"This is a story abandoned by fate themselves... and entrusted to the one who is 'blessed'"
Uzziah Glade Winter Arthur, the son of Adremelach Lucious Winter Arthur and the 6th monarch who sat atop the throne of Zion.
Born and bred to rule the new kingdom, the people of the land bestowed titles before he ascended the throne.
Was it from admiration? Or were they trying to paint a far future?
They called him 'The Son of the Hawk' or 'Heaven's Greatest Monarch, ' to name a few.
He was crowned in the presence of the one and only true lord, The Almighty, and the lord sent down 15 pillars of fire to the soil.
The people saw it as a sign of blessing, but was it?
In the 3rd year of his reign, he received the Elder Scrolls, the oldest depictions and interpretation of The Almighty's life; from his decision to bring light into the void to birth creation, to the blessed rise of the prosperous Zion.
Uzziah would be a thriving king who would follow the teachings of the Prophets, the Sages, the Scroll Teachers, and above all else, The Almighty.
But I deeply apologise to tell you that it never turned out that way.
King Uzziah burnt the Elder Scrolls to grey ashes, denouncing his faith in The Almighty.
And from then on, he did what was evil in the Lord's eyes, killing the prophets and sages, tearing down temples while upholding idols, committing atrocities that insulted heaven, and defiling his crown and throne.
His kingdom fell into chaos; wars after wars, policies after policies, death upon death - Uzziah neglected his duty, and his people suffered the consequences.
The name they gave him held no value, so they called him new titles, like 'Son of Tyranny', and "Heaven's foulest ruler."
Executions and blood flooded the streets of those who rebelled against the monarch, and over 500 civil wars took place in Uzziah's reign, called 'The 500 Tempest Wars,' as a storm brewed during the conflicts.
Uzziah ruled for 15 years until he died in his chambers, where he was buried next to his father in the Holy Land.
. . . .
"Is he awake?"
"He was always the heavy sleeper."
"I have never seen his body shake like that before."
Caesar felt dead.
That is because he was.
The paragon slowly opened his eyes, but he instantly wished he hadn't. His head felt as heavy as steel, and his muscles ached so much he thought he would never move again.
He could see the dark metal ceiling of the plane they were travelling on, hear the murmurs of his companions beside him, and smell the sweet aroma of... meat?
Suddenly, a warm feeling washed over his body- a violet figment that hugged his body, soothing his pain and making it more bearable. He realised he wasn't wearing his armour, but the tight red bodysuit underneath it.
When his head was light enough to carry, he slowly shifted his gaze away from the ceiling to look to his left.
He saw large purple eyes, filled with evil and malice, staring right back at him.
"Aahhh!!!" Caesar exclaimed as he tried to use his control over heat to attack the threat, but his body froze up, as a sharp pain ran down his spine.
As his gaze became clearer, he realised it was Izobel.
She looked rather rough and unkempt, which was the opposite of Izobel. She was also out of her armour and in her indigo bodysuit. But the strangest thing about her was, of course, the new purple eyes, and her pink hair having dark-purple patches scattered around it.
Her face was uncomfortable and frightened, as if she were an animal that was about to be slaughtered.
"A-are you okay?" Izobel slowly asked, her voice still melodious but tensed.
Caesar realised that he had to reply, so he racked his brain to find the correct response.
"Did you do it, Izzy?"
That... was not the correct response.
Izobel's eyes grew more fearful and stern. "Can we not talk about it, please?"
Caesar knew Izobel better than he knew himself, and he knew she used Abyss. This is the second time in a short span of time, and Abyss often manifests twice per year.
What effect could this have on Izobel's psyche?
"Eat!!"
A commanding voice told Caesar as a soft piece of food was shoved into his mouth. He looked up to see Aurelia feeding him, dressed in a black body suit with golden lines.
"Whoa, whoa... oww!!" Caesar jumped back, but he found himself liking the food in his mouth. Of course, it was meat.
"Chalybe and Jacques found the kitchen in this plane and cooked something up for you," Aurelia said. "You were out for hours, so you need your energy back."
Caesar could hear the slight tension in Aurelia's voice, meaning something was troubling her. The paragon glanced at Izobel, and her eyes grew wilder in the presence of the order's shadow knight.
"What about Gatwick and the silver thieves?" Caesar asked hurriedly. "Don't tell me they..."
"They are locked in the plane's dungeon." Aurelia said awkwardly and hurried off, jamming the metal door loudly behind her.
Caesar and Izobel were alone in the quarters, and they could both feel the tension.
"Do you know how old I am, Caesar?"
Caesar slowly sat back down on the place where he had been lying, a medium-sized mattress in a large room filled with medical apparatus and boiling chemicals near the sink.
"I know this easily," Caesar said confidently. "115 normal fairy years, but 15 human years."
Izobel did a little clap to commend Caesar's effort.
"I have lived for a very long time, and seen a lot of things." A warm teardrop fell from Izobel's eyes. "But I can't believe it took me a hundred and fifteen years to meet you, Chalybe, Fenrir, Zeus, and everyone. I have fought for this companionship, and I enjoyed every little moment of it."
Caesar's gaze hardened. "What are you saying, Izzy?"
Izobel sighed raggedly. "This is the first time in a hundred and fifteen freaking years that Abyss have manifested twice in a span of a few months. I could hear her voice, feel her touch on my soul, her malicious thoughts merging into mine."
Izobel brought out her hand, creating a little butterfly avatar that floated above Caesar.
"I begged my father, my kingdom, my God, all to bring me in this world to be a Knight Queen, to be somebody that will bridge the gap between Fairies and the world." The butterfly died out. "But I can always see the darkness of Abyss shadowing my dream, my life, my relationships, and I don't want her to take any more, Caesar. My dream is mine, my life is mine, my soul, my companions, you, Caesar, you. I am so damned scared to lose it all to... her."
Izobel tried her hardest to hold back her tears, but she could feel them pouring out. Suddenly, she felt a soft touch on her hands.
"Don't feed it." Caesar simply said, and Izobel stared back in confusion.
"Your fear, your worries... You are only feeding into Abyss' wishes, giving what she desires- your tears," Caesar smiled. "You are a hundred per cent correct, m'lady. Your dream is yours, your life is yours, your soul, your companions, me!!!"
Izobel's heart ached with pure admiration.
"I am also scared, too, Izzy," Caesar chuckled. "I almost got you all killed for my curiosity and failed to lead when it mattered most. That fear was eating me. But...but I guessed I just rejected that reality. I failed too many times, but I used it all to overcome our, yes, our first adversary; the Silver thieves."
Caesar could feel Pandora's gaze on him.
Izobel sniffled. "But Abyss, she would always find a way to..."
"Question?" Caesar interrupted. "Is this your story, or hers?"
The question hit Izobel with the force of all the oceans in their world. Her heart was heavy, her resolve was crumbling, but she knew... oh, she knew... Caesar Nova Percival was here for her.
"C...can I?" Izobel asked.
Caesar slowly nodded. "Take your time..."
Izobel embraced Caesar, allowing all her tears to finally flow. Her eyes and hair turned back to the way they were, bright and pink.
Izobel was so happy, her grace reacted to it, and an entire hive of butterflies manufactured by her Divinity fluttered around the room.
But resting on the door, Aurelia was listening to the conversations between the two paragons. And she couldn't control her tears, running away to the restroom to reapply her makeup.
"Now, smile before the boys get here," Caesar said jokingly.
Izobel gave him a warm, genuine smile. No abyss in sight.
"YO,YO,YO,YO,YO..."
Chalybe, Fenrir, and Jacques entered the room with smiles on their faces in their cyan, golden, and torquiose bodysuits, respectively.
"Good," Chalybe smiled. "You're alive."
Fenrir dived in and hugged Caesar, making Izobel giggle.
"Oh, Caesar, this place is huge," Fenrir smiled. "A lot of other students are here, and the kitchen has a lot of ingredients, so Chef Fen is in the kitchen, and ohh, they have training rooms, armoury, weapons room, and..."
"Won't you ask how I am doing?" Caesar said like a child, folding his arms and turning his face away.
"Aww, did y-you miss us?" Jacques asked with a slight chuckle.
Caesar got up from his bed, his body still in pain, but bearable.
"Well, I am okay, thank you for asking."
The paragons burst out laughing as the once gloomy room saw light.
"It's really impressive you can still stand," Izobel chimed in. "The Sages said that your grace was so low that you were clinically declared dead."
Caesar knew that Pandorica had something to do with his miraculous healing. But it bothered him - In the real world, how far can Caesar go without Pandorica's aid?
"Well, Guess I am just blessed by The Almighty." Caesar smiled. "Chalybe, what about your missing heart?"
Chalybe did a little whistle. "Well, I got some internal bleeding, almost bled out to death, but I am now alive. sooo....."
"C'mon, guys," Izobel placed her arms around Caesar and Fenrir. "Who wants to explore or what?"
The group chorused in agreement. The paragons led Caesar outside, and his eyes met wonder.
He stood on glass panels, and below him were hundreds of pupils spending their leisure in their bodysuits. The large hall was divided into different sections: food, shooting range, sparring hall, a call booth, a gearshift field, and more.
The farthest wall was also glass panels, revealing a stunning view of the land below on the journey.
"Oh, this will be fun." Caesar grinned.
The group indulged in the different activities to their heart's content. Caesar got more of his meal, Roasted winged beef and heyter plum sauce, while Izobel and Fenrir did a food eating contest.
It was close, but Fenrir won.
In the shooting range, Chalybe was in a temporary rivalry with a 2nd year student who used a rifle, opposed to Chalybe's traditional bow and arrow.
Alas, the prince got outplayed.
"You are good," The second year tied back his purple hair as his crossed-shaped eyes were fixed on Chalybe. "But shift to something more... efficient."
Aurelia and a 3rd year student sparred in the sparring hall. The intensity and the bloodlust from their fight caused the Jumpers, advanced robots built for services, to break it up.
Caesar and his companions played a game of Gearshift with and oppossign team.
Team Paragon - 8
Team Geniuses - 2
Caesar slowly walked to the call booth. The gloydon keypad beckoned him forward as he tried to clear his head. He always wanted to call her, but now seemed like the perfect time.
He softly touched the keypad, and a soft, metallic voice rang out. "STATE NAME OF RECEPIENT."
Caesar took a deep breath. "My mother, please?"
The phone rang, but it was immediately answered.
"Caesar?" the sweet voice of Evelyn said.
"Hello, Mom."
"Why haven't you called for a long time. Yes, I know you are a knight, with knightly duties, and I should let my boy be free to follow his dreams and serve his kingdom, but I am a mother, and mothers get worried, and I just wanted to know that you were alright. Plus, Beatrice also called, but you were also busy, and she was really excited to show you her new partner. Oh, what a gentleman, wait, where was I? Yes, you know I love you, and I want the best for you, but you should have even sent a letter, or a notix, or a ..."
"Mom, breathe."
"Sorry, sorry. How are you, my son?"
"I am really enjoying myself. I am on course to Ebony as we speak."
"Are you forgetting something?"
"And I might or might not have gotten myself killed by battling one of the most wanted and dangerous groups in all of Zion."
"CAESAR!!"
"In my defence, they attacked me this time."
"This time?"
"Uh, so, how are you holding up?"
". . . ."
"I feel so lonely, Caesar. Your father is gone, his other wives refuse to speak to me, and the other children see me as a thorn. Except for Beatrice, she is a darling."
"I understand mom."
"No, you don't. You have Chalybe, Fenrir, Izobel, Zeus, Jacques and much more. I am just a woman with no companions to call her own. Wow, I should really go out more often."
"Why go out if you can stay at home?"
"Exactly. You really are my son."
"Anyways, I just called to check up on you..."
"Caesar? Very, very, very, very, surprisingly, one of your siblings wants to talk to you."
". . . ."
". . . . . . . ."
"Hello, brother."
". . . . "
"Lionheart?"
"Of course it is me. I won't take up your time. I believe you are aware of Father's disappearance, and I am really disappointed in your minimal effort to look for him."
"Oh, shut up. You only care because if Father is gone, we all know who most of his assets are going to."
". . . . "
"Is that a way to talk to your elder brother. Try harder to find that old man. You are a knight in training, right? Use your skills for something. If you like, get Chalybe and the Fiffy on your..."
"Don't you dare call her that!?"
"Why. Fairies are the rejects of The Almighty. Nephilims are no better, but Chalybe is the prince of Zion. Even if she is the princess of the fairies, she is still a dirty Fiffy..."
"Give the phone back to my mother, now!!!"
". . . . "
"I loathe you, Caesar Nova Percival."
"The feeling is mutual, Lionheart Equinox Percival."
". . . . "
"He said something mean?"
"He called Izobel a fiffy, mother."
"Wha... I am appalled. Who is still racist in this time and era?"
"Yeah... yeah... no way... no freaking way..."
"Caesar?"
"Mother, I am in Ebony right now. I have to hang up now."
"Make sure you write to me every day."
"Okay, mother."
"And take your bath."
"I know."
"And you better not be doing anything spoiled with those girls there. Teenage girls are monsters."
"Ewww...."
"And Caesar."
"Mother, I have to go now."
". . . ."
"I love you, Caesar Nova Percival."
". . . ."
"I love you more, Mother of Caesar Nova Percival."
The paragon hung up and took a deep breath.
"Your mother?"
Caesar turned around to see Aurelia standing behind him, her arms folded and her make-up skillfully done.
"Yep," Caesar patted his order mate on the forearm. "Are you ready to see Ebony?"
The two cadets strolled over to the farthest wall, their eyes wide open as they saw the impossible- a large water fountain that pierces the sky in the middle of the city.
"Whoa."
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ROYALS AND NOBLES, WELCOME TO THE CITY ON WATER, THE CITY OF MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT.
"WELCOME TO EBONY."