Chapter 13: Reaction
Location: Great Karis Valley, Wealden continent, Primal plane.
Dragon calendar: 1,001,100 M.A, Orpheus 8th
Domitoris Imperial calendar: Year 12, 04th day, First month of summer.
The hot burning ball peeked from the towering mountains, illuminating the sky with a reddish golden hue. A cool morning breeze, soaked with the news of summer tension, brushed past the beautiful Karis Valley, greeting another new morning.
Every sunrise and sunset is different when the spring takes a step back and crown the summer with cotton clouds and shining sun. It was evidenced in every tree, grass blade and calmly flowing Karis river below the valley.
Birds of various colors and sizes decorated the already beautiful sky like accessories on a noblewoman's ball gown.
Amidst the twittering of those beautiful birds, rustling of summer wind and the mummers of the crystal clear river, an old man could be seen meditating on a large boulder, nearby hill.
His ears, round and well crafted and his physique, weak and thin, was undoubtedly of a human. His long white hair and beard danced with the soft morning breeze, creating an unusual atmosphere.
It was the kind of scene that brought peace to one's inner mind.
His wrinkled skin displayed time's fair judgement and life's harsh truth that had repeatedly beaten him with reality some people wouldn't dare to bear.
Sunrays reached his feet, but there was no response from him. As if he truly didn't notice.
Then they reached his waist, chest and even his sunken cheeks. Yet he didn't move even an inch. Like he was lost in a deep dream, crafted by a mysterious god to show him a world he had never seen, he sat in a lotus position with his eyes tightly closed.
Just as the sunrays reached his eyes, something unexpected happened.
The old man's eyebrows arched as he opened his eyes in an instant. Those eyes, resembling the beautiful Aldebaran in the night sky, were filled with surprise.
"My goodness!" he mumbled in a trembling voice. "A savior…a hero like no other." He stood up and descended the ground as if he was coming down from a long staircase, stepping on the seemingly empty air.
Although his legs were shaking like a newborn's, his orange eyes held the determination of a young knight going to war.
"I must…" he kept mumbling. "I must record this great discovery."
He slowly walked towards the shabby cabin near the boulder with shaky steps.
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Location: Fae-land, Cwellan triangle, Primal Plane.
Dragon calendar: 1,001,100 M.A, Orpheus 8th
End of summer and start of fall.
To races like dragons and spirits, the change of season is nothing special. While to races like humans and beastkin, it's a very crucial moment of their future comfort and survival.
But what about other races?
What about the races who are tightly bound to the change of seasons?
The end of summer and start of autumn meant an extremely busy life for both summer fairies and autumn fairies.
Fairies are born according to the season, dividing them into four factions: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
While one side of the world experiences the beautiful spring, the other side undoubtedly experiences the cold winter, that's the norm.
Hence when a new season starts, the fairies responsible for that season would set out to travel to specific areas to maintain the balance of the season. Thus, fairies are usually occupied by their duties all year around, traveling the world.
But there's one fairy who stays in one place all year around.
Fae-land, located slightly right to the Agyris mainland of Cwellan triangle, was the place where the fairy kingdom existed. They were protected by rulers of Mitherr-ge, the dragons.
Cwellan triangle was the territory of Pteron-Dragons of House Agyris, who were the most active when communicating with other races.
At that moment, an Ancient Dragon who skipped the Awakening Ceremony of this round walked along the beautiful forest path with leisurely steps. The afternoon sun of summer's last breath apparently had to hide among slightly heavy clouds, as if afraid to harm a dragon who had lived for tens of thousands years.
Based on her appearance, with braided snow white hair tinted by aquamarine at the tips and shimmering aquamarine iris with slight wrinkles around her eyes, she was approximately in her early 40s in human age.
However her aura, far more ancient than even Former Dragon King Endymion, said her real age was far from those insignificant two-digit numbers.
Once an open pavilion came into her view, her steps quickened.
"Little Rosette!" She called out, her tone tingled with mild excitement.
A few meters away from her was a tiny woman, no taller than a one and half meters.
She had pinkish gold hair so beautiful that it seemed like someone had turned rose gold satins into hair. And her pink eyes, shaped like a peach blossom without any pupils, glittered like an ancient yet pure pink diamond that could be only found in the Dragon King's treasury.
A mysterious amber hue stone the shape of a diamond rested on her forehead as if it was part of her. She had a beautiful flower wreath of pink roses over her head like a crown, almost covering her long pointy ears. Her dress, resembling a half-bloomed rose, together with her wings resembling a Fae-dragon seemed to fit her pure yet mesmerizing features.
"Ah, Lady Argyris." She voiced her surprise in an innocent manner. Her sorrowful eyes instantly turned delightful.
"You are as beautiful as a spring rose today as well." Lady Argyris giggled cheerfully, prompting Rosette's cheeks to blush, matching her hair and eyes.
"Please stop teasing me.." She mumbled.
"Why? It's fun to watch the Fairy Queen blush like someone in love…oh wait, she is already in love, aren't she?"
"Oh, C'mon!" Rosette protested, now blushing like a red rose.
"Hmmm…so where's your new groom gone, leaving his wife behind?"
"H-he went to Songe. It seems something unusual was happening there."
"Songe? You mean the fairy forest Songe at Tethys island in the apex of Cwellan triangle?"
"Yes."
At her unhesitated answer, Lady Agyris crossed her arms and stared at Queen Rosette. Her ivory eyebrows frowning slightly.
"That should be our duty as guardians of Cwellan Triangle, you should've reported to us."
"It's the awakening ceremony for the esteemed dragons, I wouldn't dare to disturb your vacation, my lady."
"Nonsense! I stayed behind anyway. It wouldn't have hurt to send my son there if you had reported the issues sooner. We'd have to wait another week for the entire house to return now."
"I see, if my memory serves me right, young lord Euclid is supposed to awaken his elements this time, isn't that right, Lady Argyris?"
"Indeed." The ancient dragon nodded with a proud expression. "That rascal Atlas isn't going to find an Apomero at this rate. Euclid is our only hope, a better future for the House of Agyris."
"He…seemed a bit particular, yes." Queen Rosette recalled the young man with a mischievous smile always tugging his beautiful lips.
He had both looks and skills, but he seemed indifferent to romance and anything related to love. Queen Rosette almost wanted to blurt out that he just wanted to eat and play like a bum, but she fortunately managed to keep it at the tip of her tongue.
However she also agreed with Lady Argyris for putting their hopes on Euclid. Although he wouldn't be the next head of the house, his child undoubtedly would be the sole candidate for the heir after Atlas.
"Don't get me started! Sigh… As his grandma, I feel like even beating him up for one hundred years wouldn't be enough to repair his mindset." she grumbled.
Perhaps because she unconsciously recalled the memory of her troublemaking grandson who flipped the whole world upside down the minute he went on his 3rd growth pace mission, her expression turned sour in an instant.
"Anyway… why are you here again?" As she questioned with a slight concern in her tone, abandoning the thoughts of her grandson, Queen Rosette avoided her aquamarine gaze.
Simultaneously, their eyes drifted away, landing first on the open pavilion pillars, second on the item stuck on the middle of the pavilion floor.
"I'm here to pay respect." Queen Rosette smiled softly, making Lady Agyris sigh inwardly.
"Pay respect to a masterless sword made from the life of a Fairy King?" Sharp and hurtful words spit out from her mouth. The dragon looked intently at the sword as if she wanted to pull it out and throw it into the deep sea.
The sword her only friend's child was dutifully protecting was the same reason her jewel-like pink eyes soaked in sorrow.
"Durandal didn't do anything wrong, don't look at it with such hatred, lady Argyris." Queen Rosette chuckled softly, fluttering her wings like a butterfly and landing right on the hilt of the mysterious sword.
Lady Argyris frowned openly.
She had seen this sword so many times that she had lost count thousands of years ago.
Beautiful hilt with glowing jewels in cyan and ivory hue gave the sword a noble and unique aura. And the mysterious amber stone engraved on the near edge of the blade where it was connected to the hilt looked as uncanny as the universe itself. But not a single one above mentioned was as mesmerizing as the outer appearance of the blade and hilt.
It looked as if it was crafted by a diamond. The blade as well as the hilt, excluding jewels and the mysterious stone, captured the sunlight and glittered beautifully in an otherworldly manner.
It was said that the material used for this sword was not only made with the essence of Cosmo but also with a fragment of a dying sun from a chaotic solar system, creating a divine diamond, an unbreakable steel that was said to never break even in the hands of gods.
The ancient dragon let out a low growl, misfitting her beautiful appearance and cheerful personality.
"But it makes you sad. Both you and your mother… you protect it as if it's your eyes and ears…yet at the same time you feel sorrowful every time your gaze lands on it."
The Holy Sword Durandal.
That was its name.
It wasn't holy because it was crafted by a powerful god, nor was it named that way because it held divine energy. It was called The Holy Sword because it had been soaked with the blood of seven gods.
When God's war started one million years ago, there were twelve minor gods and hundreds of deities left in the world, fighting for the throne of a major god. The war quickly expanded to not only the Cosmic plane and Abyssal plane, but also to the Primal plane.
At that time, although killing a god seemed impossible, the inhabitants of the primal plane had to do something to put an end to this disaster.
That was how the Fairy King Durandal stepped forward to help the other races.
The lifespan of a fairy is 7,000 years, and the fairy stone, the true heart of a fairy, was the core of a fairy's soul which contained cosmic energy—an energy similar to divine energy. While a god's soul was filled with divine energy, their outer shell was created with cosmic energy.
Durandal's ambition wasn't the complete annihilation of gods, but a peace to the world his children were living in. If the outer shell of the god was destroyed, they'd have to seal their own souls until they get a new shell. That was what Durandal was aiming for.
Thus, he sacrificed his lifeforce and fairy stone, giving it to dwarves in hope of crafting a weapon to defeat the gods.
However, Sacrificing both meant death to a fairy.
The dwarves succeeded in honoring Durandal's wish by creating the sword. But alas, there was no one who was able to slay a god, even with a sword so scared it contained the soul of a fairy king.
It wasn't the fault of the sword, rather, it was the fault of the wielder that was the problem. Numerous people wielded it in the war against gods after being chosen. But they all were at most 9th tire Saint-Knight rank sword wielders. Their power wasn't enough to even stand against a god.
Despair consumed the entire fairy race. They sacrificed their king, yet the outcome was miserable. When they were on the verge of giving up, hope appeared.
The Dragons.
Upon the request of the Elves, they took the front line of the war against gods.
And The Holy Sword?
The Dragon King, Thanasios became the sword's new master. He was the person who named the sword after the fairy king's name too.
Although the end was a good outcome, the fairies felt the sorrow of trapping their king's soul in a sword till this day.
"Gasp!"
The ancient dragon's inner monologue perished with the sound of a surprised Fairy queen.
"... Little Rosette?"
"...This," Queen Rosette looked at her as if someone had said that a war had broken out with another plane.
"What is it?!" Lady Argyris came closer with hurried steps.
"I sensed an awakening of an unmatched power." The Fairy Queen muttered, looking at the sword with wide eyes.
A silence like no other wrapped the pavilion like an Invisible veil. The ancient dragon studied the Fairy Queen with unreasonable eyes while the target of those eyes never broke her gaze away from the beautiful sword.
'Maybe…just maybe… this power could awaken you too, esteemed hero of the fairies.'
∆ ∆ ∆
Location: Olam City, Zephyr mountain range, Beohtig continent, Primal Plane.
Elven calendar: Year 1,001,100, season of autumn, first month, 20th day
The drizzle rain of crystal like water droplets seem to embrace the world as if reuniting with an old lover. Those droplets wrapped the warm colors of autumn filling the entire mountain range with a refreshing delight as the summer collapsed on the hand of fall.
Autumn is always welcoming news to Light Elves.
That might be the reason that the Zephyr mountain range, listed as one of the deadliest forbidden zones in the world, seemed so lively the past few days.
Laughter of children and women could be heard from here and there all day around. Even men appeared to be in a good mood as the festival season was approaching at a fast speed.
On the highest peak of the zephyr mountain range, away from the gazes of dragons and humans, there stood a beautiful castle with excellent craftsmanship.
If Kyriaki was there, she'd have asked very politely why Neuschwanstein castle, which was supposed to be on a rugged hill of the foothills of the Alps mountain range in Germany, was there.
She'd have definitely asked why the romantic and highly stylish Romanesque Revival architecture from the 19th century was there, used by elves who have Hebrew inspired names but dress like characters from The Gxmx of Thrxnex, with all the patience in the world.
Yes, very politely at that.
Viridescent hue buildings that were intentionally built that way to blend in with nature stood tall amidst all the autumn allure, slowly painting itself with the color of fall like the city walls itself had a will.
Ancient Elven Magic.
That was the reason Light Elves were still hidden from the outside world until now.
And also why the mountain peak, which was supposed to be covered in snow, was experiencing the taste of seasons like any other place.
It was a huge city, guarded by high walls from all sides. In Elven tongue it was called Olam, which meant "A place hidden beyond the horizon".
Home to over 2 million Elves, including High Elves, this was the place they called their heaven and also the place any and all Elves want to go even for once in their lifetime.
At the center of this highly sought after city was the beautiful palace Kyriaki would have very politely questioned if she was there.
Crash!
A sudden loud noise broke the peace of that said palace.
A handsome young man with long silver-green hair and basil-green eyes ran towards the window from the second floor of the palace and stood there, looking up at the sky darkened by the rain clouds of autumn. His pointy ears were twitching as if he couldn't control his emotions.
"Your Majesty!" Someone exclaimed with a startled voice from behind him, however his mind was so complicated for him to answer that call.
"Unbelievable," he mumbled, still looking at the sky. "...what kind of power is this?!"
∆ ∆ ∆
"Fate has broken, a savior has been born. Be prepared, humans of the future…a great disaster will fall, gods will emerge, blood and flames will devour the world. But fret not, a golden sun will rise from the moon to guide you to victory. When the time comes, do not resist the sun, join her to resist your fate instead."
—Marvelo De Maximus, the greatest Time Mage and the prophet of imperial era—