Kings and Queens Chapter 4: Nature's Protection, Volcanic City
A/N: If this chapter turns filler, I'm sorry.
"Stop it, all of you!" Artea called out, close to tears as she stood deep within the castle, in the holding room of Velder's Nature El. Sitting soundly on a raised platform was the glistening El, bright emerald in color, but faded to a much deeper forest green towards the end. The huge chunk of mythical crystal shimmed with the energy of life, washing its surroundings with a clear, tranquil breeze despite the fact it was mostly underground.
Most of the time, this room was left intact due to the fact it held the El, a sacred treasure of the kingdom. But today, many of the high ranking nobles stood in a small crowd around the jewel, hushed whispers among them spreading like wildfire as several heads reasoned with Artea, the priestess who watched over the crystal.
A majority of the kingdom had agreed that using the El's power to fuel the barrier device that could grant Velder an all-around defense was the best option, but Artea had vehemently protested the very thought of it, knowing that the El was a sacred gemstone that was not to be tampered with no matter how desperate the circumstances were. She was even for signing surrender to Hamel if it meant that the gem would not be disturbed.
"You all need to understand, this jewel isn't just something we can replace!" The priestess snapped at the three who stood before her. She was standing her ground despite being outnumbered. "It doesn't matter if Velder wins the war or not! All this is going to lead to is ruin if you drain the El of power! Do you not know that this is the thing keeping us alive?"
"Artea, please..." One of the heads of the magical institute tried to reason. She was not a fan of the idea herself, but knew it had it be done for the sake of the kingdom. "Artea, we have no other choice. Hamel has their weapon poised to strike, and we do not know when it may fire. We have to ensure that we will not face complete destruction at their hands... With all due respect, priestess, I do know that the El should not be disturbed, but we truly have no choice here."
"That hardly matters!" She retorted, her voice cracking slightly from all the yelling. "Does it really matter if Velder loses or wins the war?"
"Of course it does." Another leader scoffed. "Do you intend for Velder to be looked down upon by the entire world? The winner of this war claims the entire world. And if we lose, we'll be no more than underlings or followers. I'd never submit to Hamel. Those people are no more than pretentious, lazy nobles living in the comfort of their own homes."
Somewhere across the ocean, the queen of Hamel sneezed before drinking a bottle filled with elixir crafted from the essence of alchemy, popular with many adventurers for their potent healing power.
The Priest of Nature stared pointedly at the commander. "Do you actually believe that glory is worth sacrificing the El, the jewel which gives us all life? I thought Velder would have better leadership than this, but I suppose not." Her bright peridot eyes burned with the ferocity one would rarely find in the priests of El, but her concern for the gem of nature was genuine. She refused to let it be used for any of those purposes.
"How about this," one of the researchers suggested, rolling his eyes while adjusting his framed glasses. "Artea, you realize that this is all to protect the city's El. How are we supposed to do that if we can't protect the city? If the city is protected, so is the El. And if we don't activate the shields, that's literally like setting up a neon sign saying 'ATTACK US'."
Artea's forest green eyes dimmed at this. "Well.. I..." She really didn't have a real counterargument to that. If Velder was to be razed again, then the fate of the El would be uncertain.
"But as compensation..." The same researcher pulled up a clipboard. "We can let you handle some parts of this, since you are still the Nature Priestess of Velder. It's a compromise, I suppose..." He concluded.
"Kizu, are you sure about this?" One of the standing officers inquired.
"Yeah yeah, it'll work out." The ebony-haired male responded, waving a hand casually. "If worst comes to worse we'll just have to dispatch the army... They're pretty much our first and only line of defense against Hamel or whatever nation that decides to try their luck with us. And that's only if the barrier gets smashed."
"You're not taking this seriously, are you?"
-In Lanox, the volcanic city-
A formally dressed young woman was seated in Kyou's residence, as she had decided to pay a visit to the somewhat eccentric researcher of the city. In fact, Kyou even had a bit of infamy happening for her incredibly strange eating habits, which most would not find normal.
The researcher in question floated downwards on a crimson parasol, opened and drifting down steadily as if it were a parachute. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, Coretta. I hope things are going well in your office?" She inquired.
"Things have been going well. Thank you for asking. May I get some tea?" The president responded before indicating to a nearby teapot. Kyou simply pulled a clean cup from a nearby counter and poured out a full cup of Earl Grey before setting it down in front of her.
"Here you go." The brunette smiled. "Anyway... I'm sure you've heard about the incident with the two masters of the court?"
"Their names are Justice and Justicia, Kyou." Coretta responded sternly. "I'm sure people would prefer being referred to by their birth names. Though personally, even I am unsure if those are their real names or simply aliases they have..."
"If those are their names, their parents certainly weren't creative." Kyou jabbed playfully. "Though they are twins, so that's a partial excuse... But it still could have been better. I'm quite certain they are aliases though. You see, I did a background check the other day..."
"Tell me about it." The representative said curtly. "Back when I worked as a lawyer, I was against Justice in a case. He was the prosecution's attorney. He is absolutely ruthless when it comes to this line of work. Not even the most iron-willed witnesses or the greatest debaters could stand against him... Once cross-examination rolled around, it was over for the defense..."
Kyou flipped through a grimoire. "Well, to begin... He attended an average college with his twin sister, Justicia. They graduated at the top of their class, and both were majors in justice and advocacy. I was able to drag up their school records, and they are squeaky-clean. Not a single detention or even misdemeanor, much less suspension... Teachers loved them. Perfect test scores, flawless GPAs... Sounds like school kids," she chuckled. "Though interestingly enough... I can't find anything before those events, which is odd..." Kyou paused for a moment before speaking again, "I even have a detailed analysis, but one thing is suspiciously missing. Justice and his sister are both completely blind, though they sure don't make that fact obvious. But it does not state anywhere it was a birth defect, and nowhere does it say how it happened... Sound suspicious? For one, I sure find it odd."
Coretta raised an eyebrow. "It's simply excluded? That is quite odd... I've heard so many conspiracy theories about the two, everyone and their pet in Lanox has a story. Ranging from they simply had bad eyesight all the way to the crazy one that says they sold it to some other being for their incredible skills at law. And I must admit, their judgments are so flawless one could be fooled into thinking they were some divine being..."
"Of course, there are those incidences from the courtroom. Kyou, I trust that you have looked into them as instructed?"
"I did." Kyou responded. "A young merchant from another city was visiting the court, watching the case I was. He agreed to assist me in attempting to catch Justice to see if we could get something. But he was able to counter me and easily chain us down with some spell that I didn't recognize. But what the kid said was surprising. He said that he saw him writing down something magically and a symbol engraved in his eye."
"Interesting." The president remarked. "I recently noticed a small influx in petty crimes, so I was hoping that you could unravel the mystery behind this 'divine law' and see if it would be applicable in helping the city."
"That isn't even all," the witch sighed. "Research on my own time says that 'divine law' is actually a unique, inaccessible form of magic to most. It's a specialized branch of space/time distortion, or so they say. Why is it inaccessible? Because divine law, or 'Absolute Commandment' is an ability given from birth... Or authority bestowed by a higher being."
Coretta was about to take a sip from her teacup, but abruptly put it down. "So, you are implying.. They are something else?"
"Easiest way to put it, Kyou concluded, "and it would also explain why this divine law is only present in cases they preside over. Justicia is a judge, and Justice is the one who deals the sentence... Judge, Jury, and Executioner. It all slides together and seems like a fairly plausible theory... The only part left is to confirm it, which I nearly risked my throat to do."
"Never thought it'd end this way." Coretta resumed sipping her tea. "Anyway... Is that all you have? I will need to have a word with those two later if they truly are the cause..."
"Not much else," Kyou shrugged.
"Thank you." She set down the porcelain cup and made her way out of the researcher's lab, which also substituted as her home and a cafe for the citizens.
-Within Lanox's Courtroom-
"So, you think Kyou spilled the beans?" A golden-haired female inquired, her black judge's robe thrown carelessly on a nearby clothes hanger. A crown-shaped hairclip held back her wheat-colored locks, a stubborn cowlick sticking up behind the accessory. A gavel made from elder wood was in her hand, and the tool was twirled casually between her fingers.
"I hope not." A figure seated beside her responded. "Kyou attempted to capture me the other day, but I was able to react in time and counter her. Though in order to completely stop her, I ended up inscribing a law..."
"You're kind of careless sometimes, Justice..." she sighed, "and maybe a bit reckless."
He shrugged. "Does it matter? We've been hiding this for years now. Absolute Commandment is a powerful ability, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly... But even then, it's bound to be found out at some point."
"I suppose..."
The male of the two adjusted the formal black jacket fitted around his frame. "Anyways, I think Coretta called for a meeting earlier. I don't know if she's requesting you as well."
"Court's closed for the day anyway. Off we go."
-Somewhere, in a dimension beyond sight-
Drifting through a crack in the fabric of the universe was a mysterious place. It shimmered with a golden light unlike any other, shone with radiance that not even the stars could match, and radiated utmost glory and authority. Surrounding it was a hazy shield of power, enveloping the surrounding area in an air of mystery. Nowhere else did such a thing of wonder and mystery exist. Sealed away in the highest peak, surrounded by an impenetrable shield was a city better known as legend.
The massive, crystalline stairway leading up to the brilliant light was surrounded by danger, the eerie crystals surrounding it having assumed their own power. A power unknown and untested rested at the top, awaiting the arrival of a worthy adventurer.
Should one scale the steps to the peak, it would reveal gates that could be compared to the ones of heaven. Formed from a single, opaque pearl was the gleaming door, surrounded by all kinds of precious jewels and gems: huge columns of sapphire, dusted with gold and diamond, and tiles of ruby and sapphire marred with smaller, individual pearls.
Specters from the past looked longingly at the doors, desperately attempting to breach the defense and enter the shining city, but none had succeeded. The mythical power protecting the civilization was too much to be broken by mere ghosts.
Standing at the peak of this wonder was a figure from legend, watching over the entirety of the city from the castle's grand balcony. The castle that most would recognize as the iconic palace from the children's fairy tale. The same golden crown rested upon his head, the gold-gilded silk swirled around his figure, jewels of immeasurable value adorning his attire, and a magical scepter in his hand. Mismatching garnet and azure eyes stared out at the blank space-time beyond the sky of the city, as if he were searching for something beyond the forged atmosphere above.
Despite the eerie realism of the 'dome' that enveloped the city, with all the clouds and sun of a real sky, it was an illusion crafted by magic and brought forth into reality with the power contained within the dimension. Beyond this place was a desolate space, containing only huge chunks of space-time and fragments of the energy to bend reality.
But through this mysterious breach in the peak of the time-space continuum, one could see everything that was and is to come. The past and future was bound in this place.
"Elrios... What have you become now?"
As the voice of a long-forgotten emperor faded into a nonexistent wind, the chime of a city's grand bell could be heard.