when his mother, Chachua, died. He breathed sharply as he remembered the words he said when he found out...
"Daddy, where's Mommy?"
"Mommy...*sniff*..."
"Is Mommy...okay Daddy?"
"...Eoleo...I'm sorry, but Mommy's...gone..."
Ever since that fateful day, he knew that life was going to be one hell of a ride, where the most unpredictable things could happen. As he grew older, he learnt how to fight and started to accompany his father along with raiding trips and such. He became well versed with the ways of the sword like his father did, but never defeated his father in any play duels. And he never would defeat his father. Maybe that was the way things should always be.
It all happened when he was captured by Belisnk soldiers. That was when everything started. When he teamed up with a group of heroes to stop the Grave Eclipse from destroying the world with its dark powers. It was one great adventure, one in which his father became one of the many victims.
But those days were in the past for him now. The Grave Eclipse had been taken care of, and it had been a week since he aided the team in firing the Apollo Lens in order to eradicate the Grave Eclipse.
When he first became involved, at seeing his father die, he wished that as soon as it was over, he could forget everything about it. And for the most part, he was forgetting about it Except for one thing. A person whose brother ruled the city he was held captive in. A person who he teamed with to reverse what her brother had caused and save the world from the Grave Eclipse.
Her name was Sveta.
[Flashback]
They sailed the seas, watching as the lands became slightly smaller and smaller. It was a harrowing sight to see a dark shroud emitting from the sky and covering the whole continent of Angara in a dark veil. The monsters they had come across were vile and horrible.
But he was wracked with such pain. He knew it was going to happen someday, but not like this. To watch his father die was bad enough. But to bury him at sea with his own hands made him feel as if those very hands should have been cut off.
He had given Matthew control of the helm; they seemed to know where they wanted to go. He had offered them reluctantly to give him his aid, to swear revenge against the people who caused the Grave Eclipse to happen, and to avenge his father's death. It would not be in vain. His head was rumbled with thoughts about the future and his father, limiting his movement to a little fidget here and there by the edge of the boat, looking down into the dull coloured sea.
She was on the boat too. That woman, that little princess. How he couldn't stand the thought. To be held captive by her, it was because of her that his father tried to break into Belinsk to save him. It was because of her that he died.
He turned his head to see her, her body turned to the side conversing with Rief. She looked sad. She was holding onto him for support as he comforted her, patting her back.
She needed no comforting at all. She had lost nothing. All she had lost was her city and such. The darkness was going to be reversed, and he could just imagine the sickening scenario, as soon as they had gotten rid of the darkness, she would be handed her city back like some little wrapped up present as a gift for staying alive. But was Briggs ever coming back after this? No. Briggs was dead, dead. Not coming back. Dead. Because of her.
[Back to present]
He looked up to see the continent of Angara coming closer. It was exactly the same view he had witnessed when he and the group first escaped from Belinsk. The darkness was long gone, and the lands were shrouded in a new light. It looked beautiful. And sat by the edge was a bustling city. Belinsk. That was his destination.
He was at least a mile away, he knew he would have to get to the helm to control the ship after a while, or otherwise he'd just crash right into the dock and probably get arrested again. Standing up, he slowly walked, dressed in his sandals, loose fitting trousers and rough brass armour plate, revealing his thick, powerful arms, and a headband tying his scarlet hair back into a ponytail, and stepped towards the wheel. Grabbing it, he begun to manoeuvre the ship while continuing to think about the past...
[Flashback]
They all watched as she collapsed in front of the hulking beast, watching as the monster panted heavily on the floor, blood dripping from its gashes. Both Blados and Chalis, barely alive, lay on either side of it, their great fusion attack having failed them.
She was crying. Everybody had come to the realisation of the identity of the chaos hound that lay there dying before them. It was Volechek, Sveta's brother. The man who stayed behind in Belisnk to defend it until the very end after the rise of the Grave Eclipse.
Eoleo watched closely at the two of them. As Sveta whispered words into the beast's ear, it responded with a weak wail, its eyes revealing a pained expression. He couldn't help but remind himself of a similar scenario, between himself and Briggs.
Throughout the journey, although Eoleo slowly warmed to Sveta, he still felt as if she considered him a lowly pirate, just as he considered her an uppity princess. But for the first time, as he stood there, watching her sob into the dirty, bloodied fur of her horribly mutated brother, he finally felt some form of compassion for her. Sympathy, he felt. A relation, something that finally linked the two of them together. Loss.
[Back to present]
He slowly began to dock in Belinsk, his ship gently swaying beside the dock platforms. Some quarry men came running in to fasten the boat in with thick ropes. Eoleo walked and grabbed a plank rested on the inside of the ship, lowering it out of the ship and onto the platform before walking down it and onto the platform.
"Good day, sir" a beastman greeted him. The guy clearly didn't remember who Eoleo was, and thank god as well. Eoleo was slightly nervous of the reception he would get at Belinsk after the whole captivity thing.
As he took a last look at his ship, he suddenly noticed the jazzy music playing somewhere in the distance. It was that Belinsk band again. The band which played the song to open the path to the Luna Tower, a building key to activating the Grave Eclipse. They were playing that same jazzy piece again, the piece that he had heard thousands of times over as he once hung from a cage outside the castle walls.
Walking through the town, nobody seemed to notice him for who he was, only for the fact that he was one of the only few humans who was walking in the town. He paid no attention to the small crowds he was gathering as he continued to walk right for the castle. Before approaching the guards and asking for entry, he took another look at the castle, head on.
Inside that great building, he thought, would be her. Sveta. Or Her Royal Highness, as he would probably have to address her now. Or would he? Maybe the two didn't get off to a great relationship during their adventure, but Eoleo knew he was standing in front of the castle for one reason. It was because he wanted to see her again. Why would he want to do such a thing? He thought back to the scene at Apollo Sanctum, he knew that they shared something they could talk about. The week's absence somewhat made Eoleo's heart grow fonder. Also, he couldn't just forget about Sveta after what happened that week ago, after the end of the Grave Eclipse...
[Flashback]
He was sat down by the bed, looking at his sword. "You can stay here as long as you want until you're ready to leave" she told him, along with Amiti, Rief, Himi and Kraden. Matthew, Tyrell and Karis had returned to their homes to continue with their lives.
As long as you want. He started to chuckle in a sarcastic way. If it wasn't for keeping a good image, she'd want him out of these four walls as fast as she could. But as the new queen of Belinsk, she would have to work on her image as a good queen.
But he wasn't going to stay for long. He may have felt somewhat sorry for the reason Sveta sat on the throne now, but he still felt just as sour about the loss of his own father. It was a crushing blow to his confidence and mentality, it changed him forever. At night, he would suffer from horrible nightmares of watching his father die right in front of him, again and again. And every night, he would awaken and start to silently cry to himself, holding his pillow, clitching it as tightly as he could, as if it were his father in his arms.
"Father...*sob*...don't die...please...*sniff*...come back..."
He found himself crying as he looked at his sword, saying those very words he would repeat at night out loud. It was horrible. He dropped the sword, letting it crash on the floor and brought a hand to his face to try and hide his tears. He never cried loudly, just a couple of contained sobs and a loose tear.
*knock* *knock*
The door opened and a familiar figure came walking in. Eoleo suddenly turned his back and lowered his hand. If he was caught crying, he would be made a laughing stock in Champa.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"...It's me, Sveta" a delicate, kind voice replied. Eoleo didn't turn around to greet her. She wasn't who he wanted to see.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I heard some noise down here..."
"Everything's fine" Eoleo cut in quickly, turning around. He had masked his tears very well, looking just like a normal person.
But Sveta continued to look at him. She was very aware of their tense relationship, and she wanted to make some form of peace. Saying anything to this pirate sat in front of her, anything to rile him up or make him lose his temper, and she would not only be at bad relations with Eoleo, but with the whole of Champa as well.
"...Why are you looking at me like that, huh?" Eoleo asked suddenly. Sveta knew exactly why. As soon as she walked into the room, she could sense sadness in the air. Her Spirit Sense Psynergy had become so strong, she could sense anyone's hidden emotions by just being near them. And she could sense Eoleo's broken heart as she walked into the room.
"Eoleo..." she said quietly. "...You've been crying, haven't you?" she asked.
Eoleo knew he wouldn't get anything from feigning ignorance. He looked at her rather annoyed.
"Well, why broadcast it?" he asked.
"I didn't mean to say it out loud..." Sveta said quietly. "I...are you okay? Is it because...of Briggs? Your father?" she asked. Eoleo felt a sudden anger bubble up inside of him. He decided to let it out a little.
"...Don't you ever talk about my father when I'm around" he said sternly.
"Eoleo...please don't make this difficult for me!" Sveta snapped back suddenly. Eoleo stood up so he could be taller than Sveta.
"Difficult?" he yelled. "Ever since my father died, I've been a complete wreck!" he shouted. "I can't even sleep at night anymore, he was the only light in my life and now he's gone! There is no light! How dare you try to take such a loss in vain?" Eoleo could feel a tear or two rising to his eye. But Sveta was starting to cry in frustration.
"And you've completely forgotten about Volechek!" she shouted back. "He's dead too, you know! You're not the only one here who's lost somebody! I had to contribute in the killing of my father! And you're telling me I don't know anything about loss?" Sveta yelled back. Eoleo suddenly started to pack his things and leave the castle.
"And where are you going?" Sveta screamed at him, chasing him through the castle. He broke the doors open and walked out, shouting "Away from here! I'm not welcome and I never was, so farewell!"
He hadn't seen her since.
[Back to present]
He hadn't seen her since, until now. Walking through the doors, he made his way up to where the throne room was; here two guards blocked his path.
"Halt" they ordered, wearing fine armour. "What business do you have with Queen Sveta?" they asked.
"I'm an old friend of hers" Eoleo told them. "...Tell her my name is Eoleo"
His stomach fluttered upon saying his name, partly out of the fear of the guards recognizing him as a past villain, and also out of the fear of meeting Sveta again after the awkward note they left on.
The guards nodded, completely unknowing of Eoleo's status.
"We shall see if the queen will accept your audience" the guard explained, popping his head through the doors. A second later, he popped it back out, before the two guards nodded and opened the doors together. Eoleo walked into the room, and as the doors closed behind him, he found himself face to face with the girl whom his turbulent relationship, he was seeking solace.
"...Why are you here?"
"I came to apologize...Your Highness"
"...Let us walk in the gardens. We'll discuss this further"
A moment later...
They had been talking for the better part of an hour. They had explained their feelings and reasoning over their hasty departure a week ago.
"...I accept your apology Eoleo..." Sveta said quietly, facing him in the gardens. They were alone as the sun started to set. Eoleo looked right back at Sveta, his face unmoved. "Although...I'm equally as guilty for my actions"
"No, you're not" Eoleo cut across. "I got upset. We went off to a bad start, but let's say we patch things up and start new, yeah?" he said, opening his arms for a hug of forgiveness. He examined her face, the clean, fair look she had. She may have been part beast, but there was something very appealing about her, something welcoming and warm. Sveta, dressed in a rather elegant queenly dress, walked into his great big arms, accepting his hug. The two held each other there silently. Eoleo could smell Sveta's expensive smelling perfume wafting from her neck. It smelt very good. They parted for a second.
"So...what will you be doing now?" Sveta asked.
"Well...in a week, I need to be at Champa to be crowned" he explained. Sveta's face was one of surprise.
"Crowned? You mean...as a king?" Sveta asked. Eoleo nodded and explained about Briggs being the previous king of Champa. At the end, Sveta gave a little giggle, which warmed Eoleo's heart a little.
"You know...we're a lot alike" she said. "We're both successors"
"And we've both lost something precious in our lives as well..." Eoleo said quietly. Sveta's face looked a little sad as her long ears drooped a little.
"...We have, haven't we?" she said quietly. "...We have..."
Eoleo suddenly felt a little hurt inside to see Sveta looking so depressed in front of him. He opened his arms again, and instead of giving her a light hug, he completely wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Sveta was surprised, but she still returned the hug with complete affection.
"...It's all okay" Eoleo whispered. "What people like us have in common, those who have lost in their lives, is that we stick together..."
"Mmm...together... Sveta whispered back. Eoleo felt his heart melting as he held the somewhat delicate flower in his powerful arms, as if he were sheltering her from the harsh ways of the world. It was a beautiful moment for the both of them, and for once in his life, Eoleo felt as if Sveta was someone very special to him. Sveta, on the other hand, felt as if she were in the arms of a hero, coming to save herfrom the hardships of the world and take her away to a fantasy land of perfection. She felt as if she were sinking into Eoleo's arms, and she knew she was in a place she didn't want to leave.
The two walked back towards Eoleo's ship. The docks were empty as the sunset sky had turned into night time. The stars were now out, revealing a beautiful glittery arrangement of patterns in the sky. Eoleo loosened the ropes and stood on the edge of the plank, turning towards Sveta.
"Well...I'll see you soon, eh?" Eoleo said, raising his hand. Sveta felt her heart racing, she knew if she was going to do what had crept up in her mind, she had to do it now.
"Eoleo, wait..." she said quietly.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Sveta then walked up to Eoleo and looked very closely into his eyes, almost as if she were examining them. Eoleo stood still, expecting another hug or something, but jumped a little in surprise as Sveta knelt in and quickly gave him a peck on his mouth. It was something that lasted a millisecond at most. But it only takes a millisecond for something to remain in someone's mind forever. Eoleo's eyes opened up widely, feeling a surge of embarrassment run right through him. The same form of sureg passed throuhg Sveta, who couldn't believe what she had just done.
Stepping away from Eoleo, the two were bright red as they looked about, pretending they didn't see what happened. Eoleo slowly turned and walked up the plank onto his ship. He turned to look at Sveta one last time. It was really strange for Eoleo, as he turned to look at her, he suddenly noticed how much more beautiful she looked standing at the edge of the dock.
"...Goodbye, Eoleo!" Sveta waved as the ship started to slowly drift away from the port. Eoleo waved his hand, smiling.
"Don't miss me too much!" he shouted back. "I'll be back soon, after I turn into a king!"
"Goodbye!" Sveta shouted.
And that was all they could say. As Belinsk became smaller and smaller, turning into a small dot by midnight, Eoleo slumped onto the bed inside his cabin, looking up the wooden roof. He thought about the future. Like he always did. But this time, it wasn't about the future that involved his father. It was a brighter future. A brighter future with Sveta? Possibly, he couldn't tell. But as he slowly drifted off into a comfortable sleep, the first comfortable night of sleep he had in ages, he couldn't help but consider himself one of the happiest people on the seas.
Okay, so it wasn't amazing, but I wanted to seal my place in history as the first person to write an Eoleo/Sveta fanfiction. In any case, I hope you enjoyed it!