Disclaimer: i do not own LoM... etc etc etc
Fonts in italic are for character's thought
For all the love in the world, why did I ever wondered what happened to Angelique? Wondering about her only makes me more anxious. Well, at the very least, when Elazul did bring her back, she was only partially disabled for a certain amount of time. It's a good change I might say. I did hope that she would recover soon since it was rather boring when there are no crashes here and there. Besides, I didn't have my personal servant to help me do the chores. Oh well, I guess it couldn't be helped. I could still chuckle now and then when I mentioned it to Angelique and Elazul when he visited her.
As for today, what should I do….
"Kain…. I'm bored…." A voice, I'm very familiar with hath cometh to my ear.
"So… what do you want?" I asked her nonchalantly
"I want to do something…." Her rambling sometimes just made me more amused than ever
"Like…?" More of nonplussed comment of mine.
" Going out or something…" The whining of a distressed damsel.
" Ah… if you wish to do that…. Wait for Elazul, would you?" I smirked when I said this…
"Why should I wait for him…?! You can accompany me, you know…" She argued. Face flushed… and I chuckled… I know I had pressed the right button. Ever since that incident, she always blush when I mentioned Elazul's name. I wonder what did happened but I can't get my answer directly from either of them. So I teased them here and there about this and that. Practically anything really, I connected every conversation with the incident. That way I had my share of fun. I'm so evil…
"Earth to Kain….! Why do you space out like that? It's so creepy…" Heh, I could understand that…my zoning was something that would scared her out.
"Well, I was just thinking." I tried to steer the conversation but I still tried to extract fun when I can.
"About…." She pondered, I know her curiosity would get to her eventually
"You." I stated.
"Me…?! Of all things, in Fa'Diel. Why me?" She asked a bit surprised, she seemed to be back to her normal immature self. Before, I thought she had matured a bit.
"Hmmm…. Let's just say that I was being considerate of your future…" I broadened the topic.
"What…?! My future…? What of it?" She asked me very very pointedly.
"About of your relationship status, of course." I stated plainly.
"Kain…! Stop. Don't you dare to pry." She glared murderously to me. I knew that I kind of crossed the border. But I guessed, I might be jealous of Elazul since he kind of took my sister away from me.
"Okay.." As soon as I finish that word, a knock broke our silence. Seeing that my sister still fumed, I approached the door and opened it. There, I was graced by the face of Angelique's savior or potential attraction. I smiled warmly and let him in.
"Ange, in the kitchen." He nod and went there. Sometimes, I felt like an old man seeing his daughter all grown up. Ah, well, I did raised her after all. So I let them be and went out to the orchard. The orchard was lush as usual, Trent was producing fruit, and you could feel the flow of mana very clearly here.
"Kain…." A voice regarded me slowly, a customary that I know when Trent wanted to address something to me
"Yes Trent, is something wrong?" I asked him.
"Yes, but it's not about the orchard but you, yourself." His answer loomed in my head, I wondered what made him think that?
"Me? How so?" A sort of déjà vu came to me now as I just did this to Ange
"The air around you seemed more disturbed…" He started and that intrigued me more and more
"Do continue…" I urged, maybe it was some kind of premonition since I believed that Trent won't give me some light jovial problem about me, myself.
"It seems that you are troubled as of late. The mana around you seemed disrupted."
"Really…? Hmmm… I wonder what it is?" This intrigued my curiosity and the only things that came to my mind as a disturbance or disruption as of late was only Angelique.
"I can't tell you that, but it is rather unusual of you to let something troubled you so." Trent's comments really hit the mark, I never let something troubled me for a long period but this was worth the thinking.
"Any other, Trent?"
"Hmmm…. Nothing else aside from the produce will ripen in three days." With that I nod and left the orchard. I walked around the house to reach the corral, now its only inhabitants were Howy and Skye. I have let others go as they seemed more comfortable in their humble abode, which was the wild world out there. As I entered the corral, Howy pecked me softly, asking for food, Skye also did the same, instead of pecking me though, he nudged me with his nose. After I had finished feeding them, I let them grazed for awhile before I took weekly check up. By check up, I usually only had a quick examination and washed them.
"Skye…, " The dragon responded by swishing his tail to me. He had grown so much, I never know that dragon would grow so quickly, his age was barely a year and he already half the size of the house. Now that he could fly, I asked him to take me to fly with him sometimes. When he was newborn, he only had small wings, little horns, and barely able to walk by himself. Now, his wings spread into the sky and his brown scale glimmered below the sunlight and his piercing red eyes looking at me, beckoning at me a bit arrogantly, asking me, do I want to ride or not? I only gave him a pat and he scooped me up and we're flying free now.
"Haah… I wish all the troubles can disappear, blown away with the wind." I sighed, knowing what my problem was now. Matilda, Daena, Irwin, Escad, Larc, Sierra, Jumis, Angelique, and myself were entangled in this big chain of fate. It's as if we're all predetermined to meet and our destiny was already set in the parable of life.
"I really wish, I don't read that book now." I just found an old book in the library, I didn't know who's the owner but I assumed, its mom's since there's no way, dad would read a grimoire. Not that it's the only grimoire in the library but this one was particularly old and the ancient language seemed to be lost in time. I barely can read it before, but after I did research in Gato and Geo, I finally could read most of it. The grimoire was a prophecy book. Well, the title itself should explain, Mimir's Word but it's not my biggest concern when I first read it so I just ignore it until I came across the name in Geo's library. I found out that Mimir was the god of prophecy in some far away land. His words were true and just and it would happen.
"Damn it! Damn it all!" I shouted till my throat burned but I knew it wouldn't help at all. The latest part of that accursed book that I read really threw me off. It said that my friends and all that I knew will have a tragic death. Ange turned to stone, Larc turned to centaur and killed by us, Sierra died in The Flame. Daena and Escad dueled till death, Irwin killed Matilda and soon he was consumed by Lucemina, Jumis are hunted to extinction and I will be alone again. A hot sensation glided in my cheek, I knew it's my tear.
"Damn it! Why it had to be like this? Why did I have to be the mark's bearer? Why, damn it? Why did I bear the mark of Ragnarok? It's so unfair… when I just finally found people who I can call friends. Now all of this happened to me. It's just twisted. Arghhhhh..!!" The rage inside just burst and all seemed so black to me, like an abyss. Devoid of any real life.
When I opened my eyes, Skye had landed near Kilma. I mounted down and sit near the lake. Skye was soon up flying again, he left me alone. Not that I wanted company but I wish he would stay on his own account. I heard someone approach me, I ignored it, I was consumed by my depression to notice or acknowledge anything.
"What is it that grief you so, child?" An old voice crooned
"A destiny that is inevitable…" was my only answer
"Child, destiny is within the stars, it always moves here and there, swayed by this and that." Hearing that did not bore any truth to me, it only breezed through my ear drum. What a difference hearing this will make. The only sound now, was the sound of the lake and nature. It soothed me somewhat but this didn't alleviate my problem. I sat there for the longest while before I decided to move and walk to where my foot led me. I didn't know where I headed to. The only thing I knew was each step that I took, my grief goes deeper and deeper. As endless those sea of stars, as vast as those ocean of life. A hushed atmosphere loomed over me, when I realized I was in the jungle, full of life yet it was very silent as if a silent entity had orchestrated their very action. The only sounds I heard was the grass moving and crunched beneath my feet. Calm eerie, a silent destitute, until a majestic voice boomed over me breaking the silence. This voice, it held authority, it had broken what little thoughts that I held, considering that I had close to none. It beckoned me, so there I went. Where did I go, I myself do not know but I know that I needed to go to where that voice was. It was Rosiotti in all his majesty. He sat on his throne albeit very grand. Very different from his usual posture, slacked and sleeping.
"Kain, had it bothered you so?" His voice seemed very elderly and soothing.
"Ah, it is. How can it not bother me, when it had told me what my life would be?" My voice sounded unsure of myself.
"Word as it is contain truth but human will had more power than stilled words. Mark this, child of mana." As he said this, he went back to sleeping. I walked again, darkness had descended over me now, the sun had set, the stars rose, and the moon waxing. It lit the path to the underworld. The tombstone had been its gate for centuries. Its guardian of endless time. The flame gorged through the hole in this world, lava seeped through opening, Shadoles passing by. The Underworld reversed nature was very awkward yet strangely very colloquial. So it's not strange but rather common. I walked aimlessly, and yet it's as if this world had a mind on its own. I subconsciously know which way was which after traveling here so many times with Larc and yet this path usually didn't led me to Olbohn chamber, led me to his chamber now. The fire crackled softly, like those in winter time but brighter, livelier. The chamber itself glow in crimson, orange, yellow, and violet tinted. Olbohn stood there silently, his arms rotated in its usual pace. His eyes though held more scrutiny than usual. Like a gate keeper, checking the guest book.
"What befalls into you, child of the Goddess?" His voice echoed very eerily in this world, reflected endlessly.
"Mimir's word had set my entire course of life into stone." I said dejectedly.
"Do not let someone decide your fate. Rather you, yourself had to write it yourself. Your own story." Something sinked in my brain but right now, I couldn't grasp it. What was it that the Wisdoms wanted to tell me? All I could think about were those sentences that Tote, Rosiotti, and Olbohn said. Gentle music hummed softly in this everlasting city of the night. Lumina, lamps illuminate the city, the musk of ale roamed free in the town. The alley darkened and brightened within each turn, a particular shop was strangely decorated with jewels, one might wonder if it held Jumi core in there but one never know since only Jumi can tell which was which. In front of the store, stood the cosmic poet, saying something and hereafter nothing.
"What troubles a young heart? Food and love? Shelter and clothes? Riches and desires? What makes a man goes crazy? Little things, big things, bits of bits, or cosmic changes?
What is truth? A grain of sand? A thought? Accursed things? Blasphemy and malice?
Why let truth bother you? Because it's there? Its presence? Its existence? Its essence?"
Pokiehl's word sometimes made no sense, yet his word was a constant riddle, a mystery to be solved. After saying this, he disappeared into empty void leaving nothing but a gust of wind. I mingled for a while in the chilled night air. I did wonder what it meant, his words… I exited Lumina then I walked to Luon, deciding that if the Wisdoms had made this, an incident then I would talk to all of them. I will see what Fa'Diel wanted to say me. Gaeus of the Earth, it silently sat there in the highway. Birds flocked on its body, chirped happily, as I stepped into its hands, it rose up until it reached in front of the face. Then the eyes moved and it started to talk. I always think Gaeus was magnificent creation of Anuella, Gaeus was very interesting, it just sat there and yet it had all the wisdom that human craved. When I had the chance to talk to him, I always talk about everything relevant or not but Gaeus would always answered me.
"What brings you here, Kain?" Its voice as huge as it was. However, it sounded so gentle like cradling a baby.
"Asking for advice." I answered solemnly. This place and Gaeus' presence brought a huge calming effect to me.
"What kind of advice, child?" Why was it that it always call us child, I guess compared to its age, we are a mere children.
"The world, Fa'Diel, what does it want to tell me?" I asked him again this time a bit more hurriedly. The mouth moved slightly, like it's chewing something. I waited, and it seemed like forever even though it may be only minutes, or maybe seconds.
"What do you think it want to tell you?" Gaeus' reply confused me. I did not know what Fa'Diel wanted to tell me. I seriously couldn't think of anything right now. My voiceless reply gave me nothing. Gaeus waited for my answers but as I have none. Only silence shrouded us. Only the winds, grass, reeds, and birds voiced their thoughts. I stood there long enough until something inside of me screamed. Something that wanted to come out, at the tip of my tongue but it won't come out.
"Kain, the answer is within you. Look inside, search inside and there you will find the answer that you seek." Gaeus finally let a voice escaped from its mouth.
"But… but…" I don't understand." I really don't but….
"I see… thank you Gaeus. I'll try to think and figure it out myself." It was my final resignation for the problem. The last bell before I gave up and stopped pitying myself and started to look for a real solution.
"Come again, my child." Was Gaeus' final words before I left to Gato. I knew I had to search for Selva. Not to mourn or grovel or depressing myself but to see what was his view of this. I wanted to know, what the winds could impart to me. The moment I realized this, I wonder how long have I been gone from home. I wondered if I had worried them again. I wanted to return home but I wanted to finish this quest of mine first. I knew that if I went back now, I won't ever be able to solve this problem, ever. So I fought against my will to go home and decided to head to Gato. Somehow, I knew Selva would be there, waiting for me. If things were bound to be inevitable then I knew that my coming there was already written and predicted in the book of life. But if it was not, then let me broke the chain of fate that was set by Mimir and set us free from its binds. I am determined to make any sacrifice to make a better world for them. My friends, my sister, my family, and everyone that I've come to care about. I didn't want them to live the way someone else chose for them but I wanted them to live by their own choice, their own path. As of now, I have reached the grottoes. The rock foundation let the wind blew through them, slowly eroding and molding them into something else. Gato Grottoes, the city that never change and yet it gradually change. I looked and searched for the wind, and where the wind goes, there goes I. I found Selva floating there and I approached him until we were in talking distance.
"What makes you come here?" Selva asked me relaxed as if there was no problem in the world.
"To hear what you want to say?" I replied most solemnly.
"What do you want me to say?" He asked me back.
"I don't know. Anything that you want to say, I guess." I answered again.
"Very well. Then I'll let you choose. Do you want to hear about the mark or do you want to know about the prophecies?" Selva's words thrown me off balance. I didn't quite expect to get a choice on the matter. I pondered, thought, and wondered, which one I wanted to hear the most. Which one did I know more than the other? After a long silence, only the winds and the birds accompanied us. Selva waited for my answers, which shouldn't take long really but I was confused on which one to choose since both of them are a very good piece of information for me.
"I think I want to know more about the mark." I finally chose that one because I was searching high and low about that mark but never get crucial information about it.
"Very well, let me begin. In times of beginning, you know there was a great war, yes?" I nodded.
"In this war, the humans fought all beings for power. They all strived to be the most powerful of all and yet they continued to kill each other when they do. It was because of this Fa'Diel become desolate and the mana in the soil diminished over time. The Mana Tree become corrupted and stoned because it was neglected. It was in this time that the most destructive things going on. We, the wisdoms, decided that things must stop. Nunuzac, the conjuror, helped things to happen. He was still in his human form at that time. Back then, he was power greed and indeed he was powerful. We tricked him, into conjuring a spell, a spell that will reset everything into nothingness. Back to origin."
"But, what happened?" I asked when Selva did stop for a time.
"The spell was not complete. Nunuzac realized that if he finished that spell then everything will be gone. So he tried to stop it, and he succeeded. The result was his soul was trapped in a painting and his body became a mark. That mark was Ragnarok." Selva finished his tale but there are still many question unanswered for me. This tale led to many more question.
"But then, if his body became a mark then how come I have it?" I asked Selva a bit impatiently
"At first, we thought that we will let it be. But this mark was eroding Fa'Diel's mana and land quite fast. We realized that this mark was the manifestation of the spell but in the incomplete form. Originally, the spell will indeed eat the earth and after that, it soon will replenished it again. But this mark did not do that. It only ate the mana in the world and replenished nothing. It stopped the war but solved nothing. That's why we decided to seal this mark. The wisdoms sealed this mark into a human body. This human was your ancestors. He volunteered to do it and he knew the dangers of this mark. This mark would take everything that was dear to you. And it will be passed on to your firstborn as soon as he took his first breath in Fa'Diel."
Realization hit me hard, then all this time, Mom and Dad was dead because of me….
"Then, my father and mother, they died because I had this mark….?" Shocked by this, I really lost my thought on all things. My mind went blank. All I could think of was the bad things that had happened to people that was close to me.
"Yes, unfortunately. Both your father and mother, knew that the moment that you were born. They will die sooner or later." Selva explained to me. I felt a lone tear glided in my cheeks. Then it's true that I was the one who killed mom and dad even though I didn't know anything about it. I had killed mom and dad.
"Kain, we know that it is hard. Your fate will be the worst of all human lived in Fa'Diel."
"Then, all the words, in Mimir's Word are true then. All of my friends, my sister, everyone will die because of me. Everyone will be gone, leaving me alone." I cried, I didn't know how many tears I have shed but I knew that nothing can be done against this. My fate had bound all the others. I had bound them into the same fate. A chained reaction, a chained fate. Then all was lost, I should just killed myself. Maybe that can save them from a cruel fate. That way, I could redeem my sin for them.
"Kain, even if you think that suicide will let them escape death. Do not think of that. If you're dead then the mark will have no host. Then they will have a fate worse than death." Selva stopped my thoughts of being suicidal.
"Then what should I do? If I can do nothing, then I will just go crazy about this. I can't hide this from Angelique. She'll know that something is amiss with me." My anger just couldn't be contained anymore. I didn't want any this to happen. How could they expect me to just sit around doing nothing when I knew that they will die because of me?
"Kain, your fate will not change but the fate of others around you can change. Your will can change and shape your future. Human's will is that strong. Although your fate may be unalterable but the fate of the others can be changed. So you can save them, you already know what will happen so all you have to do is to prevent it." Selva continued calmly.
"Easy for you to say. How can I change something like that?" I argued, it might be like that but changing one's fate wasn't an easy thing to do.
"Believe… Believe in yourself, believe in your friends, I'm sure that if they let you. You can save them from abomination and create a better future for them. You just had to try and believe that it will happen, Kain. If you just argue with me then it is the same as doing nothing. Is it not? All you have to do is have a first step and I know that you can do it. You will have our blessings. All is in due time." That is Selva's last words before he flew away with the winds.
Now all I have to do was believe and try, eh.
"Heh… sounds really fancy. Like a fairy tale. Maybe, my life can be a fairy tale. All I had to do now is set the plot and made sure that I get my good ending." Well, for once again, I will agree with the wisdoms, all is in due time. No need to rush. All is in due time….
Whew... big update and hope to see you around in the next update! Thx for reading! ;D