Kings and Queens Chapter 5: Missing Soul, Fractured Memory
A/N: You guys still awake? K, good.

"Lex?" A guard blinked several times upon seeing the Hamel researcher standing in front of the treasury door, with an unrolled piece of parchment in his hand. It was stamped with the signature blue wax seal and elegant insignia of the Hamel royal family. That meant it could have only come from an extremely high ranking noble or the royalty. And in this case, it was most likely Fluvial who issued the degree.

"Let me into the treasury. I'm visiting vault number 7.21.343 under section V." He stated clearly. "And yes, I'm perfectly aware that is the supposed cursed vault which holds something that nobody was to ever touch again. But I'm under orders from her majesty, and you are to let me in right now."

"Y-Yes." The two guards hesitated before stepping aside. Lex reached into his pocket, retrieving a key. Three sapphires were embedded along the length, the top part sculpted to resemble Hamel's emblem. It was inserted into the lock, and the door opened with no resistance.

Within the room, treasure was heaped all about in staggering profusion. Piles of rubies and sapphires were littered with pyramids of shining gold. Semiprecious stones such as topaz, jade, turquoise, and aquamarine were left on their own, tossed carelessly along with the other valuables inside the room. The floor was covered with golden dust, shimmering and glittering underneath the diamond chandeliers that hung above. Goblets of single crystals were stacked neatly above velvet-lined tables plated with yet more gold. Bracelets of garnet and pearl hung out of jewelry boxes lined with obsidian and emerald haphazardly, with rings of amber and platinum stored within the containers. Chests after chests filled to the brim with gold and silver doubloons sat against a corner of the room, the scintillating reflections darting around the room in miniature shooting stars.

And it was only the main room. Seven corridors branched out from the main room, each bearing a engraved different letter above the door frame. A, L, V, C, M, B, and G. Each was labeled according to what was stored within.

Out of the seven sections, section V was always considered to be cursed, storing forbidden objects of corrupt yet incredible power. And in a certain vault, known as 7.21.343, was a treasure that Hamel had not touched for nearly 2 centuries.

It housed a certain tome known as the Codex of Alto Mare. The most powerful strategy book said to bring miraculous victories no matter how impossible the odds were. The odds could be a million against one, and yet this tome could bring about the flawless victories it always did. The last known user was the demon tactician, who had stormed Velder ages ago and had brought the crimson kingdom to its knees.

Hailed as a hero within Hamel, he was worse than the demons to the people of Velder. However, after the war, the greatest tactician to have ever walked since ages past vanished. He simply turned and left, disappearing into thin air.

Some say he desired no more war. Some say he had enough and had taken his own life. Some say he was brought to the afterlife by a higher deity or Lady El herself. And yet, there was always the outlying rumor that he went searching for something. Something known as the lost kingdom of Eterna, having vanished into legend at the end of the period of the Pax Eterna. And of course, many treated this as no more than a myth. A popular fairy tale told to entertain young children.

The storybook is famous within Hamel for having no title, and only being known by a pure white cover gilded with gold designs. Lex himself was quite familiar with the legend. A kingdom founded on power that could bend reality itself. Who wouldn't at least dream that such a power was real, hidden somewhere out there awaiting discovery?

Others knew it from other legends and questionable historical documentary. The artifact was called the Mirror of Incanta, granting wishes to whomever found it. But many passed that off as even more of a myth than the city of glory.

After all, if such a powerful artifact truly did exist, then how come it was never discovered? The Codex of Alto Mare itself was believed to have been hidden for over two millennia before it was found. Many estimated the current age of the ancient tome at around three thousand and three hundred years. But it was still found in the end, and used for the grand war between Velder and Hamel.

A popular debate with historians, but he was no historical researcher. He was simply here to retrieve the forbidden tome.

And it was so very easy to fool the guards with a forged document. Lex had simply stolen the signet ring of Fluvial and used it to stamp and forge a degree. It was far more practical than attempting to sneak in the treasury. Flair for the dramatic or not, he was still aware of what bordered on redundantly theatrical and what was far easier to do.

Except when he arrived at the vault and had stepped inside, the room was empty. It was a grand room, lined with a special material that was known to be extremely durable and explosion-proof. Nested inside was a single altar, made of carved marble and surrounded by a heavy, reinforced glass case. There was a gold stand situated on the altar, but the book it was supposed to hold was gone. Instead, left in its place was a necklace and a small, card-sized piece of paper.

Chained from many prismatic pieces of crystals was a single, large circular pendant also of a single, shimmering gem. The pattern of a thin, six-pointed star was cut into the facets of the jewel. From documents, this was a charm that the tactician of Hamel kept with him, but was slightly too prideful to wear it for what it was. After all, it was a necklace and the tactician was of the opposite gender of what it was intended for.

Yet he was said to always have kept it. Nobody knew why he did. Picking up the card next, he turned it over. It was a note. Written in swirling, navy-colored text were the following words.

To thou who seeks me once more,
For glory, conquest, or power,
I will not return of my own will.
Not even a second sacrifice of everything will bring me back.
No desperate cry can summon me to the crown.
However, shall war rise once more-
I will not play Black or White.
And do not try to interfere.

Lex's eyebrow raised at a section that was blurred. It seemed to be a name that was written before the many titles that were stated. And he was slightly frustrated because the best lead he had was gone. But the note...

Nobody had entered the vault for almost two centuries. And the treasury hadn't been entered in the last five decades. Yet, the tome was gone. There was no sign of theft. Unless the rumor of the Codex having a sentient mind was true. Then again, a certain female always tailed Hamel's greatest tactician like a mistress. Could that have been...

Ha, no more than a superstitious rumor. Skipping the blurred section, he read on.

As the soul of Hamel,
The legend of eternity,
Destroyer of the nature city,
The crystal queen,
I hereby announce my neutrality in any upcoming wars.
I may be all those things.
But above all...
I am the winner.

An eyebrow turned upwards upon reading the rest. Left besides the note was also a blurred signature, the symbol of a pale blue chess piece left next to it. A tall piece, crowned with a cross... He was no chess enthusiast, but even he recognized the king piece. It was the personal symbol of the ancient tactician. It was used for signing orders that he himself issued, or if the decree was meant to be taken as his words. Was he possibly alive...?

Impossible. He chided himself for even believing the thought. Venatio, the demonic and inhuman strategist had been gone for as long as the war. There was no way a human's lifespan could extend to the present day.

Or had he taken the tome and made off with it before his vanishing and most likely subsequent death?

Either way, this was worrying. He was planning to pass the Codex off to Hamel's military strategists, namely Sol, who was there because Lex had taken advantage of the vacant post to place him in such a rank. Of course, he had his reasons behind exploiting the recent death of the past land commander.

Particular reasons that Fluvial would have him exiled for, no matter how valuable he was. Regardless, she couldn't do anything without sufficient proof.

On his way back to the entrance, he stopped at another vault that held sculptures and paintings of the past war. One of the biggest and most eye-catching pieces was the huge fresco that was painted on a wall retrieved and separated from the rest of a destroyed building. Standing at the front of Hamel's most powerful flagship was the tactician of legend, his blue cloak fluttering in the wind, an outstretched hand holding a silver blade and the other clutching an ancient tome. Furious winds and raging waves surrounded the image, but he didn't appear fazed at all. The frozen expression captured all the burning outrage that he had captured Velder in, mercilessly destroying the city and leaving absolutely no survivors.

Even Velder's once-grand castle was reduced to ash in the wake of the hurricane, as so it was called.

Standing in another corner of the room was a polished statue, made of shining marble. The same triumphant expression was etched into the stone as unheard commands were being given, the image of alabaster and azure fabric swirling around the figure and the cape dancing behind him like a twisted shadow. During the grand war, some of the most talented artisans and sculptors had lived, creating monuments of outstanding glory, although most had passed away after the conflict.

Another image that was set at the southern wall showed a standard royal portrait. He was seated this time, with someone standing besides the chair he rested in. A young woman, with flowing silvery hair and eyes that resembled well-cut opals, reflecting a symbol of four diamond shapes pointed to a center. She was clad in a simple white gown that was layered with translucent fabric and waves of dark cobalt velvet. A cyan sash was tied around the waist, ending in a pearl-decorated brooch that bore a large sapphire. In her left hand was a colorless feather quill, with a decorated design the color of polished silverware. The tip was dipped in cerulean ink, but there was no paper for words to be written. Crowning her head was a golden diadem, twined in a way made to resemble Hamel's emblem.

The books listed her name as Regina. In ancient text, it meant royal ruler, which implied a queen. This was the supposed confidant of the tactician, but it was never confirmed or denied. Nobody knew anything of her status, lineage, or background.

And the rest of the room was also filled with similar artifacts, stored away to be preserved rather than displayed. And they were all of the same person, reflecting the fact that Hamel's admiration was universal.

Sometimes, one did have to wonder. How did such an ordinary person leave such an incredible mark on the history of the world? It was common knowledge that the tactician was no more than a commoner who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. And yet, he ascended the ranks near-instantly with impossible odds, rising to become the commander whom Hamel and Velder recognized at single glances.

He was certainly deserving of the title though, with his unmatched inhumanity that allowed him to end the war in huge, decisive blows in less than a year. It was quite astonishing, considering the fact that while he was quite intelligent, the first phase of the war was lackluster at best. Hasty deployments, rushed retreats...

Perhaps it was a bluff to fool Velder... But the incredible efficiency and tactical success in the later phases of the scheme stunned even him when he read about it as a much younger individual. During history, he had always been the person of his fascination.

And he had been rather disappointed when the logs on the personal information of this legend were all near-identical. And most of the records that had gone deeper had been destroyed. It was as if someone did not want the later generation to know of his personal life. He could respect that, even though he was still disappointed at not knowing the truth behind this man.

The one who brought a great civilization to dust in only one battle. He played the field of war as if it were no more than a casual game to him.

While it was an admiration that was well-hidden, Lex greatly respected the historical figure. Perhaps it bordered on idolization.

Without saying anything more, he left the treasury and headed back to the department of his research, the Hall of Magic. But not before he headed into a small nearby forest to burn the evidence that he had snuck into the treasury. If all else failed, a bribe or threat should be sufficient to keep some mouths shut.

He didn't need anyone foiling Hamel's final step to eternal greatness. A greatness that could only be rivaled by the city of legend in the heart of the Eterna.

Nobody would stop Hamel. He would make sure of it. Not even the messengers of Thanatos himself would come between this. And he had a method that would render even the death god powerless against all this.

Lex did have to give the deity credit for being a clever schemer though, having cheated countless souls away from their supposed immortality. People had attempted to defy death in the past, but none had succeeded to any great degree. Thanatos always claimed their spirit in one way or another. He had once met one of the being's servants in the past, and it was quite an unfortunate tale.

It seemed that not even a bard who could charm the greatest and most powerful men of the age could evade the merciless deity who ensured that every soul ended up in the afterlife or purgatory.

At least that's what the reaper had told him. When he had seen him, his thin smile looked so artificial, so forced, and it appeared as if he wore a sculpted mask over his true expression. He wielded a sword in one hand, cold, sharpened ivory that was sharpened to the point it could slice through the supernatural. Crimson runes lined the edge of the sable blade, connected to a hilt which held a nonliving yet realistic eye. Like all of Thanatos's personal guards, an aura of fear and power surrounded the figure.

What was also rather noticeable was the fact that he didn't appear very old at all. Perhaps in his mid-twenties at the latest. A dark, blood-colored marking surrounded his right eye, which was a brilliant shade of ocean blue despite the other being a glaring vermillion. And he held a striking resemblance to a certain individual whom he swore he had seen before, but he had never been able to put a finger on it. And with the way he liked to hold his sword in an outstretched arm...

Then again he had only seen him once. It wasn't time to be drawing assumptions and most definitely not conclusions. Another thing he had never figured out was what had warranted him a visit from the spirit in the first place. People were only visited by reapers before their deaths, and yet he was still alive and well after seeing the being...

Did he have some special purpose in doing so, or was he simply bored?

Lex sighed as he retreated to his office, putting his head down as he recalled his encounter with the peculiar servant of Thanatos. For some reason, he couldn't remember the name of the being or the name he had told him upon his departure...

-Memory of a past time-

"My name is... ...Pleased to meet you, Lex."

A clear, crystal king piece was spun between the middle and index fingers as mismatching eyes glared down at the human before him. Dark, tainted wings dipped in crimson opened expectantly, as if the being were expecting some sort of gesture in return for his presence. A cold, false smile grazed his otherwise rather attractive appearance. Pitch-black garments ornamented with cardinal colors of ruby and garnet covered nearly his whole form, decorations of white bone pinned down at specific points.

Held in one hand was a blade, a sharpened weapon with a serrated hilt that wrapped around where the hand would be placed. A crimson eye looked at the rather unsuspecting researcher, who had been writing a documentary when he was visited unexpectedly.

"Who.. are you?"

"Nobody important." The response was quick. Another spin was given to the piece held in the right hand. If one looked closely, they would see that it glowed and shimmered with a light of its own. "Though if you want to get technical, I am one of the reapers of the god known as Thanatos. I thought I had successfully cheated him through a game of chess, although in the end, I was the one who took the brunt of the fall. So here I am."

"If I'm seeing you, does that mean I'll die soon?"

"No. I'm not here to take you to the afterlife. Though I may someday." was the given answer. "Tell me, Lex. What happens when someone becomes so detached from their humanity in the eyes of others, they become someone else altogether?"

"...They become seen as someone else, despite who they might be. They could be seen as as anyone but themselves, and eventually people forget the fact that they are human as well."

"Good answer. Now.."

"How should a man who has lost everything to the kingdom he has given everything for live from then on?" The spirit tilted his head, snow white locks falling aside to reveal an aquamarine eye that clashed heavily with his other eye and his apparel. "What should they do, when they've lost even the basic thing that makes them human, having nothing to lose and nothing to gain?"

"Why are you asking me all this?"

"Because I wonder now and then... Of what happens. Ever since I gained glory and power with a special ability I had, I eventually lost everything that I actually loved as payment. I threw away the past I treasured like it were nothing. And in the end, even though I had gained everything, I lost everything."

"I'm sure you've heard." The reaper rose to a standing position, spreading his twisted wings. The cool, composed tone they had been speaking with suddenly became bitter and jaded. "Of that man who gave everything to lose everything. Their name..."

With another involuntary smile that seemed more forcibly imposed than anything, he turned and vanished.

-Across the ocean, in Velder's Kingdom-

Elliot sighed as he stared at the ensuing chaos in front of him. Apparently, someone had decided to slip something into Renard's water, and it wasn't poison (thankfully) but rather.. It was something high in alcoholic content, judging by how the king was now stuttering in every sentence he spoke and was tripping all over the throne room.

Also, he had decided that now was the ideal time to celebrate before fighting against Hamel, the city across the sea. Who in the world had a celebration before the war instead of after victory?

Well, apparently Velder did. Maybe this was why a certain demon by the name of Venatio razed the city so easily.

Rosalind, the military's main commander was present in the room, and she was standing by the wall with her face buried into one upraised hand. "I don't know how this happened. And I don't think I want to know. What in the world happened to Renard, Elliot? I thought you were supposed to make sure that he was sane at all times, not acting like a drunken idiot! Actually, that's exactly what he is as we speak here!"

"I don't know!" Elliot retorted. "He was just drinking water, and the next thing I know he's acting like he had an entire cask of wine or something! I thought the amontillado was locked up in the castle's cellars!"

"It is!" Rosalind insisted. "And wine doesn't get you drunk that quickly! Whatever they dumped into his drink is either insanely concentrated or it's sorcery! Or both."

"I'm going with both." Elliot said dully as he watched Renard trip over the velvet rug that was laid out on the floor. "And we better get him back to normal before someone sees this... My dignity is done for if his is gone."

The commander stared. "The king is drunk beyond comprehensible speech and you're worried about your dignity?!"

"Yes I am, thanks." The advisor sighed. "And let's just get him hidden in a closet somewhere or in his room before Kizu walks in and sees what's happening, and then proceeds to release the kingdom's hidden vodka stash to the entirety of the populace, which will most likely end up with us dealing with not one drunk man, but an entire drunk kingdom."

But as Murphy's Law dictated, anything that could go wrong would go wrong.

And that was exactly what happened as exactly one tactical researcher walked in the room, holding a clipboard with a bursting stack of papers piled on it. When he entered, he stopped before staring for a few seconds.

"So... What happened here?" He inquired, staring at Renard who was now passed out on a table. "Is the king deciding to kill himself with alcohol poisoning so he doesn't have to take responsibility for the war?"

"No." Rosalind stated. "He got drunk, and-"

"We're having a party. Open the wine cellars and the secret stash of vodka, along with Renard's personal stash of amontillado and rum. Get going."

"Elliot, you're the worst advisor in the history of Velder now."

"I'm quite aware..."