We began our performance, and to be honest,
Nerva and I were too focused on the song; we hadn't realized the lyrics sounded
like gibberish. That didn't stop us from having a good time; I decided to
recite Andre 3000's verses, as well as recreate the instrumentals. I'm sure I
looked like a goof beatboxing the song's melody; however, our enthusiasm was
met with gleeful claps to the beat and happy vibes.
After our show, Father, Mother, and Uncle
Aether sat all of us kids down to tell us stories of their time as young adventurers
in their party, Golden Hourglass. The main party was composed of my father, my
uncle, a close friend of the family named Rebecca, and my late aunt, Oshubana;
each main member had their own smaller group to aid in missions. They were
tasked to protect the continent and to relay anything that could be of concern
back to my grandfather, Samael. At some point, my mother joined the party
"Our party, Golden Hourglass," Father began,
"was a power house that took on S-Ranked missions; it's actually how and your
mother I met." Father gave our mother a gentle smile; the look in their eyes was
that of true love and companionship.
"Ah, yes," chimed in Uncle Aether, "I remember
it fondly; your father was such a rowdy prince back in his day. Steady ducking
and dodging his duties; not too far from what he's doing now—."
"—Shangomaru!" Father's voice sharpened; the
look in his eyes was enough to let me know that whatever Uncle Aether was about
to say was crossing the line. "I think it's high time that you children make
your way to bed. Remember, you all have a road trip to go on, so I expect each
of you to be ready to leave at daybreak."
My siblings and I made our way upstairs to our
respective rooms to retire for the night. Although the night we had would be
reminisced, greatly, I still can't shake the feeling that something was being
hidden from us, as if the adults in our lives were deliberately keeping us in
the dark.
As I lie in my bed, eyes transfixed on my
ceiling, I'd remember the encounter I had with my grandfather, all those years
ago. Grandad was a dragon, even if he did act more like a child than me,
I thought to myself. And then there was what Uncle Aether said, or rather,
what he called Father, "a rowdy prince." What did he mean by that? Are we
royals, or something? And even though my thoughts and synapses were firing
a mile a second, so much so, before I knew it, I had stayed up the entire
night, contemplating on the new and accidental information that was given last
night.
—Knock. —Knock.
There was a gentle rap on my door, followed by
its opening; it was Jade. "Good tidings, Young Master, please let's get you
ready to depart!" She wore a playful smile; however, there was a sadness in her
eyes that reminded me how truly loved my siblings and I are.
—YAAAAAAAAAAWN!
I leaped out of bed and stretched. I didn't
think lying in one spot for that long would stiffen my back; I winced. And
even though I was a bit sleep deprived, that didn't mean I wasn't hyped for
this trip. Ever since coming to this world, all I'd ever known, all I'd ever
needed was within the perimeter of our manor, so the fact that we were finally
getting to see what the outside world was all about, had all my cylinders switching
to overdrive.
Once Jade finished helping me pack and get
dressed, she escorted me downstairs to meet with the rest of my family. They
waited in the foray, along with both Father and Mother, "MurMur! Finally, we've
been waiting for like twenty minutes!" Nerva shouted.
"Pffffft…" I spat while shrugging my
shoulders, "It takes time to look this good, sis!" My wit was met with a
full-belly laugh from the adults as we began to make our way outside to the
carriage. All of us, except Father.
Our stagecoach was a sight to behold; it was golden,
and the trimming on it looked like metallic water, and it wasn't being drawn by
horses; instead, it was something like a unicorn, but with two horns. A
Bicorn carriage? I wondered. I remember reading about this fantasy creature
in a few light novels and video games that I played in my past life.
I approached one of the creatures, looking
deep into its eyes; they were soft, compassionate, and warm. Their coat was a
vibrant tangerine, with a contrasting pitch black mane, but their eyes were
what drew me into their allure.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Uncle Aether
approached me, "It's called a Bicorn; steeds that have one horn are called
unicorns; they're fast and reliable, sure, but they don't compare to the endurance
of Bicorn." He smiled as he continued to pet the animal, "Oh, yes, your father
wanted me to tell you that he'd like to speak with you one last time before you
take off."
I found it odd that Father didn't come out
with us to see us off; however, I'm sure his reasoning was warranted. While
making my way back inside the manor, I had a strange feeling, as if I were
being watched by someone. The feeling persisted until I found myself in one of
the main hallways of the house that split off into two directions.
I could overhear people talking, but only two
of the voices sounded familiar; there was, of course, my father's voice, and I
believe the other male voice was the attendant that I normally see him with, I
think his name was like Casper, or something. But it was that third voice that
sounded completely foreign to me, yet also, as contradictory as it may sound, I
felt as though I knew the voice just as well, if not better than I knew my
father's voice.
Stealthily, I peeked my head around the corner
to try to get a look at who my father was talking to, there were three distinct
voices, my father's and two others; however, my eyes couldn't quite understand what was
happening, but it seemed like the second person dissolved into sand. The moment
I turned my head, the three voices instantly turned into two, and my father and
his aide started making their way towards my direction.
"Good tidings to you, Father," I said, turning
the corner and giving a bow. "Uncle Aether said you needed to speak with me
before we depart. Is everything okay?"
"—Gah! Shangomaru might have been on to
something," Father chuckled, "You're way too formal for your age. Fairly
certain that's a trait you inherited from your mother!" Tussling my hair,
Father crouched down to meet me at eye-level, "I'd like to properly introduce
you to someone, Myrlin, this man is Jasper, he's something of a relative of your mother and he's just made
it back to the manor from a mission I assigned him. Go ahead and give him that
same energy, son."
The man behind my father was a pale, fair
skinned man, that was almost translucent, and blood red eyes. He was tall and
lanky, reminiscent of Nosferatu; however, he wore a neat haircut, one suited
for a butler. He stood with an overwhelming sense of indifference, and judging
by the scowl he wore, I could tell he'd rather be tending to his tasks than to
speak with a child.
"Good Tiding, to you sir," I bowed before him,
"my name is Myrlin Samael Wyllt, first son of Chronos and Twyla Wyllt. It is a
pleasure to meet your acquaintance." I figured his indifference would be thrown
off by my being precocious, and when I looked up at him, he had a slight grin.
"Well, aren't
you wiser beyond your years," the man's smile dropped before bowing before me.
"I am Jasper Les Fleurs Précieueses, and I serve your family as the head butler
and your father's Right-Hand." He stood up, his face had softened considerably
after introducing himself.
"Jasper here was taken in by your mother's
family when he was young living in the Vampyre Quarter of Jigoku," Father
blurted out, and like it were a reflex, Jasper's scowl returned more
aggressively. "That's why he doesn't look like your usual Precious Flower, he's
a Vampire."
The hallway grew still, I hadn't really
thought about beings like vampires were living in this world, I mean, my
mother is demon, and my grandpa is fucking dragon. So, a vampire wouldn't
really be out of the realm of possibility, right? I still had so many
questions about this new world, "Is that true; you're a vampire?" I croaked,
trying to break the tension, although, I had to admit my eyes were consumed
with stars at the thought of meeting a real vampire.
When he looked back at me, his faced had once
again softened, "what your father says is true," he gave another slight bow. "I
was raised by the Precious Flowers, despite being born a Vampire; yet, I let it
not detour me. I'd been abandoned as a child, and at my lowest point, I was stealing
food from nightclubs and taverns; that was until I'd met a girl with hair that
looked like storm clouds. She reached her hand out and with that same level of
poise and elegance that you had, she asked if she could feed me." It was no
question that he was referring to my mother, she is a saint, blessed by the
Goddess herself.
Jasper knelt down and stuck his hand out,
while keeping his head down, "she's like my big sister, so, if you ever need
anything from me, don't hesitate to ask."
I was a bit confused as to what was exactly
going on; however, looking at my father, it was clear that I had an obligation
to accept his offer. "I'll bare your offer in mind for the future," I wasn't
really sure what to say, but judging by the doting expression on his face, I
think my response was correct.
—CLAP!
"Anyways," Father clapped, "Jasper, go ahead
and make way to my study for your reconnaissance debriefing."
Jasper stood up and gave another slight,
albeit irritated bow to my father, "with haste, M'Lord…" His tone grew cold,
and if I had to guess, he's the type that blindly adores anyone with a blood
relation to my mother, and completely distrusts to everyone else.
As the butler made his exit, I furrowed my
brow at my father, "who was that you were talking to?"
Taken aback by the question, Father's eyes
began to dart around the corridor, "what do you mean, kiddo? I introduced you
to who I was talking to, your Uncle Jasper—."
"—I'm not as naïve as I seem," I snapped; I
wasn't too sure had gotten into me. Growing pains? Monster Hormones? What I did
know was that I was being lied too, and I wasn't too keen on a life build on
lies.
"Yeah, well, despite that you're still too
young," Father's tone stiffened; it was the first time he'd really put his foot
down like this. Granted, throwing an attitude isn't really like me. "No matter
how wise and mature you are now, keep in mind that I am your predecessor, and I
do in fact know what is best for you. And knowing about the man Jasper and I were
speaking with, isn't something that you're ready for yet."
Taking his words into consideration, I
swallowed my pride and took my L. "You win this time, Old Man, but I'll find
out who that was one of these days."
He chuckled and tussled my hair once again,
"are you all packed up? The trip is supposed to be four days by bicorn drawn
carriage. You make sure you and your siblings are square?"the atmosphere
immediately changed upon his questioning, much to my welcomed delight.
"But of course," I scoffed, "what type of
elder brother do you take me for, Father?" The two of us shared a laugh before
we made our way outside to meet the rest of our family.
The inside of the stagecoach was massive, and with
the help of Uncle Aether's spatial magic, there were three bedrooms, a full
bathroom and kitchen, and a gaming crystal to keep us from getting bored. I was
feeling like one of those posh Disney Channel child actors' whose parents were
irresponsible with their money. The takeoff was smooth and there was no
turbulence felt on the inside of the carriage, and before we knew it, we were
leaving the perimeter of the manor.
The neighboring village was fairly small, and
seemed to hold us in high regard, judging by the adoring eyes and excited faces
that filled the streets. According to Mother, the village doesn't have a name;
however, the denizens have pledged their allegiance an support to the Gold
Dragon Emperor, the ruler of Garyudōra, the Western Dragon Empire, the country
we were born in.
This was the first time that any of us were
leaving the manor we were born in. It was honestly pretty surreal embarking on
this next chapter in our lives, and I still have so many questions to ask; but
if I understood one thing, it was that the events of the past, and the events to
come, all happen for a reason. And as long as I've lived in this world, I
unfortunately was only going to scratch the surface of that overarching reason.
Garyūshi Olodunosuke
Back in the manor
"It would appear that the Hermetic Order of
the Dragon Steadfast managed to set up operations somewhere on the continent,"
Jasper informed, presenting a few pictures to serve as proof. There were three
images: the first was of an abandoned armory that looked liked it hadn't been
used in eons. The second was of a group of zealots huddled around a campfire,
seemingly performing a ritual, and the last one was of a small boulder with the
Latin character "E" carved into its face.
"Judging by these images taken with Remote
Capture we were able to acquire," my Right-Hand continued, "I've deduced that
the location is somewhere in the LeFey Forest."
The embara in the study began to grow dense as
the gravity of the situation was beginning to set in, "Jasper, the same LeFey
Forest I just sent my five children and wife to?" I was brimming with anger, frustration,
and overall disappointment in myself for not being the one to take them.
After Bashi attacked, I had Jasper look into anything
that she could've been up to while she was missing, and it turned out that
she'd gotten involved with this cult called The Dragon Steadfast. It seems
that they've been keeping a tabs on us; luckily, I had the foresight to become
a cloistered emperor. It was the only means of keeping my family safe,
especially after the Slime Viper incident.
"Your Majesty," Jasper bowed with a shaky
voice, "from what Remote Capture has taken, it would seem as though these
members are non-combatants, and should pose no threat to my sister and her
children." Remote Capture is an LGIN skill that allows the user to set a fixed
marker that can then be used to capture images and record video.
His words were beginning to smooth my rage,
"and what if the worse were to happen?"
My Right-Hamd scrunched his nose, "Ladies
Rubella and Jade are accompanying them on this excursion, and must you fein
ignorance of your empress's own ability?"
The embara in the room began to soften as I
considered his words, "even still, I'm worried something will happen while I'm
not there." I shuffled through the images until I landed on the one of the
boulder, "any idea what this could be?" I handed him the photograph and he
examined it.
"I have a hunch, but it'll sound like fiction
than a lead,"he said with an uneasy tone. "Archeologist around the realm have
found similar boulders like this one all with this same character carved into
it. None of them had been able to figure their origins, however, one of them
did claim that it spoke to them and referred to it as an Echo of En. That same
archeologist went and founded The Hermetic Order of the Dragon Steadfast." The
lead was more unsettling than something that sounded like fiction.
I stood up and walked to the window and gazed
into the horizon, "Jasper, I want you to send word to the Ryuni Royal palace.
Have Meera Dracoventis, Laith Balasit, and Hikariryūshi Ogugee on standby; I
have sneaking suspicion that we'll need at least three of my Hours."
"With haste," I summoned a shoji for him to
retreat to. Giving it some thought, I can be overprotective at times;
however, when it comes to my family, the family I spent so much time with and
making smile, I'll spare no expense if it means their absolute safety.
Nameless Child
Abandoned armory; Somewhere in the LeFey
Forest
It's cold in this cell, and the food they
give me never tastes good, why is this happening to me? What did I do to
deserve this? I don't many memories of my life before this cell, but there
was this pendent with some writing on it that I had. I can't remember where I
got from, but I've done all I've could to make sure no one knew I had it.
"Hey, kid!" The guard nearby yelled out, he
was an angry looking lizardman, who wore a dingy hood and looked like he'd only
ever knew a life of cruelty."Get up, the inquisitor wants a word with you; best
mind your manners and play your part right. Boss Ringo tricked the little brat into
believing you were someone of value; and the payout is supposed to be massive,
so you better not ruin this for us!"
I kept my head down, I wasn't even able to
respond; I'd never learned how to speak, almost as if my vocal chords weren't
fully developed, but why? I nodded my head, as the door outside of my
cell creaked open.
There was a small group of hooded adults and one child that looked to be
slightly older than me. The child removed their hood and I was surprised to see
that it was a young girl with horns sticking out of her face. She had pitch
black hair, and a hypnotic and savory voice, "Hello, child, my name is Nagahita
Akinyori, an Inquisitor with the Dragon Steadfast; do you have name?"
My eyes darted around the room before I shook my head, much to the girl's
annoyance, "this child can't even speak, and you expect me to believe this mute
imp carries Her Highness' blood?"
I had no idea what she was talking about, I don't remember anything about
my mother, or father, let alone my own name. She wore a scowl as she put her
hood back on to make her exit, "Dagon, inform Captain Ringo of my departure,
and upon my return, I'll have an appropriate punishment for you all."
The group made took their leave, while Dagon, the guard had a blaze of
hatred raging in his eyes, "DIDN'T I SAY NOT TO FUCK IT UP?!"
—MINK!
His
fist made direct contact with my jaw, followed by several kicks to the abdomin.
At this point, this is routine, these people will find any excuse to lay hands
on me. If I don't answer them the way they want me to, that's a thrashing. If I
can't efficiently do tasks they assign me, I can expect a fleury of feet eager
to stomp on me.
I
learned that fighting back was futile and that it'll only make things worse for
me. I tried to flee, but I got caught before I could even make preparations for
the escape. I can't even think about leaving this place without them finding
out; is this despair? Is this what I deserve?
The
door outside my cell suddenly flew open in a panic, "DAGON!! Come quick, Boss
Ringo has a lead on some new product entering the forest!" The man's attacks ceased as he found
amusement in an ambush; he'd locked my cell door, and I was once again alone. Lying
on the cold cobblestone of this cell, surrounded by the hum of silence, I feel
at peace. At least I don't have worry about them hurting for the time being,
I thought.
Boss Ringo
Ringo's Office
"Belinda, are you sure you saw an imperial carriage enter the forest?" I
asked, trying to maintain my composure.
The female lizardman cleared her throat, "Yes, I confirmed it myself,
they entered roughly forty minutes ago, and it would appear that they're headed
in our direction."
My little scheme to trick that brat of an inquisitor didn't play out in
my favor; however, if I were to hand the Steadfast this imperial carriage and
whoever was inside, I just might be in consideration to become a general, or
even better, a commander of the combatant division. There was no hiding how
excited I was to intercept this carriage; "good, and when that little bitch
comes back, we'll be presenting her with a gift she'd never refuse." Belinda and
Dagon stood at attention as there was a knock at the door.
"Enter!" I hissed, it was a messenger that relayed a letter from
Inquistor Akinyori. It detailed that my "mistake" can be rectified by subduing
the imperial carriage that is making route to Avalon, and by doing so, my
group's past transgretions will be forgiven. "This little bitch," I sneered, "I
was already going to do that… Belinda, Dagon, have the indoctinees be moved to
the underground cells near that imp; we'll need enough room for the riches
we're about to acquire!"
Both Dagon and Belinda exchanged a worried expression; "do you think the
cloistered emperor will be in the carriage?" Dagon inquired, "will we be able
to handle someone of his strength?"
It was a concern that didn't require any thought, "if what the higher ups
in the Steadfast are saying in this letter are true," I began, "that is, that
the empress and two maids are escorting the children to Avalon to be enrolled at
the Caliburn Institute. Then, that would mean that we'll be in the clear; we
have intel inside the imperial family's secluded manor, if you were curious."
The Steadfast has their hands in more places than anyone really knows;
claiming to be a pacifist branch of Meladraconism. The truth was that the
organization is really a cult of zealots that worship the chaotic nature of our
patron goddess, and their one goal is to find and raise the son of the most
recent incarnation of the Chaos Lord.
Personally, I don't really care about their ambitions; my men and I are
only here for a check, and if that means doing business with this shady
organization, then I'll do it. We were initially hired to be "one-time"
kidnappers; however, we did so well at our jobs, that they ended up hiring us
full time, making me the captain of the "Recruitment Unit," a sub-division of
the combatant division.
We're tasked with kidnapping children throughout the realm and subjecting
them to harsh living conditions in order to prime them for the cult's
brainwashing. So far, we'd successfully added two hundred, thirty-five new
members to the Steadfast, and we had a dungeon full of fresh new forest ogre
and elven recruits, and potentially the imperial family of Garyudōra.
I was grinnning from ear to ear, "I'll make that little skank bow down to
me. Let's move out, I'm eager as hell for this new haul!" Dagon and Belinda
both stood at attention before making their exits. I'll continue to play
this little game; I pondered, but I'll make sure you regret belittling
me, Akinyori.
"Boss Ringo!" Dagon called out, "the indoctrinees are down in the dungeon;
however, the only room left down there is the one with the imp. If we take them
in, they'll be sharing a cell with him."
I gave a long winded sigh, "I don't really care, he can't talk and he's
as weak as vorpal rat. Furthermore, is everyone ready to depart?"
Dagon's eyes widened with excitement, "Aye, sir!"
"Good, let's head out," the two of us made our way outside; the desire for
a large payout is just within my grasp.
Jade Les Fleurs Préceueses
Imperial Carriage; Somewhere in the LeFey Forest
My big sister, Ruby decided to drive the carriage; even though I'd
already asked cousin Twyla if I could drive, Ruby just kept insisting that she
be the one to drive the carriage. Talking about, I'm too young to be driving,
well at least I ain't a old hag! I stuck my tongue out at her, much to her
annoyance.
"You'd better not be calling me an old hag in that head of yours, Jade,"
Ruby side-eyed. "There's a reason why I have to drive, Emperor Garyūshi,
himself, asked me to. And he'd asked me to tell you that he'd like for you to
keep an eye out on the children."
The atmosphere was thick, but welcomed, "I understand," I sighed. Although,
I was bummed that I couldn't drive, I was still very fond of the idea of having
a road trip with my family like this. My little cousins are the most precious
little munchkins in the realm, and as bitter-sweet as this trip was supposed to
be, I was excited to be on the road with them, nevertheless.
Suddenly, Ruby abruptly stopped the carriage and stuck her arm out in
front of me, "Jade, go inside and tell the Empress to take your place;
remember, keep them safe."
I was confused as to what was going on, "but Ruby—."
"—NOW JADE!" She shouted, "I won't tell you again!"
Not questioning my eldest sister's commands, I did as I was told. Cousin
Twyla seemed to completely understand what Ruby was thinking when I told her
she wanted the two of us to swap places, because she expressed to me, just like
His Majesty and Big Sister Ruby, to keep her children safe. I was at a complete
loss; however, I had responsibility to attend to, and I could not look weak in
front of these kids. I'll put on a brave face for the five of you; I
thought, I'll do everything I can to keep you all safe.
Empress Twyla Wyllt-Garyūshi
"Your Majesty," Rubella nodded with a worried whisper, "we're
surrounded." I looked around and saw nothing but dense foliage; however, there
was no attempt of masking their presence, and if I'd had to guess, then we were
being stalked by a group of second-grade bandits.
"These amatures," I scoffed, "they're not even trying to hide their
embara. You and I can easily handle this group; judging by the size of the group
presence, I'd say there are thirty-five of them, and they're weaker than your a
average academy student." The leaves in the bushes began to russle as a group
of lizardmen stepped forward.
"Oh, you were so close, Empress," a scratchy, slimed voice echoed
throughout the forest. "There's thirty-six of us; my men don't have the embara
capacity to pull off Fi Kaga. I on the other hand, was trained by a
knight in the Fangalorian Royal Cruesanders; training that I use to sink my
teeth into my prey." As he spoke, all of his men stepped out to reveal
themselves.
"Rather audacious of you to speak so casually to the Empress," Rubella spat,
"regardless of who you were trained by, it doesn't change the fact that you and
your men are second-grade bandits!" She leaped off the carriage and assumed a
battle stance, "Your Majesty, cover your mouth—! Pheromone Signature: Smelling
Salts!"
I covered my mouth and shut my eyes; I didn't need to see the details of
Rubella's signature, it was one that I was quite familiar with. She has a wind attribute,
and her signature converted her embara and the surrounding wind around her to
turn into various gasious toxins. The toxins she produces can't differieniate
between enemies and allies, so, it's up to her to make sure no one is nearby
that can accidentally breathe it in; the effects can cause everlasting damage.
—THUD! —THUD! —THUD!
I heard the collapse of several bodies flop to the ground; however, I
knew that these bandits weren't going to go down that easily, especially if
they had an organizer that was as confident as the man before me. I slowly
opened my eyes, and my suspicions were confirmed, only three of the thirty-six
fell victim to Rubella's attack.
"Is that the best you got, maid?" The man said with a disgusting tone, "try
not to rough them up too much, and take them in alive—. Oh, that's right,
you've got some cargo in this carriage don't you?"
My eyes widened with anger, "DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON MY CHILDREN!" I
reached for my conductor's baton and began to scribe my name in the air. A
thick, translucent trail followed the tip of my scribing dowel.