In the oriental reach of Thallerion, the sun rose like a sovereign king slowly conquering the frigid shadow of the night. The city's Architecture shimmered, like a rising sharp sword piercing through the sky with an absolute salute. In a far distance, the giant bell tolled loudly—a signal of citizen in motion.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Every citizen of Thallerion, stood to defend their life in the harsh reality. Whereas, the rhythmic cry of steel in the ears of warriors was like a king's promise; it had been waiting for a long time, but not all heroes had gone tricked by wars.
Inside the old cathedral of Thallerion, in the Mintaka as one of their cultural-centered district, the colossal cross could be seen in the wall—their cross symbolized the influence of Holy Nation of Cypriox. The Crux devotees believed, it is the anchor to make the world align with the true light; to live in harmony—the celestial bloodline must be purified. Every prayer is a blade that can break the fangs of dark forces.
The white motes shimmered in the golden light rays, melting the cold shadow of the room. In front of the altar, a whisper of maiden could be heard as she knelt bitterly—she was not praying for luck to pass her final examination in the Celestial Gene Academy of Thallerion, nor grant her to be a certified [Awakened-healer]. Instead, she asked mercy upon the wounded soldiers.
"Please..." She breathed. The floating smoke of incense brushing her nose, as it seemed lifting her sorrowful soul. The candles burned brightly like a silent witness of her devotion, she knelt in front of the obsidian cross.
She made ritual to herself to visit in the cathedral after her gruelling healing trainings in the field. But everytime she bent her knees, her tears poured out heavily, when the grim memories haunted her; the agonize of wounded soldiers shouting hopelessly, and begging for help before they drew their very last breath. All because of the stung of ravenous stinger monsters.
"O, merciful Holy Crux, I'm begging you...pour out your sacred light upon the land of Thallerion...wake those heart bound by the chains of war. Discipline those arrogant entities who seeks our ruin. Restore our peace that rabidly clawed by the crawling monster in the border of Thallerion." She prayed. Her legs trembled as she spoke those words bitterly in her lips, and her palms slick by her tears. "Give us a chance to know the reason why Great Guardian disappeared. Do not let him abandon us in the middle of torrential downpours with such a world full of curses."
Thallerion's Citizens believed: Only those who were capable to awaken their celestial genes was the only hope to protect the next generations during the dark era, even the existence of their celestial Guardian was like a missing needle in the thistle grass—after the draconian nation was eradicated, Thallerion's prophets didn't received any single astral connection, telepathically, nor even once in a mystical dream. But then, Thallerion's people still thriving to survive, carrying the honor of being the Hunters.
Thallerion's Hunters born to hunt their destiny; but not all hunters were capable to awaken their celestial abilities—maybe this was only reserved for geniuses who could understand the Orion's gift— a talent of shaping celestial energy into weapon, to use in the perfect precision of hunting.
The Awakened-Hunters of Thallerion never tried to toss the silver coins to barter weapons, they don't have time to hammer iron in the flaming furnace, nor hiring a metal-smith. They were warriors by their own clan, their blades sharpened with their blood. But, only the Celestial gene of their Great Guardian, Orion, the only key to unlock these hidden armaments.
If there were Hunters...there were also called, Awakened-healers—they have a higher level of celestial gene capable to create a magictech in medical field, but the Cyprioxian healers, intervened, they introduced themselves as the higher sacred healers.
In this very hour, the room of cathedral was like a heaven shrine, the white doves flapped their wings between the circular windows echoing through the ceiling. As she prayed intently, the candle lights suddenly bowed, the smoke of incense formed a gentle hurricane in the air.
In a flash, a sphere of light appeared, she felt the sacred heat; and so, she opened her eyes curiously, to her surprise...the blinding lights exploded in front of her like a living meteorite. As if the gravity itself shifted, then an image of a man came to form.
"Who are you??" The maiden's eyes widened as if she was petrified like a statue. "Introduce yourself, stranger." Her voice trembled, her skin felt the goosebumps when the noise outside halted suddenly, as if the time itself had paused. The scents of incense faded altering with the sweet fragrance of ancient woods. "Are you...the..."
Her seraphic face glowed like the sun piercing through her skin, pure sweats crawled in her face when she saw the man from the light stepped towards her. "He is like a king." She whispered.
With every step of this man, the room seemed too small to absorb his presence. The five elemental spheres on his back orbiting symmetrically like a planetary star, then it transformed into a belt, circling in his waist, then his astral aura was intensify like a breathing lightnings. He is too powerful. She gasped.
The maiden's eyes glistened on his muscular frame, she saw him wearing a silk like a fabric of universe, with the crystalline relics on the golden armor. The cerulean cape attached at his back not made of thread, instead, it was made of pure aquamarine energy of the galaxy with the golden lines on the edge—like a god of war, allowing his weapons to hover telekinetically. His diadem shimmered like a newborn sun. With his presence, the walls trembled, the golden dust froze in mid air. "Is he the Constellar King or the entity of war?" She hunched, crouching low.
She saw his eyes glinting like a vast of cerulean universe, but her mortal spirit recoiled by his presence, she prostrated herself terrifyingly, submitting herself to the floor as she bent, her hands trembled bitterly. Her tears poured down on the marble floor.
"I am Marthew Cereun," He answered. "I heard your undying sorrow, but the cries of people in Thallerion was like a mountainous parchment." His masculine voice was like a thunderstorm, echoing into a melancholic song. "You were blessed of all, Xurien Wrez. By your womb...the peace of Thallerion shall come to you."
"Why—me?" She stammered, almost stunned. "Wait, how do you know my name?" Her eyes widened when she heard him talking like a messenger of universe, her forehead slowly hammering the shining floor of the altar. "Are you the Great Orion? The one who measured the calculus of the Universe? The one who hunt the truth of existence?"
"Your fervent prayers was the only path that bridge my consciousness into form..." He answered. "Yes, I am one of the Celestial entities... But your ancestors... the heroes... and the well-known hunters... they called me as...Orion— the one who gave the unbreakable shield in Thallerion." His deep voice were hiding burdened. Xurien head slightly moved on the floor, she saw the frigid crystalline boots that stood nearby. "Stand up. Don't bend your knees in front of me—I am no god—and I am not worthy to receive any title." He commanded. His right hand dived before her face.
Xurien's fingers trembled as she tried to grasp his hand, but she gasped unexpectedly when she witnessed him had vanished instantly like an astral smoke, then he appeared immediately at her back. "I am merely an entity, who broke my promise. I am just a failure." He said.
"What do you mean?" She asked. "Aren't you the one who taught Thallerion to grasp weapons? The one who trained them to hunt the ferocious beasts created by other celestial entities? The pride of Thallerion was your name. Don't blame yourself, Great Guardian....you were the father of Thallerion. Your celestial gene ran through our blood."
"That's enough." He ordered. "Still... I am not worthy to be called Great Guardian, you have seen how reckless I am... how the door of Thallerion was left opened, let monsters and abyssal creatures in the borderlines creep in, carrying the curse of other entities." A deafening silence reigned the shrine at that moment; then, Marthew Cereun breathed heavily. "However... I didn't come here to justify my mistake. I am here to deliver the important words to you....I am here to tell you—The prophecy that shall come to pass."
"Prophecy?" She echoed. Her eyes glinted like a corned wolf, her heart throbbed unease. "What are you saying? After all the prayers of Thallerion have done, why have you been doing this to us? Is our arrogant made you upset? Tell me...where do we go wrong?" Xurien's mind prowling like a fleeting bird in the fog, she won't looked up, she bitterly buried herself in the floor, her knees aching with reddish bruised. "Answer me....please."
"Your prophesied child would pave the way in order the heavens and earth shall reunite as one." Marthew Cereun answered, as Xurien froze like a statue, her heart hammering the sternum. His voice rest in silent as his face crawled in the wall of cathedral. He saw the gargantuan cross stood in the wall as if it was listening to him.
Marthew lifted his hand in the air, slowly gathering a glowing tangible energy until it formed into a bluish rectangular holographic interface had stabilized in the air. In the screen, the personal profile of Xurien was displayed.
Marthew clicked the word Affinity at Xurien's profile, then he found out that her blood was a combination of Thallerion bloodline and Cyprioxian. Then, as he clicked— Xurien's head glowed with yellowish halo and a small cross on the forehead like it was a divine blessing of entity of Crux. Xurien felt like her heart was freed from a ton of thorns. She breathed, "I feel the power of Crux entity."
Marthew lit a smile moderately, then his blue holographic interface screen vanished as he lowered his hand. "You are indeed a Cyprioxian but still a Thallerion blooded. But listen, the hand of your future child will connect the stars in the heavens like a constellation."
Xurien stopped shortly. "Why? Why should be my child?" Her eyes fell like a stone in grim silence upon hearing those words. She stood upright as she laid her hands on her chest. Her yellowish halo glowed brightly like a sun in the morning. "I... I never had a dream to marry... Thallerion was my own family."
Marthew approached her like a king with clanking weapons at his waist. " Listen carefully, Xurien...The fate of mortal beings in the eyes of a god, is an inescapable script already written."
Xurien's whole body trembled when she heard it as if the cold gale appeared—her fear was unimaginable in her mind. Her tears flowed again more bitterly, the joyous glow of her cross on the forehead dimmed softly. "Why must a mortal will shoulder this responsibility." She looked sharply at his soft eyes, judging every spark of expression in his face, searching any mercy. "Is it the Guardian... the one who sawtooth the fangs of a lion? The one who severed the tentacles of a colossal Cetus, and the one who forced the seven-headed Hydra to dance?"
Xurien stepped two staggering steps towards Marthew, but she fell to her knees on his feet as she offered her hand in the air. She trailed her eyes on his muscular jaw, a soft beard glinted with crystalline dust. "What can a mortal do against such ferocious celestial monsters—even heaven and earth fear them?"
Marthew bowed his head with a deadly silence, he walked toward the tray of frozen candles as his metal on his waist juggling softly on every step. He picked up the fire of a candle, hovering at his fingers like a playful firefly. He heard her faint sob with a deep burden.
"You knew our perseverance, you have heard our prayers, but how long we must wait?" Xurien's tears poured like a torrential rain that was once gathered in a million times. "I'm pleading you... don't ignore the fear that drowned Thallerion hopelessly. Help us....bless us once more with your mighty celestial power."
Before he answered, he blown the floating fire. In a heartbeat, he vanished then he appeared instantly in the air before her. A deep breath full of regrets echoed in the room. His cape swaying rhythmically, with his shining daggers clanking faintly, orbiting like silver planets around him.
"I regret to tell you..." he steady, his heart was heavy as if the dim cloud choked, absorbing the dew in the grass. "Even the Greatest Guardians of this world, also face a cruel paradox." He raised his right hand, in that moment, the floating dagger merged one by one, forging into a mythical blade. It's hilt encrusted with cerulean precious jewels, with a blade shining like a sharp mirror. "This blade had tasted some celestial bloodlines from the past. Thallerion was freed from the tyranny of the world because of it, but now it was chained by the fangs of lightning in the sky, waiting for one who is worthy." Abruptly, the weapon dissolved into magical mist, leaving a trail of bluish dust in the air, as he breath ragged.
"However, my soul's essence was imprisoned into the different world. An opposite of creation— the void of decay." He weakened when he said the truth, though he was known as the great hunter of the void, his voice still shaking.
Xurien eyes flowed her tears when she heard the reason why Marthew Cereun failed to his promise to the Thallerion. "What you saw now...was only an astral message of my mind." His aura dimmed as he spoke like the cloud had covered itself.
"How can we survive in the dark era, if our only star we looked up in the night was covered by the clouds?" Her voice growled in despair, her hope was like a compass without a true-north. "How can my prophesied child will be able to achieve the peace of Thallerion, if your true presence was not there?"
"Don't worry... I never had forgotten the land of Thallerion. If the first sign of prophecy will occur... I, Marthew, the Orion...will send a prophetic sign in the sky—sigh!" Marthew stopped as he sensed the time was over. "I don't have enough time, Xurien." Marthew slowly fading. "Just remember the words I have presented to you." His body turned into a golden dust but before he had completely gone, he breathed shortly. "Just look up the sky. Goodbye."
Marthew disappeared dissipated into a golden dust that fade away in the corner of the shrine. "I will hold to your word." She whispered in the air. For her, this was the sacred moment she had ever encountered, like a seed sprouting within her core. Suddenly, the noise came back to reality, the scents of the incense pickled her noise, her glowing halo with cross disappeared too instantly.