《Crucis》 The Lore of Crucis Volume 1: Introduction ¨X¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨[ ? Races Living in Central Jumana: ? ¨^¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨a Moira ? Plural form: Moirais. ? Beings gifted with long lives, precognition, mana talents (can manipulate & control) and use Divinity to delay aging. (for pure-blooded/dominant Moirais) ? Distinguished by the possession of Emerald/Green-hued Eyes. The deeper the colour, the stronger the talents. They also possess lighter hair colours. (Blonde, Grey or White) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Fae ? Plural form: The Fae/Faes. ? Ephemeral Beings born from the trunk of The Tree of Truths. Born with the talent to control & manipulate mana. ? Consists of Elves, Fairies & Dwarves who have longer life spans. (Distinct pointed ears and green-hued hair.) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Commoners ? Mortals born without any blood ties from Moirais nor Fae. (Basic Humans) ? No affinity to Mana usage & manipulation but can train their bodies physically or mentally to get stronger/skilled with their crafts. ? Ages normally. ¨X¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨[ ? Major Factions that Govern Jumana: ? ¨^¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨a Palace of Anima: ? Believers and Worshippers of Fate. A divine principle by which the order of events has been inevitably predetermined. ? Helmed by the Ferre Imperial Family. (Pure-blooded Moirais) Lead by the Emperor & The Empress. (Absolute Monarchy) ? Members of the faction are either pure-blooded Moira or Half/mixed Moira kin. (Nobility) ? Employs a peerage class system according to rank, lineage & nobility. (Sorted from highest to lowest) ¡ô Emperor/Empress ¡ô Dukes ¡ô Marquess ¡ô Earls ¡ô Viscounts ¡ô Barons ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Church of Arbor: ? Reveres and practices Conscience. A moral principle that inhibits or influences the thoughts or actions of a person. ? Helmed by the Saints of Silva, the primary caretakers of the Tree of Truths. (Pure-blood Elves) Only the Saints can speak and converse with the Tree of Truths, an ancient sentient tree planted in the city of Silva. ? Members of the factions are mostly Elves, Dark Elves, Fairies and Dwarves. (Both full-blooded & half-blood kin.) ? Employs a Theocracy system and classified by ranks. (sorted according to highest to lowest) ¡ô Saints (Pure-blooded Faes - Who can speak and listen to the Tree of Truths) ¡ô Blessed (Children of the Saints - Unable to hear the Tree of Truths, but can speak.) ¡ô Laymen (Common Fae folks & Halflings - Unable to hear/speak to the Tree of Truths, mostly due to mixed blood.) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Seditio:This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ? Rebukes the divinity of Fate, and believes that any mere mortal can shape their own destinies. Followers commit to the words: "The End Justifies The Means." ? Helmed by the Enlightened One, a peculiar individual who managed to eat a fruit of the Tree of Truths and managed to survive. ? Members are composed of Commoners and Half-bloods from the Church of Arbor. They accept anyone as members as long as the initiate consents to a Blood Oath. ? Follows Meritocracy and utilizes Blood oaths to establish Brotherhoods. Classified based on achievements/skills. (Sorted from Highest to Lowest) ¡ô The Enlightened One (Leader) ¡ô The 5 Big Brothers (Cronies of Leader) ¡ô Officers (Aides/Soldiers of the Big Brothers) ¡ô Brethren (followers/supporters of Seditio) ¨X¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨[ ? Geography: ? ¨^¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨a World Name: Jumana (pronunciation: Humana) Continent: Central Landmass (Contains Central North, West and South) Surrounded by the vast Ocean of Ius. While the Eastern continent is an archipelago. ¨X¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨[ ? Climates, Terrain & Capital Cities: ? ¨^¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨a Central Region: ¡ö Capital City: Anima - The location of The Palace of Anima. ¡ö Valleys & Hills with temperate forests, rivers and lakes at the outskirts of the capital. ¡ö Cities/Towns nearby: Parte at the eastern outskirts & The Port City of Sequi. (Eastern coast side) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ North Regions: ¡ö Capital City: Silva - The home of The Church of Arbor & the location of the Tree of Truths. ¡ö Alpine Mountain Ranges & Winter Pine forests. ¡ö Extreme north is frozen/glacial. ¡ö Winter lasts for two and a half months. (Starts from Month of Autumn until mid Spring) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ South Regions: ¡ö Sand dunes, Deserts, Steep Canyons & Palm Oasis/springs. ¡ö Dry & Arid with occasional sandstorms. Wet season only lasts for a month & a half. (Month of Spring to mid Summer) ¡öNo capital cities as only nomadic tribesmen of Ults settle in the desert. ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ East Regions: ¡ö Capital City: Orto - Home of the Orto Mercantile Group. ¡ö Volcanic Archipelago, rich in Mana stone mines. ¡ö The Northern Isles have mild weather (Temperate) & great mountain ranges. While southern isles have Tropical weather and active Volcanoes & Geothermal activities. (Tropical rainforest - Wet Season: Autumn - Winter) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ West Regions: ¡ö Capital City: Flumen - Homeland of the Seditio Brotherhood. ¡ö Plains & Marshlands with minimal Mountain ranges and valleys. Lots of bodies of water such as streams and river systems. (Temperate Weather and occasional tornadoes) ¨X¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨[ ? Mana Utilization in Jumana: ? ¨^¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨a Threads of Fate: ? Composed of pure Mana that ties a person''s soul to the world line. ? Other Terms/Words for it: Strands, Threads & Fate Threads. ? Has Three Colour types: 1. Gold - represents the Mana link between Fate and a Person''s soul. A brighter luster means stronger bonds between the world line and the soul. 2. Red - Strands formed by blood relations. (Ex. Father - Son) 3. Black - Decaying/faded-out Gold/Red threads. (When the Mana connection between Fate & the Soul is cut off by force.) ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Bonds: ? Mutual connections that form when two or more Threads of Fate come together. ? Has Three types: 1. Familial Bonds - When individuals produce offspring. (Ex. Father x Mother = Son & Daughter) 2. Blood Bonds - When two or more individuals exchange their blood for the basis of compromise. (Ex. Blood Siblings, Marriages, Sworn Siblings/Adoptions) Should it be Broken/Cut, a penalty or death may befall the contractors. 3. Covenant Bonds - Contract imbued with Fate''s mana. Usually written or documented. If violated/broken Divine Punishment or Death will befall the violator. ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Spells: ? Invoked by the caster by actively consuming their own mana pool. The greater the mana capacity, the more powerful spells they can cast. Using too much spells can cause mental fatigue. ? Categorized in four levels (ranked according to strength) 1. Calamity-level 2. High/Superior-level 3. Mid-level 4. Low-level ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Enchantments: ? Controlling the flow of Mana from the surroundings and using it to surround a target. Uses only ambient mana and is less taxing than casting spells. The higher the concentration of Mana in the environment, the more efficient the enchantment. ? The caster can also adjust the Enchantment Level if they can accumulate the necessary amount of mana in the environment ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Wards: ? Highest level of Enchantment wherein the caster uses Ambient mana and their own Mana pool. ? Only the caster can manipulate/activate a ward. To dispel one, either the caster must disable it or a person must have an active blood connection or bond with the caster. ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Divinity: ? Actively utilizing the pure Mana from a person''s Fate thread. Can only be possible with Dominant Moirais blessed with a massive mana pool. (This also shortens their lifespan as it hastens aging.) ? The emerald irises/eyes of the Moira/Moirais turns golden if activated. ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥ Swift Letters: ? A type of Letter that is imbued of Mana or Composed of Mana. ? Unlike the traditional Letters sent by post, Swift Letters utilize the ambient Mana in the environment to travel to its destination. (May transform as animals.) ? Usually sealed and will be sent directly to the intended reciepient, senders can attach items into it like a spatial inventory. (But may require a high pool of Mana to do so) ¨X¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨[ ? Measurement of Time:? ¨^¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T ¡ã? ? ?¡ã ¨T¨T¨T¨T¨T¨a ? 4 Months: Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter ? 90 Days in a month. 7 Days in a week. 24 Hours per day and 60 minutes per hour. ? Years are documented as Threads. (Years after the Moirais established The City of Anima) Example date format: 12th Day of Spring, 8967th Thread. Prologue "Huff...haah¡­ Ugh. Why? Why must this happen to me¡­ d-damn it all! Argh¡­" The downpour drenched my clothes and pelted my aching body. I was an incoherent mess, my robes were bloodied and torn apart, exposing my bare skin and my wounds to the cold rain. I feel¡­ so tired, my vision was getting hazy. My legs were giving up on me and my knees trembled every time I took a step forward. I felt my strength dwindle gradually, my steps staggered and my gait wavered. It was hard to breathe, it felt like something heavy was pressing against my chest. I winced in pain as I slumped on a nearby tree to get a brief rest and to catch my breath. "Mother... Father¡­ Omri... I''m sorry... I''m sorry..." I was in agony, my knees lost their vigour and my body fell to the cold, muddy ground. The gash on my back throbbed and I sensed my warm blood ooze every time my heart pulsates. I tried to stabilize myself, but my body refused to cooperate. As I lay down, tears started to well up from my eyes. I was truly alone now, my family, my friends, my freedom, and my life... All had been taken away from me. The sound of heavy rain muffled my miserable sobbing. "I''ll... kill those bastards! I swear, I will make Fate pay them in kind¡­ Just¡­ wait for me¡­" The rain was relentless as were my tears. ©¤©¤©¤? ? ?©¤©¤©¤ An unruly company was walking out of the burning Palace of Anima. Donned in their full body heavy armour, they marched at a steadfast pace. Black, hooded cloaks embroidered with a fierce lion insignia on the back, draped their bodies and their movements looked as if to represent the coming of night. At the helm of the group, was a man, clad in a simple black suit. His cloak however was dyed crimson and at it¡¯s back was an insignia of a serpent that was embroidered with golden threads. "Damn, burning down that house was a chore! Let''s get on to the main event." His lips arched to form a sinister smile. "Prepare the lambs! Make sure to find the lost calf. We cannot afford to have loose ends!" He then ordered his followers to spread out throughout the city. As the talk of revolution was rife, many delighted onlookers were gathered in the Plaza of the city of Anima. Their gazes were focused on the central forum as they awaited the trial of the deposed sovereigns. The air had an ominous feel as the overcast of storm clouds hovered at the midday sky. ©¤©¤©¤? ? ?©¤©¤©¤ I¡¯ve been running through the dark and narrow alleyways of the City of Anima, barely escaping from my pursuer who was just several paces behind. "The Moira should just disappear from this world!" The hooded assailant threw a knife at me, I quickly tilted my body to the left in order to evade it. Fortunately the knife narrowly missed my right leg by a few inches, I ran in a straight path until I reached the edge of the narrow street. ¡®Damn it! A dead end!¡¯ A high wall was blocking my front and the sides, there was no place to hide nor climb to. Dejected, I turned back hoping that my pursuer lost sight of me. Unfortunately, he was now blocking my escape path. It seems a direct confrontation was inevitable. "You persistent runt! You''ve got nowhere to run now, hahaha!" My attacker drew his sword, he then cautiously closed his distance, his heavy footsteps echoed along the alleyway as he trudges toward me. "Stop resisting and let me have your head. I''ll make sure it will be painful-" I invoked my mana and with a flick of my index finger, a golden aura knife materialized by my side. It flung itself in a blink of an eye towards the attacker, the knife sliced diagonally through the man''s head. He wasn''t able to finish his sentence as the blade disabled him in mere seconds. Blood spilt from his face and crown as I saw his head split apart. The knife disintegrated shortly, and his corpse fell hard on the cobbled ground. Gradually vanishing to nothingness, leaving only a pool of blood in its wake.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A sharp pain coursed through my entire body, My nose started to bleed profusely and I tasted a bit of blood in my mouth. This was the price I had to pay in order to forcefully cut someone''s Fate. The problem was, it was dangerous as it required an equal portion of accumulated Divinity, which my body currently lacked. I wiped off the blood from my lips and cast a lower healing enchantment into my body to recover. I sighed and glanced at the personal effects that were sprawled on the ground. I picked up his cloak to inspect it and saw a lion-patterned insignia on the collar. It was the coat of arms for the Seditio, a radical group opposing the existence of us, the Moira. I closed my eyes for a while to rest and to comprehend the situation. ''How did the Seditio infiltrate and occupy Anima at such an alarming rate? What drove them to attack us?'' I started to recall a distant memory as I stared at the insignia, my consciousness gradually drifted. ©¤©¤©¤? ? ?©¤©¤©¤ "We the Moira, are beings blessed by Fate, we are born to this world to give insight and guide humans to their appropriate world lines. Our eyes are tinged with an emerald hue, the darker it is, the higher it indicates that a Moira possessed a far greater pool of power. It is a physical trait that our kind possessed." My father was holding his fringes up to his forehead as he displayed his vibrant emerald eyes. "We are also blessed with precognition and high mana aptitude there were also cases in the past wherein descendants are able to accumulate Divinity." He then demonstrated his excellent mana control by creating a water sphere, quickly freezing it into a smooth ball of ice, then evaporating it and turning it to steam. "When a person dies, it is our responsibility to manage their Threads of Fate. Some of Those threads are called ''bonds'' or ''strands'' and it holds the person''s existence; The soul." I remembered my father''s words on the eve of my 7th birthday. After being away from the castle for two years, he promised me that he will read me a special book as a gift for my coming of age. It was the Tome of the Moirais. An ancient artefact passed down to every monarch succeeding the throne of the Palace of Anima. While holding the tome, he reached out his rough hand to my small head and proceeded to pat it gently, he smiled and explained further. "If you sever those threads with Divinity, a person will cease to exist. The body will perish and its soul will be thrown to the World''s Abyss and will be forgotten. If you tie their threads however, the person''s soul will be bound to this world. The body will perish but its soul will not be taken away. Instead, it will stay in this world line, and will be remembered." Father then closed the journal in his hand and summoned his spatial inventory. It looked like he was placing the book on a floating, invisible shelf. "We are to make sure that souls must be bound to their designated world lines, this allows the soul to cycle and reincarnate within their world, replenishing the flow of Mana. The process usually takes hundreds of years to complete, it also allows the soul to be free of their past memories prior to the reincarnation. If there was a loose thread, that thread may interfere with Fate, and if neglected, it will-" "Haaaaaaaaahhhh." Father got distracted by my long yawn. I was fairly tired and I felt a bit uncomfortable in my seat. Father glanced at the time on his left wristwatch and winced, realizing that he kept me up an hour past my bedtime. He picked me up from my seat and embraced me warmly. It was very comforting and I was getting drowsier. As I clung on his warm chest, I buried my face gently on his soft, white, buttoned shirt. He looked at me with a silly pouting face. His gentle hand ruffles my silver hair. "Looks like it is time for bed little one. We shall continue this tomorrow alright?" "But father, you promised that you''ll finish the book with me on my birthday." I whimpered and clung to him harder. I really didn''t want my day to pass. "You only spend time with me on special days, why can''t it be every day, every hour and every minute? I looked at my father with a pitiful expression, I acted like a small kitten begging for attention. Father groans and glanced at me with a hesitant face, he was clearly weak against my charms. After all, it wasn''t easy being a father as well as being the monarch of the Palace of Anima. ©¤©¤©¤ ? ©¤©¤©¤ Emperor Lucis Regius Ferre was a busy man. He was so preoccupied with his responsibilities, that he would sometimes leave for extended periods of time to travel around the territory and also do diplomatic work. But on normal working days, he coops himself inside his study with a big pile of paperwork and deliverables that concerned the affairs of the Empire. ©¤©¤©¤ ? ©¤©¤©¤ My father was a workaholic. The worst he did was when he abruptly left me and my mother a day after my 5th birthday. My mother was devastated to find out that he suddenly rushed to war and was inconsolable that day. Fortunately, my father sent a swift letter that morning explaining the situation. Apparently, the Church of Arbor, the ardent followers of the Tree of Truths, caused civil strife on the Northern borders. My father mobilized his generals and half of the army to defend the Palace of Anima and her lands. My mother, Empress Florestella Nocte Ferre had to temporarily fill my father''s shoes and lead the territory. Swift letters were exchanged every day during the father''s absence from the palace. Although he wasn''t physically around the castle, his letters helped minimize the loneliness my mother and I felt. During my birthdays, and on holidays he would send me large gifts such as books, swords, and toys. All from the northern lands. On normal days, he would send me a letter of greetings with sweets and pastries attached. My mother would get freshly picked flowers and small fragile trinkets like a glass quill or a delicate brooch which was mesmerizing to see, as such gifts usually expire or get damaged in transit. Despite the distance, father treasured us in his own way. This continued, until two weeks ago, father sent a letter notifying his return on the 5th day of the month of Spring. Which was a week before my 7th birthday. Fortunately, he managed to return safely, along with the army with only a few casualties, which was an unprecedented achievement. My father thought long and hard before replying to my question. He then took a deep breath and finally answered. "Alright, I won''t leave you and your mother abruptly again, I promise. I''ll take a long break with you and your mother. How about we go on a picnic tomorrow at the gardens?" He kisses my forehead and smiles. "I shall make sure to finish reading the Tome for you tomorrow, before your bedtime." My eyes sparkled with joy from his reply. "A picnic is okay! Will there be custard sandwiches tomorrow? They taste great with juice!" Father walks out of the study with me in tow on his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered to him softly. "Spending time with father was the best gift I could ever have, thank you for keeping your promises. I will never ever forget this day." I gave him a small peck on his cheek. and he stopped on his tracks briefly. I noticed small tears welling up from his eyes and he was flushed by my adorable gesture. He then increased his pace and darted through the hallway. He brought me to my room and laid me on the bed carefully. Father tucked me in under the soft blankets and his warm hand gently caressed my forehead. My eyes were drooping and sleep was beckoning to me. "Athos, thank you too for today and for being my adorable son. Sweet dreams, little one." ©¤©¤©¤? ? ?©¤©¤©¤ My consciousness then started to return to the present time. I woke up and snapped out from the overflowing memories. ''Why am I suddenly remembering the past?'' I thought. Chapter 1: Omri My consciousness finally returned to the present. I realised that I might have overused some of my mana. Invoking my mind''s Memory Room took its toll on my frail body. As I sat on the ground to recover my strength, I checked for my vitals, the lower healing enchantment I cast earlier was taking effect. My limbs were a little sore but it was now bearable. While resting, I rummaged through the remaining items the attacker left behind. ''The shortsword is worn-out but might come in handy. The poultices are useful, I should keep those. The coin pouch is bulky with coins. This pocket watch seems to be working fine as well, I better hold on to this.'' I summoned my spatial inventory and chucked the coin purse, sword, and poultices inside while I slipped the watch on my right pocket. The cloak that the man wore was too large for my 13-year-old body. So I cast miniaturization enchantment on it and cleaned it a bit with a cleansing spell. I then wore it over my white nightshirt and breeches to conceal my clothing, then propped the hood up and covered my face. I cast an illusory spell on my body to change the colours of my clothes and to hide my emerald irises and silver hair. ''I need to find my parents, and escape from here. It is a bit risky to stay within Anima any longer. We should leave before sunset comes.'' I took out the watch from my pocket and saw that it was already half-past eleven. ''I only have a few hours left.¡¯ I stood up, gathered my energy, then left the narrow alleyways, and went towards the main road. I walked for a bit until I reached the main thoroughfare, leading to Anima''s Central Plaza. The streets ran abuzz with noise as people dawdled along. The cloak I wore was helpful as it was easier to move around without attracting attention. The main roads were littered with Seditio''s officers and my disguise was convenient. The only thing I need to be cautious about is, are the Fae. It was only them and us Moirais who were able to perceive mana users and see through the spells and enchantments. ''I just hope that the Church of Arbor has nothing to do with this mess.'' ©¤©¤©¤ ? ©¤©¤©¤ There were three factions that governed the continent of Jumana. They were the Palace of Anima, Church of Arbor, and Seditio. The Palace of Anima worshipped Fate. A divine principle by which the order of events has been inevitably predetermined. The proxies of the Palace were the Moirais as they were blessed with precognition, great mana talent, and high affinity with Fate. The Church of Arbor revere Conscience. A moral principle that inhibits or influences the thoughts or actions of a person. Their advocates were the Fae, children born from the Tree of Truths. An ancient, sentient tree who bore the Fruit of Good and Evil. The third, Seditio. There were no written records nor clear information about this faction yet as it was founded no more than two decades ago. But one thing was certain, Their influence on society was as great as the Palace due to the numbers of their Brethren that were scattered throughout the Continent.. It was rumoured that Seditio was established by the Enlightened One. A peculiar individual who ate the Fruit of Good and Evil and lived to tell the tale. Seditio members come from all walks of life as they believed that comradeship was thicker than Fate. However, in order to be a member, a blood oath must be performed with the Brothers. Who were the direct disciples of The Enlightened One. ©¤©¤©¤ ? ©¤©¤©¤ I was able to spot the Central Plaza from a distance, however, it seems that the number of Seditio''s officers had doubled on the streets. ''I guess I need to tread carefully from hereon.'' A frustrated groan escapes from my mouth as I observe the people around me. I took out the watch once more and checked the time. It was already noon, it seems I still have a couple of hours left to locate my parents and escape. As I tread along the main road, I noticed that Seditio''s officers looked thoroughly prepared. They had a full set of armour underneath their cloaks and were marching through the streets in groups.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The patrolling officers held an intimidating aura as they were roaming the streets with their weapons drawn out. I saw a couple of pitiful residents that were being beaten up along the sidewalks. There were also some officers and brethrens looting and vandalizing shops along the main street. Some of them were savouring the moment as they ransacked high-value items from defenseless stores. ¡°These are all that I have left, I don¡¯t have any more coins to give you! Let me pass, I need to buy my daughter¡¯s medication urgently. Please!¡± a desperate man shouted at the officer. ¡°Hey buddy, if you can¡¯t afford to pay the sidewalk fee, you can¡¯t pass here!¡± the officer arrogantly barked. ¡°Go back and bring the proper amount, then we¡¯ll let you pass.¡± the officer smirked. ¡°You all are no different than the thugs in the slums! Since when do we need to pay you just to walk the streets?? The Palace would ha-¡± Suddenly, the officer wallops the pitiful man on the head with a mace. The blow was too fast, and the man wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence. The victim fell hard on the ground and I saw a small pool of blood ooze from his head on the cobbled road. ¡°If you can¡¯t pay the fee, then pay it with your life!¡± The officer then kicked the helpless man on the ground. ¡°All those who resist servitude to Seditio will have to pay with their lives!¡± The officer exclaimed to the bystanders. Instilling dominance by means of fear, the Seditio were ruthless. If this is how they normally operate, then subverting the Palace in a short amount of time was plausible. But that required ample planning and time on their end. And we the Moira would get wind of it with our Foresight. ''But, why wasn''t I able to see this? Fate would endow us Moirais with a Misfortune Dream should a tragedy were to befall our kin. However, I never received such a thing in my life. Is the Church possibly involved with this? Or did something interfere with Fate? I just barely escaped from the Palace a few hours ago and people are out for blood.'' ''Mother, Father¡­. please be safe.'' I prayed and continued to walk inconspicuously. Clearly, the balance of power was slowly tilting to a single side. As I walked further down the main street, I overheard conversations from some of the officers. An old man spitefully remarked. A man asked his younger sibling beside him in a cocky manner. the youth replied. The conversations I overheard were preposterous. I swallowed my anger and I numbed myself at their words so as not to arouse suspicion from the people near me. It was very alarming to hear that public opinion has been turned against us overnight. Particularly, the one about the Panacea. Head butler Turris and head maid Sagitta were the ones who led the development of it. Prior to father ascending to the throne, Turris was the Palace''s Royal Doctor while his wife, Sagitta was the Royal Pharmacist. Fifteen years ago, there was an outbreak of White Plague in the capital. The couple treated the infected and focused their energy and research into the disease. It took them more than a decade and a lot of trials to finally create the cure. The Panacea. It was very potent and it only took a small dose for it to cure the patient. Afterwards, the resistance of the body against other forms of diseases will be strengthened. The only disadvantage was, it had adverse side effects that caused a patient''s body to rapidly deteriorate if taken without proper precaution. Hence, it was strictly regulated. To neutralize it, a Moira must channel mana into the patient''s body once the Panacea has been ingested. A necessary step to inhibit the strong side effects. Whenever a patient contracted the White Plague, the Palace dispatched a Moira Doctor to respond to the afflicted individuals and help mitigate the risk of infection as it prevented the ill to spread the disease further. ''Now that I think about it if they did try to distribute the Panacea to the general public and without any Moira aide¡­ then they will have the capacity to use it as a wea-'' My trail of thought was interrupted as I felt a faint mana presence from behind. It seems that someone or something noticed my mana and started to follow. I walked for a bit through the crowded street hoping to lose the tail. However, it was relentless, it was advancing at a rapid pace. My legs started to skip faster, as I turned away from the main street, I made a run for it. There was a path leading to a narrow back alley on my right, I entered it and quickly took out the sword from my inventory. My hands trembled as I held the heavy sword with both of my hands. I didn''t expect that such a short sword would have such weight or maybe because my stamina has yet to recover. I gathered the mana in the surroundings and imbued the sword with a sharpening enchantment and readied my strike, I pointed the blade towards the direction of my pursuer. ¡°You must have a death wish to have followed me here!¡± I shouted at the hooded man who was now just a few steps away from me. I raised the sword to strike the man, but the cloaked figure swiftly crouches to the ground. ¡°Please put the sword down! My prince!!¡± The hooded man shrieked pathetically then prostrated himself on the ground. ¡°This voice¡­?¡± My grip loosened and my hands dropped the sword in shock. The kneeling man raised his head and removed the hood covering his face. It was Omri, my attendant. A man who served my family for more than two decades. It was comforting to know that one of your close confidants survived the palace siege a few hours ago. ¡°My Prince...¡± He then knelt properly before me. ¡°I am thankful that you are safe.¡± I saw his face swell with relief, his eyes wet with tears. I picked up the sword I dropped and shoved it to my spatial inventory. Then, I held out my hand to help him stand. ¡°Be at ease, Omri.¡± Omri was wearing a slightly tattered Seditio cloak, underneath it was a torn, black dress shirt and black trousers. It looked like the remnants of the uniform he wore back in the Palace. His usual energetic voice had become bleak. Small abrasions were visible on his arms and several bruises on his face. His long brown hair usually was tied up in a neat fashion, but looking at his state now, he looked like a veteran who escaped from a violent skirmish. Looks like he cut off his hair in haste as it was uneven on one side, his fringes were covering his pale green eyes. As if he was hiding it on purpose. He also had a long, dried-out cut on his left cheek. Omri grabbed my hand and stood up. He wiped his tears like an orphaned child. Most of the servants in the Palace were not used to the sight of violence, so he was probably traumatized when I pointed my blade at him earlier. I stroked his back to relieve him of his troubles. When I noticed that he had calmed down, I asked him the burning question. ¡°Tell me, where are my parents?¡± Chapter 2: Threads ¡°Tell me, where are my parents?¡± Omri¡¯s composed expression became gloomy. He paused for a bit and stuttered. ¡°Y-young prince, we managed to meet up with their majesties after they secured your escape last night¡­ but, they opted to stay and defend the palace together with the Royal Guards.¡± ¡°What made them stay rather than to flee? Did anyone even try stopping them?¡± I gripped Omri''s sleeve, anticipating his answer. ¡°Prince, your father informed us that there was a large number of loose Threads of Fate looming within the Palace. Sir Turris and Miss Sagitta stepped up to aid their majesties but were refused. They urged that the royal guards were enough.¡± Omri¡¯s face had become pale. ¡°T-the queen also mentioned that the threads had an obsidian hue, and the only way to deal with them was to cut through them. Her highness then urged us to evacuate immediately.¡± I tried invoking foresight to locate them but my mana refused to flow out. I was too tired and the only thing I was able to feel was their weak filial bonds. I felt helpless and my throat felt tight and my eyes started to well up. ¡°I¡­ I know they¡¯re still here. I can feel their bonds, it is very faint. But I can''t see anything further ahead.¡± I whimpered. ¡°Omri¡­ What should I do? What if the mother and father are trapped in the palace? What if I won¡¯t be able to see them anymore?¡± Panic then clouded my mind. The feeling of sorrow overwhelmed me. Losing both of my parents was likely as they faced unknown adversaries. I broke down and tears swelled from my eyes, my cheeks got wet and I started to sob. Omri saw my pitiful state, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight hug then stroked my back. It was comforting. The warmth of Omri''s embrace made me recall the events last night ©¤©¤©¤? ? ?©¤©¤©¤ I woke up in my father¡¯s arms, he was short on breath and was struggling to carry me as he ran. I saw my mother by his side, equally exhausted. It looked like they were being chased by something. ¡°Mother, father? What is going on?¡± I asked in a dazed voice. My father cast a spell that warped us to his study room. Then I saw my mother securing the room further by applying a protection spell to the perimeter. Father put me down on the couch and slumped beside me to rest. ¡°H-how long can you hold the spell, Stella?¡± Father asked my mother as he caught his breath. ¡°We have about 15 minutes at most. That should be enough.¡± Mother glanced at the clock on the wall, it was almost midnight. She sighed in relief as she sat on the ottoman across from me. "Ath, we don''t have much time left, but please listen well.¡± She then held my face with both hands and kissed my forehead. I felt a bit of her mana pulsing through her lips. It was warm and comforting, but I felt a bit of sadness imbued to it. ¡°No matter what happens from here on, do not feel any regrets. We chose to do this, never blame yourself, alright?¡± Mother''s tears welled up and trickled from her cheeks and her emerald eyes were full of sorrow. She paused for a bit then, composed herself, and looked into my eyes with a determined expression. She then held both of my hands and declared. "I, Florestella Nocte Ferre, renounce the divine blessing of Fated Protection, and in turn, bequeath it to Athos Dimitte Ferre my son." I sensed a gentle mana current, enveloping my body. I felt a lot lighter than usual and I saw a white aura radiating from my body. It then disappears a few seconds after. The Fated Protection. It was a divine blessing bestowed to the empresses of the Palace. It grants the possessor total immunity to curses, poisons, and enhances the body''s healing capability by tenfold. Seeing my mother pass it onto me gave me a feeling of uncertainty. What drove her to do this? Stolen novel; please report. "May the Divine End protect you and keep you safe." My mother slowly let go of my hands, then glanced towards my father. ¡°Lucis¡­ it¡¯s your turn.¡± Father sat up straight and held both my hands. I felt his warm mana gradually seep through my body. He stared at me, his vibrant emerald eyes that were filled with sorrow. "Athos, this will be a bit painful, but please bear with it alright?¡± He calmly assured me. Afterwards, he then invoked the Tome of the Moirais. Then I felt it, the mana surging faster and intensifying into a burning sensation. I saw the Tome dissolve into fine dust, it was tinged with a golden aura and was hovering in the air. Then, slowly the dust moved towards my face. I felt it slowly diffuse into my eyes, it stings a bit like how real dust gets stuck in the eyes. ¡°Fate is a divine, intangible force that flowed through the world lines. It was said that when Fate becomes aware of its purpose and awakens to its senses, it manifests physically and becomes Mana. All sentient life forms were all born from it, as prescribed by Fate.¡± I felt my father''s grip tighten. "In the beginning, there was nothing but darkness. But, the Divine End saw through the void¡­ I, one of the descendants of the Divine End, Lucis Regius Ferre revoke my proprietorship of the Tome and in turn, bestow it to Athos Dimitte Ferre." I felt the full strength of my father''s mana flow into me. The burning sensation turned into pain. It felt like being struck with lightning and being burned alive at the same time. "I-it hurts¡­.Ugh¡­ F-father." "Just a little bit more Athos, you can bear it. I believe in you." He said in an apologetic tone. My eyes felt like it was being gouged out and the feeling of my body was like it was being electrocuted to pieces, I felt a scorching sensation on my skin. It was excruciating, I thought an hour had passed, but in reality, the ordeal only took a minute. Eventually, the father¡¯s grip loosened, and the mana surge faded. The pain also subsided and was instead replaced by a warm, comforting feeling. Mother sat beside me and then cast a recovery spell. She also fixed my wrinkled shirt and put warm slippers on my cold feet. "May the eyes of the Divine End bless you, Athos..." Father then let go of my hands and stared at me with forlorn eyes. He spread out his arms and gave me and mother a generous hug. I gazed at my parent''s faces, they were smiling at me. It was the same expression they had when they tuck me into bed every night. I felt their embrace ease up, my mother gave me a peck on the cheek and my father stroked my head. "We will always be with you, Athos." Father then activated a teleportation spell, I slowly saw the room change. Next thing I knew. I was sitting alone on a bench, on an empty alleyway. The moon in the sky was full and bright. ©¤©¤©¤? ? ?©¤©¤©¤ "...My prince, are you alright? You passed out for a bit there.¡± Omri stared at me with a concerned face and assisted my back. He also wiped the dried-up tears off my cheeks. My eyes were also a bit swollen from the crying. ¡°H-how long was I out?¡± I asked in a bewildered tone. I tried to sit up straight, but my body felt heavy and I felt a splitting headache. ¡°Ugh¡­ I feel sick.¡± I held my hand on my forehead and sat down on the ground. It seems that the mental recoil of exhausting mana took its toll on me. ¡°You were out for about four minutes my prince.¡± he then cast a recovery spell on me. Omri then massaged my forehead to relieve me of my headache. Omri, seeing my bleak mental state, swiftly folded his cloak. He then gestured for me to lie down and rest. He then placed the folded cloak under my head to cushion it. Then, sat down next to me. ¡°Take a break, my prince, I¡¯ve already set up a barrier to protect us when you fell unconscious earlier. I sighed and closed my eyes briefly to rest. It was frustrating to be helpless at times like these. I felt inadequate, and for letting Omri see me as a weak prince. I should suppress these emotions of mine as my subconscious would invoke my mind¡¯s memory room involuntarily. Causing me to lose too much mana in one day. Too bad the Fated Protection doesn''t cover Mana exhaustion.¡¯ As I waited for my strength to return, I recalled Omri¡¯s information. ¡°Threads, having an obsidian hue¡­ could it be Black Threads of Fate?¡± It was innate for us Moirais to be able to perceive the Threads of Fate. But to be able to distinguish the thread¡¯s colour with mere sight meant that Moira had a high accumulation of Divinity and can manipulate the Threads of Fate. I remembered the first chapter of the Tome of Moirais in my head. Fate Threads manifested in three colours. The most common was gold, it is present on any living thing and the golden hue symbolized a strong bond to the world line. The second most common was red, the hue represents the bonds forged from the blood. To keep the person¡¯s existence the Soul, to their designated world line. We the Moirais are tasked to manage the Threads of Fate. When a person dies of natural causes, the gold thread loses its lustre, it then must be tied to the person¡¯s soul. The same also applies if a red thread thins, however, it must be woven into the soul. Failing to weave or tie the threads meant letting the soul wander the World¡¯s Abyss. And that is where the most uncommon colour appears, the Black Threads of Fate. When a person¡¯s Thread of Fate is cut with the use of Divinity, their connection to Mana is also cut off, thus erasing their existence in the world line. Tainted by the Abyss, the gold or red thread associated with the person will decay and turn black. There are no known means to purify a blackened thread. Once the Thread of Fate turns black, the soul attached to will be dragged to the Abyss, unable to reincarnate. It then causes Mana to stagnate. If Mana wasn¡¯t properly circulated on its world line, a rift may form, allowing other worlds to cross or collide with each other, Fate then will intervene to repair the rift, bringing in calamities to the affected worlds. ¡®Could it be, that they are deliberately doing this? Accelerating the world¡¯s end? They must be mad.¡¯ I then recalled the last line of the 1st chapter. Only the direct descendants of the Divine End were able to terminate blackened threads in exchange for their Divinity. My blood ran cold and my body went stiff. I was aware of the fact that both my parents were both dominant Moirais and can flexibly use their Divinity but for the rest of our kin, using an ounce of Divinity would cost them their lives. And then it hit me. Our adversaries were aiming for our total annihilation. Destroying this world would be a bonus for them. ¡®If that was the case, then I need to find my parents as soon as possible. They should not get involved with the world¡¯s end, not now.¡¯ I opened my eyes, I felt my strength return and sat up. ¡°Omri!¡± I glanced at Omri with a determined look. ¡°M-my prince, what is it? Is something hurting still? You surprised me for a moment there.¡± Omri then stood up and composed himself. He then extended his hand and helped me rise from the ground. ¡°I figured out what our enemies want. Help me find my parents and let us escape from here.¡± ¡°My Prince, if that is what you wish, then allow me to be your shield.¡± Chapter 3: Reminisce "Help me find my parents and let us escape from here." ¡°My Prince, if that is what you wish, then allow me to be your shield.¡± Omri recalled the conversation he had with Athos earlier. He was relieved to see his master back in his usual spirit despite having the odds against him. Athos was visibly tired as he was still recovering from mana exhaustion. ''I must atone for failing to protect their majesties. I shall do everything with my utmost capacity to keep you safe, my prince.'' Omri clenched his fists in frustration. "Omri¡­" "Yes, my prince?" "I can feel my parents'' bonds are getting weaker, we need to know their whereabouts first." Athos sighed. "Do you recall where and when did you last meet them? A bitter frown appeared on Omri''s face, he paused for a bit and replied in a worried voice. "My prince, we were able to reunite with their majesties at the emperor''s study room. I believe it was a few minutes after they secured your escape-" "Wait! Sshh!" Athos cut off Omri''s reply and covered his mouth. Both of them felt an overwhelming mana presence creeping swiftly through the alleyway. Athos hastily cast a stealth enchantment and activated telepathy while Omri reinforced his protection barrier with a concealment spell. They witnessed the shadows in the alleyway gather up into a large dark mass then transformed into a small cloaked figure, it was as tall as a toddler and its aura was ominous. It held an obsidian pole axe with both of its hands and its gait was slow. It was a Calamity. Calamities are sentient apparitions that Fate conjures when divine punishment is invoked from broken Bonds. Calamities would also manifest if there was a large amount of stagnant mana. This was Fate''s mechanism in order to balance the circulation of mana in the world line. The Calamities are impervious to physical damage and are highly resistant to spells and enchantments. They also prey on objects or living things that possess mana. The Moirais avoid them as they have the capacity to influence or corrupt a person''s Threads of Fate. Omri stared at me with an urgent expression. [My prince, do not move an inch, do not make a sound, and do not look at its head! Else we''ll be detected by it.] Omri stared at me nervously. I held my breath and stared at the ground as the Calamity by-passed through Omri''s reinforced barrier, thankfully the stealth enchantment I applied earlier was in effect and made us invisible through its eyes. I heard the figure drag its heavy weapon as it got near us. It stopped just a few steps away from Omri and then suddenly, it spoke. Its voice was terrifying, with a few words spoken, I felt goosebumps crawl on my skin and my ears felt a dull pain. The Calamity looked around the alleyway and sighed at the empty space. Slowly, its figure retreated back into the shadows and eventually disappeared along with its mana presence. Omri and I sighed in relief after the ordeal. It was fortunate that I had the blessing of Fated Protection and the recoil from the Calamity''s cursed voice was a lot less. Realizing this, I quickly glanced at Omri and saw him coughing blood and his nose profusely bleeding. I reached out to cast a healing spell at him, but Omri shook his head. "My prince, do not worry, T-this is just a light wound." He then cast a high-level healing spell on his body and composed himself. "Prince Athos, there is no need for you to waste your mana please conserve your energy."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I looked at him with a worried expression."Alright then, I''ll give it a rest." I disabled the stealth enchantment surrounding us and retained the connection for telepathy. "It is risky if someone or something hears our banter from here on. We need to get moving now, I fear our location has been compromised by that Calamity earlier." I let out a sigh and sent out a telepathic message to Omri. [So once we leave this alley I need you to act casual, let us talk over using telepathy. Walk beside me and act like a brother alright?] Omri nodded obediently, he quickly wiped off the dry blood from his face and wore his cloak. He canceled the barrier and cast a close-proximity illusion spell on the both of us, causing my silver hair to turn brown just like Omri''s hair. We then exited the alleyway and headed off to the main road. I felt relieved, I finally found an ally from this mess. -- Omri Fidelis a half-blood born from a commoner father and the Duchess of the House of Fidelis, one of the prominent Sword families of the Palace of Anima. Despite his parents'' differences in rank, both of them treasured Omri and raised him amicably during his infancy. The House of Fidelis and its vassals, however, was not pleased with his existence and voted to exempt him from the succession line of the dukedom. Fearing for their son¡¯s safety, The Duchess and his father sent Omri to hide under the care of Turris Cura, a dear friend and the Palace¡¯s Royal Doctor. Turris and his wife Sagitta Cura, were unable to bear children, hence Omri becoming their adopted son was met with joy by the couple. Omri flourished under the couple''s tutelage, he showed great interest in the medical and healing arts and was able to fully master them before his coming of age. He followed his adopted parents'' paths and was able to obtain fame in the Palace as a Healer at the age of fifteen, which was an unprecedented achievement. Unfortunately, House of Fidelis¡¯s vassals caught wind of the reappearance of the bastard child. Turris, using his foresight, saw a bloody tragedy befalling Omri which was orchestrated by the vassals. Fortunately, Turris and Sagitta managed to impede their plans, causing the ruin of the House of Fidelis. And in turn, lost their noble ranks to appease the public who were in support of the duchy. The Imperial Family witnessed the blood feud amongst their subjects. Crown Prince Lucis Regius Ferre, then stepped in as he lamented losing two of the most valuable individuals of the domain, and the only blood descendant of the House of Fidelis. Lucis offered the Cura family protection and peerage in exchange for their loyalty and servitude. The couple accepted the gesture, and gradually helmed the household affairs of the Imperial Family. When Lucis was crowned Emperor, Turris became the Head Butler while Sagitta became the Head Maid of the Ferre Imperial family. Two years later, on the 12th day of the Month of Spring. Empress Florestella Nocte Ferre, then gave birth to the new crown prince. Athos Dimitte Ferre, it was expected that Omri will be assigned to become the prince''s attendant. -- There were a lot of thoughts going through Omri''s head. He recalled Athos telling him to act like a brother as they walk through the streets. It felt foreign for him to walk by at the same pace and at the side of the prince. Palace etiquette made his habit of walking behind Athos the norm. He felt a bit of nostalgia as he noticed their difference in height. Omri then recalled his first day of serving Athos. Omri met the prince on his 3rd month anniversary. As he saw the prince lying down on his cradle, He initially felt joy seeing the child¡¯s vibrant face. But his eyes had a hint of sadness as it reminded him of the time when his adopted parents informed him of his lineage. ¡°My Prince, you¡¯re so lucky.¡± He whispered softly as he spun the mobile hanging on the cradle. ¡°I¡¯ll be serving you hereafter.¡± He gently caressed the infant''s soft silver hair. The little prince sensed Omri''s dismay and looked at him with a puzzled expression at first. Eventually, the expression changed into a beaming smile. The prince¡¯s vibrant emerald eyes were inquisitive and had an adorable gloss to them, his rosy cheeks jiggling as he waved his arms at Omri. It looked like the prince was begging to be carried. Omri was smitten. He gently assisted the infant¡¯s neck and head, then carefully picked him up from his cradle and allowed the little prince to lean on his chest. He glanced at the child and said with an endearing tone. ¡°I guess it''s okay to spoil you like this since you¡¯re so adorable." The prince showed a satisfied smile and was giggling in Omri''s arms. "My dear prince." ** [Didn''t I tell you to act casually and walk by my side? You''re lagging behind again, Omri.] I stopped and looked back at Omri. [My apologies, my prince, got distracted for a bit there. It won''t happen again.] Omri stared at me with apologetic eyes. [Alright then, remember to walk beside me, not behind.] I sighed and held onto Omri''s right hand. [I need to hold on to big brother so I won''t get lost.] "Brother are you tired?" I gave Omri a cheeky grin. "N-no, I''m fine. Thanks for worrying about me¡­ l-little brother, let''s head home." I saw Omri''s ears flush a bit. We had to act like siblings so as not to arouse suspicion from the people around us. Omri''s illusion spell gave us the perfect disguise but we had to act our parts as commoners and as siblings to make it convincing. [Earlier, before we got interrupted by the Calamity you mentioned that you met up with my parents in the study... Can you tell me what happened after I left?] I gave Omri a look of anticipation. Omri settled down from his blushing and then took a deep breath. [The majesties urged us, servants, to evacuate after informing us of the loose fate threads. As you know, Sir Turris and Miss Sagitta tried to stop them but¡­] [I don''t blame you or your family for not being able to stop them Omri, it was no one''s fault, it was their choice.] I gave Omri an apologetic stare. I then felt his grip tighten and his face darken. [We were betrayed, my prince. It wasn''t just the Seditio who attacked the Palace last night¡­] [What do you mean by betrayed?] I stopped walking and stared at Omri straight in the eyes. [The Church of Arbor attacked us] I was shaken. Six years ago, the Palace and the Church had entered a Bond of Non-Aggression after the Great Northern Strife. I remembered it well because my father almost missed my 7th birthday if he hadn''t returned in time. I scowled and clenched my fists in anger. How were they able to stab us in the back like this and remain fine? Violating Bonds would accrue divine punishment and sometimes death. Lastly, the one who voided the bond would face the backlash of it. Then, I recalled the Calamity we encountered earlier. Like a helpless rabbit being cornered by a hungry wolf. My hope for escape vanished. ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 4: Bonds [The Church of Arbor attacked us.] A scowl remained in Athos'' face. His emerald eyes seething with anger, brows arching in annoyance, and his fists were clenched in frustration. His hope for a safe escape from Anima, the capital city was now gone. The involvement of the Church of Arbor and the appearance of a Calamity in the city was a river they couldn''t cross. Even if they did escape, divine punishment would follow them anywhere. In addition, Athos'' inability to use foresight made him even more nervous, the feeling of uncertainty was overwhelming and it seemed that the only likely means of escape was death. He hated to admit it, but their adversaries thoroughly planned for their demise. [My prince, please do not lose hope.] Omri patted Athos'' back gently. He saw Athos'' face darken and turn pale. [But my parents¡­ I don''t want to leave without them! If it is Fated, then¡­] Tears started to well up on Athos'' eyes. [...I would rather die along with them.] Omri then wrapped his arms around Athos and gave him a hug. [Prince Athos, please do not think of such useless things!] Omri''s embrace tightened. [There was a reason why their majesties wanted you to escape, they wanted you to survive and live on.] Omri felt his shirt get wet with Athos'' tears. [Do not throw yourself away like that, Athos!] Omri was familiar with Athos'' situation when his adopted parents had to protect him from the House of Fidelis. Omri had to choose; to live and survive in peace with his adopted parents or be killed by his blood relatives. He chose to move forward with the Cura couple and in turn, lost his paternal parents when House of Fidelis crumbled. It was a decision that made him carry the burden of his existence. [My prince, when I swore to you to become your shield, I remember my parents¡­ The sacrifices they''ve made, the hardships I''ve had to go through, and the guilt¡­ all of it to keep me safe and alive.] Omri then bent down and held Athos'' face gently with both hands. He stared at Athos'' crying face and gently wiped the tears with his hands. "Please do not carry the burden alone. No matter what happens, I''ll protect you and I''m always here for you." Omri smiled at Athos gently, his eyes expressing genuine concern. *Dong* *Dong* *Dong* The solemn moment was broken by the loud bells of Anima''s Clocktower. It was now 2:00 in the afternoon and the ringing snapped both Omri and Athos back to their senses. "Brothers and sisters! Assemble! It is almost time for the Great Judgement, march onwards to the central plaza!" A man in a gray Seditio robe rallied the officers on the street. The robed man caught a glimpse of Omri and Athos, then approached them with haste. [My prince, please keep calm and settle down.] Omri glanced nervously at Athos, he saw a hint of panic in the child''s eyes as Athos hastily wiped his face. [I''ll do the talking, you don''t need to to worry.] Omri patted Athos'' head. The robed man then reached out and grabbed Omri''s shoulder. "Brother, what are you doing? Children should stay at home. Are you planning on bringing your little brother with you to witness the Great Judgement?" The robed man gave Omri a suspicious look. Omri swallowed his nervousness and replied back in an earnest manner. "My little brother got lost in the alleyways and was terrified of the city, he just moved in with me last night. I just found him earlier and I''m bringing him back home."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "Ah, troublesome kids." The robed man sighed then looked at Athos with an amused expression. "Hmmm¡­" A haughty grin suddenly formed on the man''s face. "Though it is not bad for the children to see the birth of a new world. You should come with us and witness its greatness, little one!" He then grabbed both Omri and Athos on their shoulders. "Let us march together to the plaza and solidify our brotherhood!" Omri and Athos were stunned as they were dragged away. ** There was a slow but steady march of Seditio officers along the main street. The sound of people walking towards the distant central plaza caught the attention of curious onlookers. Some joined into the parade while some residents saw through the intimidation and opted to shut their windows and curtains at the sight of it. At the rear of the formation, however, there were two individuals who slightly stood out. It was a pair of worn-out brown-haired siblings, the parade leader took an interest in them and requested them to participate on the said march. [My prince I''m sorry I got you dragged into this. We should have taken the alleyways instead of the main road...] Omri said telepathically while glancing at Athos with an apologetic stare. [...] Athos was deep in thought and was not able to pay attention to Omri''s words. He was thinking of the information that the robed man had said earlier. ''Why were they gathering at the central plaza? And what is The Great Judgement? Sunset is just a few hours away, we really need to r-'' [My prince!] Athos'' trail of thought was disrupted by Omri''s telepathic message. He then glanced at Omri, there was a glint of hope in his eyes. [It''s the blood bond! I-I just felt Miss Sagitta''s bond resonate in my chest! I think she''s safe¡­ I-I can''t feel Sir Turris'' though.] Omri frowned a bit before continuing. [I can feel the bond''s throbbing getting stronger. I think she''s tugging it on purpose.] Omri''s eyes widened. Hope started to return to Athos and Omri''s faces. The thought of obtaining another ally would increase their chances of escape. Bonds were mutual connections that form when two or more Threads of Fate come together. There were three types of bonds. The most common one was the Familial Bond, this is formed when individuals marry and produce offspring causing a link between blood relatives. The second one was Blood Bonds. This is a bond formed when two or more individuals exchange their blood for the basis of a compromise. The blood exchange also serves as a link between Threads of Fate. Should the bond be violated, a penalty will be applied depending on the terms agreed by its contractors. Lastly, was the Covenant Bond. A contract imbued with Fate that is written or documented, the individuals who signed the said contract will have their Threads of Fate forcibly linked. Should the bond be broken, divine punishment or death will befall the violator. ''Omri said not to lose hope. If Sagitta is alive, then, she might know what happened to mother and father after I left.'' I sighed. ''If the blood bond is resonating then she''s within the area.'' I felt a renewed sense of hope. [Omri, we must Sagitta as soon as possible.] I glanced at Omri with a determined face. [As soon as the parade reaches the next block, I''ll cast a stealth enchantment. Hopefully, no one will notice our disappearance here in the rear.] Omri looked at me with a worried expression. [But, my prince your mana hasn''t yet recovered yet, will you-] [I can manage, that''s why we need to find Sagitta within this hour or less. You said you can sense her right? Then let''s use that to find her quickly.] I then held onto Omri''s right hand and gripped tight. [I don''t feel any sorcerers or witches from the Church nearby, we should be safe. If in any case, something happens, you can carry me, right?] I gave a sheepish smile to Omri as he nodded in agreement with a hesitant face. [I can see an alleyway up ahead, we''ll go there in 5 seconds.] I took a deep breath then counted down. [5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ Now!] I activated two enchantments, haste, and stealth at the same time. I felt my vision blur for a bit, but I had to endure this until we got out of the parade. Omri and I ran as fast as we can and entered the narrow alleyway. The noise from the main road was silenced as we moved further away, eventually stopping near a narrow cul-de-sac. "Phew, we made it." I sat on the ground to catch my breath. I looked at Omri who looked as equally exhausted as me and was lying on the ground. "Haaa¡­ haaah. My prince, the bond¡­" Omri held both his hand on his chest. "It is pulsating¡­ I feel like Miss Sagitta is close." Omri finally managing to catch his breath, sat up. He then took a deep breath and concentrated on his breathing. "I''ll invoke the bond now." A faint light started to appear on Omri''s chest. Then it started to glow golden. "Though we are not bonded by blood. I wish to see you, Mother." Omri slowly closed his eyes to concentrate. "Where are you?" Then I saw it, a thread as red as blood manifest from Omri''s chest. The thread grew long and floated above our heads. Eventually, the thread exposed its entire length. It was leading us to a narrow descending footpath just a few steps away from the cul-de-sac. "My prince, can you see it?" Omri then looked at me with anticipation. Unfortunately, since Omri was only a half-Moira he wasn''t able to see bonds, he can only feel them. It was my turn to lend him a hand. "Yes, and it is very vibrant, I''ll help you find Sagitta." I got up and extended my hand to Omri. "Follow me."Omri stood up and held my hand gently. We then walked down to the footpath near the cul-de-sac. We had to take a bit of time as the steps were steep, the air in the pathway was cold and damp. The skies were still cloudy and it made the pathway a lot darker. It was an ominous sight as the blood bond floated above our heads. Thankfully only I was able to see it. As soon as we reached the last step, we felt a field of mana in front of us. "What is this? Is this a warding barrier? I looked at Omri with a puzzled expression. "This is a bit...excessive." I knocked on the barrier. It felt like a thick wall of glass. "This is Miss Sagitta''s protection ward, for it to be this strong¡­" Omri paused and frowned. "Prince, may I borrow your sword? I just need to disable it." Omri then looked at me in the eyes, it was full of resolve. "Alright, I''ll let you take care of it." I then pulled out the shortsword from my spatial inventory and handed it over to Omri. I then stepped back to make room for him. I saw Omri take a deep breath then calm his nerves. His right hand then held onto the sword and proceeded to cut his left hand with it. "I Omri Fidelis, request for safe passage. I offer proof of my blood as a token." He then smeared his blood at the barrier. The barrier shattered like broken eggshells. We felt the field of mana disappear. Omri then cast a healing spell on his wounded hand to stop the bleeding. "We can pass now my prince. Let us go." ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 5: Sagitta Athos was holding onto Omri''s right hand as they navigated through the narrow alley. After dispelling the barrier with Omri''s help, they continued to follow the trail of blood bond that was floating above their heads, they have been following it for fifteen minutes by foot and it led them to dried up aqueduct. "My prince, watch your step as the ground is uneven. It seems this place has been neglected for quite a while." Omri held out his hand to assist Athos as they traveled along the stone aqueduct. Sweat trickled on Athos'' face and neck, his breathing became heavy and Omri saw a tired expression etched on Athos'' face. Being sheltered inside the palace since childhood never exposed Athos on how to navigate through rough terrain, and the feeling of prolonged physical exercise was new to him. "Haaah, I never thought the city of Anima would have rough areas like these." Athos sighed and grabbed a hold of Omri''s outstretched hand. "Thank you, Omri." Omri gently smiled back to Athos "I''m grateful my prince." "Also¡­ is your hand fine? I was shocked to see you cut yourself earlier." Athos glanced at Omri''s left hand with a worried expression. "My prince, it is perfectly fine. The wound has been healed by a spell." Omri then showed his left hand and opened his palm to Athos. "Not even a scar was left, my prince." He smiled at Athos and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. Athos sighed with relief, it was good that his companion was a capable Healer. Athos then briefly recalled his lessons regarding Mana back in the Palace. There were two ways to use Mana. The first method was invoking mana to directly influence the target with the use of Spells. It actively consumes the caster''s mana pool in exchange for its manifestation. The higher-grade the spells are, the higher the mana pool is required. Casting spells in excess also resulted in mental fatigue. The second method was controlling the flow of Mana to surround the target, this was known as Enchantment. This required minimal mana consumption as it uses ambient mana from the surroundings instead of the caster''s mana pool. The higher the concentration of mana in the surroundings, the more efficient the enchantment will be. "Don''t push yourself too hard Omri." Athos gave Omri a stern gaze. "I don''t think I can bear the thoughts of losing more people around me¡­" Athos'' brows creased and his face became dispirited. "Do not worry my prince." Omri knelt in front of Athos and held his right hand. "I''m your shield and I''ll always be by your side." Omri then kissed Athos'' wrist as a gesture of loyalty. Athos then noticed the thread above their heads flicker. The color became more vibrant and radiated a faint golden glow. Athos reached out his hand to touch the thread. It had gotten thicker like yarn and was pulsating. "Omri...Sagitta is close!" Athos eyes widened in surprise and looked at Omri who was now clenching his chest. "It feels like my chest is being pulled out, my prince. Ugh¡­" Omri then stood up slowly and tried to compose himself. "I can feel her mana, it is very faint." Athos then located the end of the thread trail, he saw the thread pass through the door of a dilapidated watermill a few meters ahead. "The trail leads to there, Omri." Athos pointed at the watermill. "Let us hurry." Athos and Omri then ran uphill towards the building. As they got closer to the watermill, Omri detected a familiar scent in the air, it was blood. A foreboding feeling slowly crept through Omri''s body, cold sweat was visible on his face and his skin grew pale. "M-my prince, please stay here for a moment." Omri reluctantly asked Athos to stay put outside the watermill. "I need to make sure it''s safe before we head inside." Athos hesitantly nodded and stood on the porch of the watermill. "Alright, just, call out once you''re done looking." Omri inspected the worn-out doorknob, it was unlocked. He slowly turned it and pushed open the door. The wooden door produced an eerie sound as the rusted hinges moved. *CREAAAAAK* There was a heavy scent of blood in the room. It made Omri remember the gravely wounded patients in the palace''s hospital. Omri was overwhelmed at the smell, he coughed, covered his nose with his hand, and tried to steady his breathing. It was dark and humid inside as the windows were sealed, he then cast a minor illumination spell to brighten the room.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He saw a fresh trail of blood on the wooden floor, the trail led to the stairs at the corner of the room. The blood trail was heading down to the lower level of the watermill, Omri followed the trail cautiously. Once he reached the lower level, he cast an illumination spell once more. Omri was appalled with what he saw, Sagitta was lying down near the water wheel. She was bloodied and beaten, Omri rushed to her side and quickly cast a high-level healing spell on Sagitta. "M-mother!" Omri quickly inspected the state of Sagitta''s body. She was unconscious, her face was pale, her lips were turning blue, her breathing was shallow and her pulse was getting weak. Omri then swiftly assessed her wounds. There were multiple cuts on Sagitta''s torso, heavy bruising and a multitude of cuts on her arms, the worst was when Omri saw her right leg, there was a deep stab wound on her thigh, close to her femoral artery. Omri ripped a portion of his cloak and quickly made a tourniquet to suppress the bleeding. ''Please, please... please! Work!'' Omri''s thoughts were in a panic. Seeing his adoptive mother in a grave state shook him. Teardrops started to fall uncontrollably from Omri''s eyes and his anxiety settled in. "Mother¡­. Please! Don''t leave me!" Bitter memories flashed through Omri¡¯s head. It reminded him of the time when he had to choose between the House of Fidelis or the Cura family. Only this time, life or death were the only options. He then cast a recovery enchantment on top of the healing spell he initially applied. Sagitta''s minor wounds started to improve as the bleeding gradually stopped, small cuts and bruises also started to heal and improve. However the deeper lacerations kept on gushing profusely, there was a curse applied on the critical wounds. Athos who was waiting outside felt Omri''s overwhelming mana presence. It prompted him to rush inside the watermill, he hesitated a bit as he saw the blood trail on the floor, but sensing Omri''s mana going out of control, he hastily followed the trail leading to the lower floor. Once he reached the lower level, Athos found the mother and son duo on the ground. Omri was still treating Sagitta''s wounds and was pouring all his mana to Sagitta who was still unconscious. "Omri..." Athos approached the duo and tapped Omri''s shoulder. "That is enough, using too much mana¡­ the recoil will be-" "N-no, I¡­ I must continue!" Omri''s face was full of tears. "This is the only way to save mother!" he shrugged Athos'' hand and glared at him. "I-I''m sorry my prince." Omri''s stare intently saying not to interrupt. Athos felt Omri''s voice tremble. He felt a little guilty as he couldn''t do anything to help Omri and Sagitta. It was always him receiving the royal treatment and it reminded him of the times Omri had to comfort him whenever he was in distress. It was expected due to their court ranks, but Athos considered Omri more as a close friend than his position as his attendant. ''If Omri collapses here, then it will only be harder for all of us to escape.'' Athos pondered. ''I also need to know what happened to mother and father¡­ If only Sagitta was conscious.¡¯ A scowl formed on Athos¡¯ brows. ¡®But if I lose both of them now, then¡­¡¯ ''I need them both.'' Athos deliberated for a bit and groaned. "This won''t do." Athos then focused on the duo with a determined face. "Omri, I''ll take over." Athos cast a repelling enchantment around Sagitta, blocking Omri''s mana. "Please take a break for a while." Athos then forcefully shoved Omri to the side and cast a thick barrier around him. Omri was taken aback by Athos'' actions "This barrier¡­? Wait, my prince, please!" Omri hammered his fists on the barrier. Panic was engraved on Omri''s face. "I''m sorry Omri, but stay there for a bit." Athos gave Omri an apologetic look and then sat down next to the unconscious Sagitta. Athos then held onto the red thread connecting Omri and Sagitta. ''They''re both alive, though one of them is weak¡­ Hopefully, this should work on blood bonds too.'' Athos hesitated a bit before taking a deep breath. He recalled a peculiar line from the Tome of Moirais. [If a red thread thins, it must be woven into the soul.] Athos closed his eyes to focus, he steadily gathered the mana around him and slowly channeled it to the thread he was holding. The red thread started to radiate a golden glow. Omri was surprised to see Athos being wrapped in a golden aura. He stopped pounding his fists on the barrier and focused on Athos'' actions. Athos then concentrated his mana on his left hand, a golden tapestry needle then materialized. Athos opened his eyes and grasped the needle and proceeded to thread the blood bond into it. He invoked Sagitta''s Thread of Fate and a faint golden thread together with a thin red thread appeared near Sagitta''s heart. He saw the golden thread lose its brilliance bit by bit, and the red thread was loosely tangled to it. Athos had to act fast, as death is imminent once the threads lose their colors. With a swift motion, he knotted the two faint threads with the bond. Athos slowly imbued his mana to the bond and spun the three together, forming a thick, single thread that had a golden luster and bright red strands. He then started to weave the thread and knot it to Sagitta''s heart. Although Omri wasn''t able to see the threads clearly, he felt a massive amount of mana radiating from Athos, he witnessed Athos'' emerald eyes transform into a golden hue, which meant that he was using Divinity. This was the first time Omri saw Athos use his Divinity, and the sight of it made Omri''s jaws drop. "This...should suffice." Athos wiped the sweat off his forehead. He finished knitting and stitching the woven threads after a minute, he then pushed the woven threads into Sagitta''s heart. He observed Sagitta and saw color slowly return to her face, her lips started to turn pink, her breathing normalized and her pulse started to throb at a normal rate. The curse on Sagitta¡¯s wounds was dispelled and Omri¡¯s recovery enchantment started to take effect. "It...worked! Whew!" Athos sighed with relief. He then took out a pain relief poultice from his spatial inventory and slathered it on his forehead. "Ugh, this headache." Athos then lied down on the floor and closed his eyes to rest. Athos lifted Omri''s barrier and canceled the repelling enchantment around Sagitta. Omri rushed to his mother''s side to check her vitals, and he was astounded at Sagitta''s recovery. Her wounds had closed up and bruises vanished leaving no traces of injury. "P-prince Athos, what did you do?" Omri stared at Athos with a bewildered expression. "I.. used your blood bond and my mana to rejuvenate Sagitta''s Thread. S-she should be fine for now¡­ Ugh, my head feels so heavy¡­" Athos replied with a weak voice. Omri cast a recovery enchantment on Athos as he laid down beside him. This was the first time Omri had seen Athos perform such a heartfelt act. He was moved to see Athos, the child he raised since infancy quickly grow into a virtuous person. ¡°Thank you, my prince.¡± Omri gazed at Athos with tenderness and stroked the little prince¡¯s silver hair gently. ¡°I¡¯ll never forget this day, I am in your debt.¡± Athos, still lying down, glanced at Omri and smiled back. ¡°You¡¯re welcome Omri.¡± he replied in a soft tone. ¡°Ughhh¡­¡± A feeble moan was heard from Sagitta. Athos quickly sat up and observed Sagitta while Omri held onto Sagitta¡¯s hands, gently massaging them. ¡°It looks like she¡¯s finally gaining consciousness.¡± Omri felt relieved and slowly touched his adoptive mother¡¯s face. Then they both saw Sagitta¡¯s eyes, gradually open. Sagitta looked around her surroundings and recognized the faces in front of her. ¡°Little... Prince? and...Omri?¡± ~~~~~ To Be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 6: Relief ¡°....Omri?¡± Tears started to pour from Omri¡¯s eyes, he was glad to see his adoptive mother survive from her injuries. Sagitta has finally regained consciousness and the sight of it greatly relieved Athos and Omri. ¡°M-mother¡­ Thank goodness you¡¯re safe¡­¡± Omri wrapped his arms around Sagitta and gave her a generous hug. ¡°When we got separated last night, I feared the worst.¡± Omri¡¯s teardrops were relentless and Sagitta¡¯s gray hair was getting drenched as she lay on the floor. ¡°My son.¡± Sagitta then reached out her hand and cupped Omri¡¯s left cheek gently, wiping his tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you anxious¡­¡± A soft smile appeared on Sagitta''s face. ¡°Thank you for finding me.¡± ¡°Mother¡­!¡± Observing the mother and son made Athos slightly envious. Athos had been finding ways to locate his parents after being separated from them. The only difference was, Athos was initially alone and had difficulty using his foresight. He tried using the Filial Bonds between his parents and him but was fruitless as it was too weak to invoke. It felt like something had obstructed his Moira abilities as he departed the palace last night. Fortunately, he was able to reunite with Omri and Sagitta, Athos felt relieved that he was no longer alone. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sagitta.¡± Athos smiled meekly. Sagitta turned her head towards Athos, her jade irises dilated and expressed shock and relief. ¡°Little prince! Thank goodness... you are safe.¡± Sagitta then extended her hand toward Athos, gesturing for him to come close. Athos edged closer to Sagitta, he then gently grasped her outstretched hand. ¡°Did my parents escape?¡± Athos'' eyes lit up as he anticipated Sagitta¡¯s reply. Sagitta¡¯s grip tightened on Athos¡¯ hand ¡°I¡¯m unsure, I¡¯m sorry prince Athos.¡± Sagitta¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Turris urged me to go on ahead and rally the surviving guards in the palace grounds. We parted ways shortly after their majesties evacuated the study room.¡± Athos¡¯ face became dismal, Although Sagitta¡¯s information wasn¡¯t sufficient, Athos tried to see it in a positive light, ¡®At least, Turris came along with mother and father, they have a good healer with them¡¯ he thought. ¡°Then tell me Sagitta, how did you get hurt?¡± ¡°Little prince, there was a man in a red manteau who ambushed me when I exited the imperial residences¡­¡± Sagitta then stared at Athos¡¯ eyes, it was tinged with dread. ¡°The man was quick, the moment I noticed him standing outside the residences, he managed to injure my legs. I cast a teleportation spell to escape as fast as I can, but he managed to cut and stab my limbs and my chest before the spell fully activated. He was terrifying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sagitta if only I was stronger¡­ This wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± Athos¡¯ brows arched and his fists clenched out of frustration. ¡°Hush, little prince. Please do not think of such thoughts. Their majesties would be sad if they see you beat yourself up. This tragedy was no one¡¯s fault.¡± A feeble smile appeared on Sagitta¡¯s face. ¡°No one blames you.¡± Sagitta then let go of Athos¡¯ hand and gave him a comforting pat on the head. Athos was touched by her sincere gesture and tears started to well upon his eyes as well. Athos and Omri cried their hearts out. Their sobbing echoed through the room. Sagitta then mustered her strength and slowly sat up. Sorrow was etched on Sagitta¡¯s face, seeing her son and Athos weep beside her brought back memories. She recalled the times when she and Turris were nursing the infant Omri when he was disinherited from the House of Fidelis. She stretched her arms to embrace both of them. It took about five minutes before their sobbing settled down. Athos and Omri¡¯s eyes were swollen and snot was all over their face. Sagitta let out a soft chuckle and caressed both Athos and Omri on their backs, soothing them of their worries. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°It''s okay now my son and little prince.¡± Sagitta gently whispered to both of them. ¡°Mother¡­ where is the father?¡± Omri¡¯s pale green eyes were filled with apprehension. ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t feel his bond until now.¡± He then looked at Sagitta with a weary face. ¡°Omri, your father is safe, he just temporarily sealed off his blood bond with you. I can still feel his bond with me¡± Sagitta hesitated a bit then sighed. ¡°He insisted on accompanying their majesties and is with them.¡± ¡°Omri, do you recall what happened when we got out of the Emperor¡¯s study room?¡± Sagitta stared at Omri with an inquisitive expression. ¡°A little¡­ Mother, to be honest, some of my memories last night were a bit vague.¡± Omri scratched his head and mulled over the events he witnessed last night. Athos'' ears perked up at the conversation. Now that Sagitta was conscious and Omri was with her, he may be able to determine what transpired last night after he departed from the palace. Omri pondered for a bit and groaned. ¡°When the Empress told us, servants, to evacuate, she opened a portal for us to escape. Afterward, there was a loud sound of cracking along the hallway, then people from the Church appeared, they threw a lot of spells towards us. I heard you shout something at father and then... I saw blood, it was utter chaos! ¡± Omri then looked at Sagitta with an uneasy expression. ¡°And then I felt you push me through the portal that the empress opened.¡± Sagitta gazed at Omri with a puzzled expression. ¡°When you said utter chaos, that was your father, Omri.¡± Sagitta¡¯s brows arched with annoyance. ¡°He¡¯s crass as always¡­¡± Sagitta mumbled. Athos and Omri were flabbergasted with Sagitta¡¯s remark. Their jaws dropped with sheer astonishment. ¡°What do you mean by it was the father?¡± Omri looked at Sagitta with a perplexed face. ¡°Your father...Turris enjoyed bringing things to ruin.¡± Sagitta massaged her forehead with her right hand. ¡°He invoked his Divinity and went berserk at our attackers last night. The cracking sound you heard? That was him unleashing his mana which shattered the windows and possibly breaking some human bones as well.¡± Sagitta groaned. ¡°I shouted at him to show restraint, but he lost it. The bloody mess you saw was probably from people being cut to pieces¡­ I didn¡¯t want you to see how merciless your father can be so I pushed you through the portal.¡± Athos and Omri froze. The thought of Turris unleashing his wrath and causing a massacre was foreign to both of them, they only knew Turris¡¯ admirable side which they saw daily. Hearing the truth from Sagitta shook them to their core. ¡°Then, the ruin of the House of Fidelis...Was it-¡± Omri gasped. Sagitta nodded. ¡°That was driven by Turris¡¯ desire to protect you as well as the wishes of your paternal parents Omri.¡± She then gazed at Omri with a forlorn expression and hugged him. ¡°Duchess Avery and Oscar, your real parents, knew how corrupted the Fidelis Family had become¡­¡± ¡°When Avery gave birth to you, their vassals learned of your parentage and vehemently protested against your legitimacy.¡± Sagitta grit her teeth. ¡°Turris, my husband received a Misfortune Dream, he saw you in that dream Omri!¡± Teardrops started to form from Sagitta¡¯s eyes. ¡°You were scheduled to be murdered on your 3rd month anniversary which was a week away from that time. Turris immediately informed Avery and Oscar about it and we mutually agreed to hide you and raise you as our own.¡± ¡±But alas, it was a Fated death the vassals arranged, in retribution, Duchess Avery took your place alongside Oscar. They were murdered by your blood relatives. It was then that Turris and I decided to bring them to justice. To honor the death of our dear friends and to protect their only son Omri.¡± Sagitta slowly wept and her embrace tightened as she told Omri the truth. Omri was taken aback. In the past, when the Cura couple explained Omri¡¯s lineage they did not include the specifics. The truth about his paternal family had come into the light. This gave Omri feelings of closure, it was liberating to know that he wasn¡¯t abandoned by his real parents; they treasured him. The guilt of existence started to fade from Omri¡¯s heart and relief slowly settled. Tears started to fall from Omri¡¯s eyes, he felt his cheeks grow wet. ¡°I¡¯m crying? ...I¡¯m not sad, what is this?¡± Omri used his shirt to wipe off his tears. Seeing Omri¡¯s tears, Athos felt immense sympathy towards him. He knew about Omri¡¯s past as his father, Lucis, had educated him about the ducal houses related to the imperial family. If Omri¡¯s father wasn¡¯t a commoner, they would have been second cousins. Athos also felt remorseful as his departure from the palace last night was relatively secure, unlike Omri who witnessed violence first-hand and had to struggle just to escape. The sight of a mother and son reaffirming their feelings during a turbulent time had a sentimental effect on Athos. It gave him a small glimmer of hope that he will be able to meet his parents soon and safely escape the city of Anima. Having her strength recovered and her feelings calm down, Sagitta released her embrace from Omri and slowly stood up. ¡°Mother¡­ Do you feel better now?¡± Omri looked at Sagitta with a concerned expression. ¡°I feel a lot better now. Thank you for healing me earlier Omri.¡± Sagitta then glanced at Athos and stared at him with an inquisitive expression. ¡°Little prince...may I ask something?¡± ¡°Ask away, Sagitta,¡± Athos replied casually. ¡°You used Divinity on me earlier.¡± Athos hastily wiped the sweat on his forehead and collected himself. ¡°H-how did you-¡± Sagitta cut off Athos. ¡°Your mana was gentle and warm, prince Athos¡­ I felt it earlier in my chest when I opened my eyes, strangely, my body seemed to have gotten a bit younger. My left knee is no longer aching as well, considering I got a painful injury last year.¡± Sagitta took a deep breath and groaned. ¡°I am truly grateful when you saved my life earlier, little prince¡­ However, don¡¯t ever use that method again, it is unstable especially with your current state.¡± ¡°Unstable? What do you mean by my current state?¡± I feel fine overall, but a little tired. ¡°Your eyes, little prince¡­ It is a little faint, but your pupils... They are still golden unlike your irises, they have reverted to emerald..¡± When Moirais invoke Divinity, their eyes turn into a brilliant golden hue, it then reverts to its natural color once the Moira cease the channeling of their Divinity. There were no documented cases of a Moira maintaining an active Divinity for prolonged periods as it required the host to possess a near unlimited mana pool. Athos'' face slowly became pale. ¡°What happened to you, Prince Athos?¡± ~~~~~ To Be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 7: Shield "What happened to you, Prince Athos?" Sagitta''s statement left a mark on Athos'' mind. His head was filled with questions, not only regarding the status of his family but also what transpired a few minutes ago. ''Why would she say my state is unstable? Including the instance with my attacker this morning and mending Sagitta''s thread, I only used Divinity twice and made sure to suspend the connection with Fate every time.'' Athos was puzzled and his brows creased in frustration. Sagitta cupped both of her hands on Athos'' cheeks and inspected Athos'' face. The prince was slightly taken aback by Sagitta''s actions and stared back at her with a bemused expression. "Hmmm... other than the Mana exhaustion and your low physical stamina, there''s some sort of charm- no, more like a blessing compensating for your state¡­ Little prince, do not use any more spells or enchantments for the meantime. If that blessing stops working, you wouldn''t be able to stand." Athos was stunned. Sagitta''s skill in analyzing patients remains adept, despite retiring from medicine more than a decade ago. ''She can sense the Fated Protection with one glance, I need to be careful.'' Athos nervously sighed. He only knew that the Fated Protection enhanced his physical healing and it also made him immune to any types of poisons or curses. Athos now realized how the blessing was delaying the effects of mana exhaustion. Although his mana pool is at its breaking point, Athos only felt fatigued. Normally, if a person''s mana pool dropped to near depletion, the body would go into sleep as a safety mechanism. Once sleep has been induced, the person''s consciousness would be dragged to its deepest level, unable to be woken up by any external influences like noises or actions. The person afflicted with Mana Exhaustion will only wake up once the body fully replenishes the lost mana. Sagitta''s jade eyes glinted with astonishment. "Little prince, now that I see it, you are radiating with Divinity. It is a little faint but dominant Moirais like us can sense it. It feels oddly similar to how the emperor carries his aura on a daily basis." Sagitta released Athos'' cheeks and swiftly inspected Athos'' body for injuries. "Besides the tired feeling you''re experiencing now, do you feel any pain or body aches at the moment?" Sagitta inquired as she lifted Athos'' arms. "I had a headache a moment ago but it''s bearable and I''ve already used a relieving poultice for it." Athos pointed at the dried-up poultice residue stuck on his forehead and gave a dry, hesitant smile. "I''m fine, we really need to hurry up and-" "Are you certain my prince? You fainted for a moment when we met this morning." Omri interjected, his face showing great concern towards Athos. "What do you mean by fainted for a moment Omri? Please elaborate for me." Sagitta quickly glanced at Omri then sent out a mild sneer at Athos as if to tell him that he can''t hide any health concerns from her. Sagitta folded her arms and glared at Athos. "Little Prince, although I''ve retired as a doctor, I still have my responsibilities of one. Patients like you need to be checked and treated immediately." She then reached out and firmly held Athos'' shoulder and forced him to sit. "But it''s almost sunset, and I still need to find my parents!" Athos brushed off Sagitta''s hands and hurriedly stood up. "I need to know if they''re safe and sound¡­ Their bonds are still faint, what if it suddenly gets cut off?!" Athos hurried toward the staircase. Omri gave chase and immediately grabbed Athos'' arm. "My prince, it is dangerous to go alone!" Omri gasped and quickly dragged Athos back. "You saw the parade right? There''s too many of them and with your weakened state¡­ It will be suicide." Omri''s grip tightened. "Let me go, Omri." Athos'' face winced as Omri held his arm with force. "You swore to be my shield, but the way you''re acting now...A shield would never drag down its wielder." Athos tried to shake off Omri''s hold but it didn''t budge. Omri''s face scrunched with annoyance, his hand still firmly holding on to Athos."But a shield will do everything to protect its owner, if needed it would get in the way to prevent it''s owner''s death." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Omri glared at Athos with determination. "I won''t let go." "Then you are not a shield Omri, you''re just baggage needing to be carried." Athos mockingly smiled at Omri. "After all we''ve been through, Prince Athos...You¡­!" A fist formed on Omri''s hand. "Omri! Athos!" A resounding yell came from Sagitta. Athos and Omri turned towards her and they saw Sagitta''s face fuming with rage, her face had an intimidating scowl that rendered both of them useless. "Prince Athos, I know you are anxious about their majesties, but jumping without thinking about it first¡­" Sagitta looked towards Omri. "Don''t even think about hitting a child Omri, you know better." She groaned with a resigned face. Omri''s fist unclenched and released his grip on Athos. Sagitta approached Athos and held his hands gently, she then slowly channeled a bit of her mana to Athos. "Prince Athos, I understand your desire to find their majesties first. It is similar to what I saw with Omri earlier, a lost child would desperately look for his parents." Sagitta then cast a high-level recovery enchantment on Athos. "Your safety comes first. Their majesties would have thought of the same thing when they helped you escape last night... May this help you with your endeavors." Sagitta then stopped the mana transfer and released Athos'' hands. "Omri, go with the prince." Sagitta looked into Omri''s eyes with a forlorn expression. "Be his shield as you have committed." Omri''s pale green eyes dilated in shock. "But mother, what about you? We can''t just leave you here! You''re still recovering-" "It will be dangerous for both of you if we move together, the enemy has seen my face in the palace. Both of you will be caught if they see me traveling with you." Sagitta clicked her tongue. "We have no choice, but we must move separately from here on." "Then¡­" Omri paused for a bit and pondered what to do next. "Let''s meet up on the eastern outskirts at the town of Parte, it should be half a day away from here." Omri then gave Sagitta a warm hug. "Please send a swift letter to us once you reach the town." Omri''s embrace tightened and cast a regeneration enchantment on Sagitta. "Please stay safe until then." he then released Sagitta from his embrace. Athos gazed at the mother and son with an uneasy expression. He felt relieved to see them reunited but It also reminded him of the time when his parents said their goodbyes last night. Athos then took out the watch from his pocket and checked the time, it was now 2:32 in the afternoon. There were less than three hours before sunset "I''ll head up first, see you at the porch, Omri." Athos fixed his cloak then propped his hood up and swiftly went upstairs. "...My son, please take care too. I''ll see you in Parte." Sagitta smiled as she patted Omri''s back. "Please take good care of the little prince for me." "Yes¡­ I''ll see you soon, mother." Omri cast a restoration spell on his cloak to fix the torn parts, he then wore it and propped the hood up. "Goodbye for now." Omri smiled at Sagitta one last time before ascending on the staircase, he then heads out to the porch where Athos was waiting. "Please¡­ protect them both¡­ please keep them safe¡­" Teardrops started to flow uncontrollably from Sagitta''s eyes. Her knees grew weak and fell on the floor. She wept as she begged Fate to be kind to the children she sent out. Sagitta did not disclose to Omri that her bond with Turris had just been severed. She didn''t want Omri to be overwhelmed by the feelings of loss. She also thought of the little prince, Athos who would feel guilty for surviving while his parents were barely hanging on. "Turris¡­ Florestella¡­ Lucis... I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you all." Sagitta wept in solitude, her cries echoed through the watermill. *** After retracing their steps, and eventually returning back to the cul-de-sac they entered, Omri and Athos had been strolling in silence, both of them hesitated to speak to each other. After all, they almost ended up exchanging blows if Sagitta hadn''t interfered with them. As they hurried back to the main thoroughfare, Athos finally broke the silence. "Hey, Omri." Athos quickly glanced at Omri who was behind him. "What is it, my prince? "About the words, I said earlier¡­ I''m sorry, I was too harsh on you." Athos scratched his head. "I''ve been stressed lately and seeing you and Sagitta together earlier made me feel rather envious." Athos'' face became dark and gloomy. Omri gazed at Athos with sympathy, he knelt down and extended his arms out to Athos and gave him a generous hug. "My prince, your apology is accepted. But please, do not take your life lightly." Omri then released his embrace and gently held Athos'' cheeks. "The burden you''re carrying is not just yours. Prince Athos, I am your shield... and your friend." Omri''s pale green eyes were filled with determination as he gazed at Athos. "You will never be alone, I''m here for you." Athos felt his throat tighten and his vision grow blurry with his tears once more. He swiftly wiped his face with his sleeve and suppressed his urge to cry. After all, he had been crying for almost the entire day, Athos also struggled in managing his mana. Athos made a mental note to himself to not let his emotions drive him too much as it invokes his Memory Room involuntarily, causing his mana to deplete faster. "...Thank you for being with me Omri. Truly, I''m really thankful you''re here." Athos reciprocated Omri''s hug, as his arms were short, Athos clung onto Omri''s neck, like a toddler begging to be carried. Omri smiled as he saw Athos finally expressing himself genuinely. He gently stroked Athos'' back to soothe him from his worries. ''My prince is so adorable. This reminds me of the past when I used to change his diapers.'' Omri chuckled softly as he remembered the infant prince. *Dong* *Dong* *Dong* Their bonding was interrupted by the loud bells of Anima''s Clocktower. It was now 3:00 PM and the bells resonating had brought back the two of them to reality. "Let''s head back to the Parade, Omri. I have a gut feeling that the Great Judgement mentioned by the old man earlier¡­ may lead us to my parents." Athos released his embrace and enabled telepathy on him and Omri. "As you wish my prince since this is all I can manage with my mana, please make sure to keep close to me." Omri then cast a close-proximity illusion barrier on both of them. Athos''s silver hair slowly turned into brown just like Omri''s. "We''ll need to act as brothers so we don''t get caught. Omri groaned. "The barrier is in effect within a meter radius from me. If you stray too far, the illusion will be canceled, so please be careful." Omri glanced at Athos with concern. Athos held his forehead with his palm. "Big brother, you''re the one who should be careful. Remember to not walk behind me alright?" Athos smiled sheepishly. Omri chuckled. "Of course, little brother. I''ll make sure to walk by your side." He gave Athos a cheeky grin. "Alright then, let us hurry to the central plaza, please lead the way, big brother." ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 8: Brotherhood The streets of Anima had become busy. The steady parade of Seditio officers swarming the major streets and roads were a sight to behold. Some residents felt the intimidation from the droves of dark-cloaked men and retreated into their homes. While curious onlookers joined the march energetically as they sense a great amusement will ensue if they tag along. "Brothers and Sisters, the time has come for the Great Judgement! Join us as we welcome the coming of a new era, glory to us all!" A Seditio officer in a gray robe declared at the front. The officers yelled with zeal as they started to rally at the center of Anima. As the procession reached the central plaza Athos and Omri ran through the back alleyways, trying to catch up at the tail end of the formation. While avoiding the congested roads they had to hurry as sunset was approaching and Athos felt the Familial bonds that he had with his parents grow weak by the second. "My prince, we are almost at the plaza, your breathing sounds harsh. If it''s too much on your body I''ll carry you." Omri glanced worriedly at Athos who was a few paces behind him. "I''m¡­ Fine¡­ haaah, let''s push ahead, Omri¡­ haaah¡­" Athos'' face was drenched, he quickly wiped his trickling sweat off with his cloak. "It''s just a few blocks to the plaza...huff...puff... I can manage-" Omri quickly placed his arms under Athos'' back and knees then lifted him up before Athos could finish his reply. Athos looked at him with a confused expression, he did not expect Omri would carry him as soon as he wavered. "I apologize for my impertinence my prince, but since you are not in a good state and the illusion barrier is small, I need to make sure you stay close to me." Omri let out a brisk smile then continued to run with Athos in his arms. "...A-alright then, I''ll leave it to you Omri." Athos groaned, he was slightly embarrassed as Omri lifted him up like a toddler. "The connection for telepathy remains open. let''s use that to talk, we can''t risk being caught in the middle of the parade." "Understood my prince, the plaza should be three blocks away from the next corner. So please bear with me in the meantime. Omri sighed. "Oh, and please hold on tightly." Omri then cast a minor agility enchantment on himself. "Wait for a second Omri¡­!" Omri''s sprint became thrice as fast. Athos quickly wrapped his arms around Omri''s neck and clung for his dear life as Omri ran like a mad man. They managed to reach the vicinity of the plaza after a minute and a half, they stopped at the edge of the alleyway as the path to the central plaza was just by the next corner. [The plaza should be just up ahead. I can hear the noises of people from here...Sounds like a large gathering.] Omri quickly set down Athos to the ground. Seeing the young prince slightly nauseated and his face pale made Omri feel a bit guilty. [Are you alright my prince? I apologize if it was a bit too much.] Omri gazed at Athos with an apologetic face. [I''m¡­ okay, just a little bit dizzy, I think.] Athos took out the remaining poultice he used earlier and applied it to his temples. He then sat on the ground to rest. [Give me a moment to collect myself Omri.] Athos glanced at the worried Omri beside him, he let out a sigh. Athos never experienced being manhandled like a sack of flour. It was also the first time he saw Omri''s physical capabilities. He was a half-blood hence, it was already a given that his Moira abilities and mana pool were cut by half. Despite those challenges, Omri was able to fully master healing and medical arts with efficiency. What Athos did not know was, In the past, Turris trained Omri in close-combat arts as his physical attributes were superior. Unlike Athos''s swordsmanship classes that felt like a formality, Omri was trained for physical endurance with a background on fundamental self-defense. Omri was the pioneer of a defensive healer. *Thump* *Thump*The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. *Thump* Suddenly, Athos felt his heart beating loudly, the throbbing took Athos aback and his eyes widened with shock, his Familial Bonds started to pulsate violently. The connection with his parents earlier was very faint, but now it was stronger. It meant that Athos'' parents were near. [My prince? What is wrong?] Omri knelt and inspected Athos? [T-they''re here¡­ Omri¡­ Mother and father are near!] Athos held his chest, the throbbing was getting more violent and Athos struggled to stand up. Omri assisted Athos'' back as he stood up. [Prince Athos...is it the Bonds?] Omri''s eyes grew in shock. Athos nodded as he flinched from the vibrations of the Bonds. [We must hurry, Omri...they must be somewhere in the Plaza area.] Athos slowly walked towards the end of the corner. Omri gripped Athos'' arm firmly, preventing him to move forward. [My prince, let''s be careful from here on out, I have an ominous feeling about this Great Judgement¡­] Omri''s face darkened. [There''s a possibility that they wanted to lure us out from hiding. If that''s the case wouldn''t escaping now would be-] [No! I don''t want to abandon my mother and father. Omri¡­] Athos'' voice trembled for a bit. [Even if there''s a small chance to reunite with them and escape, I''ll take it regardless!] Athos'' eyes were filled with determination as he glared back and tried to shrug Omri''s hand. Omri''s grip loosened. [Alright my prince, your shield will comply. But please, we need to have a plan of escape before we leap into the fray.] Omri paused for a bit and cast a mid-grade detection spell. Omri''s brows furrowed and his face had a disgruntled expression. [I can feel a large anti-mana ward enveloping the center of the plaza, there are also a lot of Church sorcerers amongst the crowd, it seems teleportation won''t be possible.] [I''ll handle it Omri. I can summon an elemental to help out, that should keep the Church''s underlings at bay too.] [My prince, that option is out of the question, you''ll collapse from mana exhaustion!] Omri gawked at Athos with concern. [Omri¡­ it will be fine, I''ll invoke a lesser elemental to cause a distraction. Like a light bomb or a sound bomb, those will probably work on the wards since Light and Sound elementals require minimal mana.] Athos wiped the dried-up poultice from his temples. [Then¡­ I''ll lead the way, my prince.] Omri then extended his hand out to Athos. [Please let me borrow your sword once more, Prince Athos.] Athos snickered at Omri. [Don''t even think about cutting yourself again.] He then took out the shortsword from his spatial inventory and carefully passed it to Omri. [I''m not going to cut myself with it, my prince. This is for your additional protection.] Omri gave Athos an optimistic smile. [A shield knows when to fight back if necessary.] [Then, I leave it to you, my shield. Please take care of me.] Athos then clutched Omri''s sleeve. [Lead the way, big brother.] Omri sighed, although he is still not good at acting as Athos'' elder brother, he started to see the young prince in a different light. ''I guess it''s not that bad to have a younger sibling.'' Omri glanced at Athos, clinging on his right hand. [Looks like it will rain within the hour¡­ can your barrier repel water big brother?] A cheeky smile was visible from Athos'' face. Omri let out a faint scoff towards Athos. [It doesn''t but I can cast a waterproof enchantment on your cloak, princ- I mean, little brother.] Both of them started to walk towards the end of the alley, They gradually heard the noises of the plaza grow louder as they got closer. When they reached the main street, they were stupefied by the sheer number of people gathering towards the central plaza. The majority of the crowd were wearing the similar dark Seditio cloak that Athos and Omri were wearing. It was fairly easy for them to blend in. [My prince, please stay close, I can easily lose you in this sea of people.] Omri''s hold on Athos'' hand tightened. [Damn, there''s a lot more Church of Arbor mages here than I expected.] Omri clicked his tongue as he scanned the surroundings. *Thump* *Thump* *Thump* Athos felt the bond pulsate again, only this time it was a little painful. Athos clenched his chest with his hand and trembled. ''Endure this...We''re almost there...mother and father, please be safe.'' Athos contemplated and he clung on Omri''s hand firmly. The closer they got to the center of the plaza, the harder it was for Athos. The Bonds were throbbing violently and it felt like someone or something was clawing out Athos'' heart from his chest. Every step for him was painful, the pressure on his chest was mounting, and he gasped for breath as he walked forward. [My prince, should we take a break for a bit?] Omri''s face had been drenched with sweat since they arrived at the plaza grounds. Omri had been discreetly using a low-grade search spell to locate Athos'' parents. Unfortunately due to his low mana constitution, the constant use of low-grade spells combined with maintaining an illusion barrier consumed most of Omri''s stamina. [I''m alright Omri¡­ we need to push ahead, the Bond, it''s been banging on my chest¡­ Ugh.] Athos gripped his chest while wincing in pain. Omri gazed at Athos with an anxious face, he hesitated to say something but eventually speaks up after contemplating. [...I understand. If the pain becomes unbearable, tell me immediately. I''ll carry you again if needed.] Omri sighed. Eventually, both of them managed to squeeze through the bustling crowd, Omri and Athos ended up ten meters away from the central area. Unfortunately, due to the presence of black sorcerers and witches, they were unable to push further as they risk getting their barrier dispelled. *Dong* *Dong* *Dong* The sudden alarm of the Anima Clocktower resonated through the plaza. It was now 3:30 PM. The crowd gradually fell silent and the onlookers turned their attention to the platform in the central area. A man in a gray Seditio robe greeted the idling public. "Brothers and Sisters! The time for the Great Judgement is here!" The robed man stretched his arms out to salute the masses gathered before him. "I am the Second Brother of the Enlightened One, my name is Docere." He then took a formal bow as if to give thanks to the audience gathered before him. "We are here today to pass retribution to the accursed Moirais. For centuries, we have been told that our Fate had been preordained. We must obey the word of the Palace, else our souls will be sent to the Abyss..." Docere walked around the platform as if he was teaching in front of a class. "...and we as mortals have no right to seize and realize our own Fate! It was always obeying them and begging them for a kind death!" Docere''s face was filled with rage, he then took down his hood and exposed his scarred face. Docere wore an eye patch on his right eye, he had a large vertical scar that ran over from the right side of his forehead down to his jawline. His long, unkempt black hair made his face a lot more intimidating. "My right eye¡­ this scar...my face¡­ This was the price I paid after decades of obedience to them." His fists clenched in anger and a bitter rage seethed within him. "Fuck them all. It''s time for them to pay us back." A sinister smile grew on Docere''s face. He then took out his staff and activated a spell. The crowd watched with anticipation as they saw a bright magic circle activate at the center of the platform, it''s illumination blinded everyone on sight, including Omri and Athos. *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* Athos closed his eyes in pain and clenched his chest with both of his hands, his knees gave out and he fell to the cobbled ground. Eventually, the blinding light faded and the crowd turned back their attention towards the central platform. [Of all the things¡­ H-how did¡­?] Omri''s face paled and his mouth was agape with shock. [It can''t be¡­ no¡­ no! No! Their majesties!] ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 9: Escape Part 1 Athos winced in pain on the cobbled ground, his hands gripped his chest, and the bonds he shared with his parents were violently beating down on his heart. He felt the bonds constrict and pull his insides and his breathing became labored. *THUMP* "Haaah¡­" *THUMP* "...Haaah" *THUMP* "Ugh¡­ It hurts¡­" Athos struggled to catch his breath, the pain on his chest was so intense, he lost track of the dreadful event that was unfolding before him. [No¡­No! Their majesties!] The sound of Omri''s telepathy snapped Athos back to his senses. He immediately looked up at Omri who was standing beside him. Omri''s face had gotten pale, his eyes reflected despair, his mouth quivered with shock, and his fists trembled with anger. This was the first time that Athos saw Omri in an agitated state. A feeling of dread slowly crept Athos'' body, he took a deep breath, and gradually got back up. He followed Omri''s gaze towards the center of the plaza. At the platform, a man and a woman were bound tightly on a stake. Surrounding the couple was a platoon of heavily armed men, all of which wore a set of black armor and blackened swords attached to their waists. The heads of the bound man and the woman were covered by a black cloth, their hands and feet were shackled by heavy chains, their bodies showed signs of torture as their limbs and arms were littered by cuts and bruises, their wounds were fresh and was oozing blood, which stained the white robes that they were wearing. *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* Athos squirmed as his bonds throbbed violently. He recognized the robes that the pitiful couple was wearing. It was no doubt, the ones his parents wore last night. His eyes dilated in shock and an overwhelming rage started to fill his thoughts. "Let us start the trial of these treacherous creatures!" Docere grabbed the headcovers of the two pitiful beings, exposing their bruised and bleeding faces. It was Emperor Lucis and Empress Florestella, the couple was unconscious and their heads limped when Docere uncovered them. "It''s not that dramatic if both of you are asleep." Docere scratched his head and sighed at the unresponsive prisoners. "Hey, wake up you fuckers! Help me entertain the audience!" Docere slapped both Lucis and Florestella on the cheeks. "Come on!" He repetitively smacked the couple until their mouths and noses drew blood. The audience laughed and admired the display, to think they would see Anima''s powerful leaders fall from grace and be manhandled by one of the Brothers. Seeing Docere''s attitude towards his parents, angered Athos, while Omri winced as he witnessed Seditio''s cruelty. Both men found it difficult to restrain their emotions, it wasn''t wise to be swayed by Docere''s taunts. They were surrounded and were clearly outnumbered by their enemies, blowing their cover would surely lead to their demise. Irritated by their unresponsiveness, Docere raised his staff and cast an electrocution spell towards Florestella and Lucis. "I said wake up!" "AAaaaahhhhh!" "Aaarrggghhhh!" The couple was violently woken up, blood dripped from their nose and mouths as they coughed and gasped for air. "Good! Still alive and kicking, it''s too early to lose you both so soon." Docere chuckled with a satisfied expression on his face.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Something snapped inside Athos, seeing his parents being helpless and being tortured by a deranged man triggered his rage further. He then started to gather mana around him. [This bastard dares to¡­!] Athos clenched his fists in anger and his irises slowly turned to gold. Athos was about to cast a spell towards the platform area when suddenly, Omri reinforced his illusion barrier with a repelling enchantment, dispersing the mana surrounding Athos. [Prince Athos, please calm yourself!] Omri firmly gripped Athos'' arm. [We are surrounded by our enemies, we can''t risk getting caught here! Do not lose yourself!] Omri''s hand tightened as he held onto Athos. Docere felt a faint divine presence lingering from the audience before him. "Hmmm, looks like we have some troublemakers here¡­ we can''t afford to have this festive day ruined!" Docere snapped his fingers, and half of the armored men from the platform knelt before him. "Find the intruders, and put them to their rightful places." The armored men then scattered and started to roam around the plaza and into the crowd. Some of the Church of Arbor''s sorcerers also joined in on the hunt. Docere had a wicked smile etched on his face, and slowly the smile turned into chuckles as he thought of an idea that would bring additional entertainment. "Everyone! Listen up, before we continue with The Great Judgement, let''s play a game." The audience before Docere was getting impatient, they were looking forward to the bloody fall of Anima''s leaders, however, the schedule of events had been delayed by an impromptu game. "Now, now, settle down my brothers and sisters! This is no ordinary game." Docere cackled maniacally. "It seems we have pretenders hiding in the crowd." Docere then took out a heavy coin pouch and shook it, the sound of coins grabbed the crowd''s attention. "I will provide a handsome reward to anyone who will be able to bring these pretenders to the stage¡­ I really want to see them, dead or alive either way is fine!" Docere then threw the contents of the pouch towards the crowd. "Consider this my downpayment." The audience near the platform scurried towards the coins, one of the onlookers managed to pick up one of the coins and inspected it. "A-a¡­ a platinum coin!! I''m rich, I''m rich!" Coins were the universal currency of Jumana, there are four types of coins that are being circulated throughout the continent. Copper, silver, gold, and platinum. One platinum coin was equal to a million gold coins. The crowd was stunned, greed started to encroach the onlookers, and slowly, most of the attendees gathered in the plaza started to scrutinize each other. A man raised his sleeve, exposing a scar on his left forearm. An older man showed his scabbing scar on his left forearm. A middle-aged woman asked her younger sibling The youth energetically replied. [Damn this...If someone approaches us, we''ll be caught.] Omri added a minor stealth enchantment on his barrier to hide Athos'' divine aura and to mask their presence. [I can only hold this for twenty minutes.] Omri was sweating buckets as he utilized a multitude of enchantments and spells. He was near his limit. Omri noticed that some of the Church''s sorcerers had detected Athos'' Divinity, some of the officers and the sorcerers were now scrambling to their vicinity. [My prince, we need to move. NOW.] Omri tried to drag Athos away from the plaza, his grip was firm and forceful however Athos refused to budge. [But Omri¡­ Mother and father¡­ I need to save them!] Athos glared at Omri. His eyes were still golden and a burning rage was visible on Athos'' face. [I can''t just let them die here!] Athos tried to pull himself away from Omri''s grip. Omri then noticed the suspicious gazes coming from the people near them. Athos and Omri''s body language looked like an arguing pair, which was far detached from the sense of brotherhood that Docere insinuated with his game. ''If this continues¡­ not one of us will make it out alive from this City.'' Omri pondered in the worst-case scenario. [If I was able to save Sagitta¡­ Why won''t you let me do the same for my parents?!] Teardrops started to flow uncontrollably from Athos''s eyes. Omri noticed the guards and sorcerers and inching closer to their location, the panic was now starting to seep through his morale. [Prince Athos, saving my mother is different from needlessly throwing your life.] Omri groaned, his face was etched with a bitter expression. [When I swore to be your shield¡­ I swore to protect you... and to prevent you from self-sacrificing yourself.] Omri then used both his arms to restrain the squirming Athos, he grabbed both of Athos'' arms and cast a restraining spell on them. [Let me go, Omri¡­ please¡­! Let me save them.] Athos tried to free himself from Omri''s restraints but due to their difference in physique Athos'' attempts were fruitless. [This time, I really won''t let go.] Omri gazed at Athos'' eyes with determination. He then activated a higher stealth enchantment on the barrier and lifted the restrained Athos on his shoulder. [Please bear with this.] Omri quickly evaded the sorcerers and the guards. Thankfully, his over-enchanted barrier was enough to hide both of them. Omri stealthily snuck away from the crowd. As they gradually flee the central area, Athos felt his bonds reverberate. *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* [Argh¡­ the bonds, its¡­ so painful.] Athos felt his bonds pulsate and constrict, the pain was excruciating and it made him squint and groan. [[My¡­ Son¡­]] A soft voice echoed from his heart. Athos and Omri''s eyes widened in shock. [[Athos¡­ Omri...]] A stern voice rang through his chest. Athos recognized those voices. It was his parents, they were speaking to him through their bonds. Omri was equally startled as he clearly heard their voices ring through his head. [[Ath my¡­ child¡­ it is not your time yet¡­]] Florestella spoke weakly. [[You must¡­ Live¡­ Live and survive for our sake.] Slowly, Florestella''s bond faltered. [[Run away Omri, as fast¡­ as you can¡­ Protect Athos¡­]] Lucis''s voice trembled as his bond wavered. [No! I refuse, don''t¡­ Don''t leave me! I want to go with you.] Athos'' tears fell relentlessly, [I will follow your wishes¡­ Your majesties.] Omri tasted bitterness on his mouth, he also felt his shoulder get drenched by Athos'' tears. Guilt was clearly seen on Omri''s face. [[Our time is almost here, Athos, we''re sorry¡­ for not telling you of this¡­]] Florestella''s voice was full of sorrow, eventually, Athos felt her bond fading. [[Take... care of yourself, Athos¡­ Please, live on¡­ For us¡­]] Lucis''s bond faded. [[Do not blame yourself¡­ Ath¡­ Remember, you¡­ are not¡­ alone.]] Athos felt the throbbing in his chest disappear. He also felt his parents'' bonds vanish. ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 10: Escape Part 2 Docere''s face was etched with delight, his eyes glinted with joy, and his smile curved up sinisterly. He was glad to see the gullible masses before him as he played with them like a puppeteer controlling the strings. However, something felt amiss at the back of his mind. [...Make sure to find the lost calf.] Those were the words that the Enlightened One commanded to him that morning. Despite the success of seizing the Palace of Anima last night, their brotherhood had failed to secure all of the key figures to obtain total control of the capital. Crown Prince Athos Dimitte Ferre, was nowhere to be found. They were only able to detain the Emperor and the Empress. Docere''s brows creased in frustration. ''We have the parents here¡­ the prince should come as expected, putting them in a miserable state would aggravate him so. He should be jumping into the fire soon.'' he folded his arms as he pondered. [...We cannot afford to have loose ends!] The Enlightened One''s voice rang once more inside Docere''s thoughts as he contemplated what to do next. He started riling up the audience before him by torturing the incapacitated Lucis and Florestella. He tried waking them up violently by repetitively smacking their heads until their bruised cheeks rip and their noses and mouths started leaking blood. Unfortunately, it didn''t work and his audience grew tired due to the lack of excitement. ''If the prince or his supporters are here, then this wouldn''t sit well on their minds.'' Docere snickered as he cast an electrocution spell on the unfortunate couple. "I said wake up!" "AAaaaahhhhh!" "Aaarrggghhhh!" "Good! Still alive and kicking!" He waited for a bit to check for any suspicious movements from the audience, however, nothing occurred out of the blue. Docere was getting frustrated as his taunts were not working. The fish didn''t bite despite him tossing a generous bait. Suddenly, he felt a field of mana building up within the sea of people. ''That''s strange... the Church put up mana barriers in the plaza, yet someone is still able to use it.'' Docere''s eyes squinted with curiosity. ''Could it be¡­?'' He then felt the mana fade to nothing, it felt so fast that it was like someone was trying to hide oneself in a hurry. It struck him that uninvited guests were hiding amongst the revelers. Docere had a gut feeling that the intruders he perceived were connected with the missing prince. Seditio had already eradicated most of the Palace''s men and women last night, he needed to capture and subdue any survivors who would pose as a threat to their brotherhood. "Find the intruders, and put them to their rightful places." He had ordered half of his men to search the plaza, the Church of Arbor also joined in to help trace the mana. ''I hate playing hide and seek.'' Docere snorted and clicked his tongue as he deliberated on methods that would help expedite the search. ''Haaah¡­ this is taking too long.'' He surveyed the movements of his subordinates in the plaza, they were a mess. The guards were scattered and sorcerers were flagrantly using search magic to detect any mana users in the sea of people. ''Hmm, our audience members¡­ they might be useful.'' Docere''s eyes sparkled with glee as he thought of an idea and his mouth arched to form a cruel grin. The troublemakers he detected several moments ago, were not yet found. His lackeys and the aides from the Church had struggled to locate them as the presence was hard to trace. Docere then insinuated to the audience before him to play a game. It was a game to capture the intruders dead or alive and the rewards were promising. A heavy pouch full of platinum coins were thrown in as partial payment, it was generous and it fed the greed of the audience. ''Time to smoke them out of their holes¡­ I can''t wait for heads to roll.'' Docere chuckled as he imagined the positive results of the hunt. He watched the attendees scrutinize each other, no one was standing odd in the crowd but Docere noticed that the guards and the sorcerers who initially started the search, were all gradually moving towards the center row as if to give chase to something. ''Hmm? Why are they going there?'' He observed the area where his men were heading towards, and he spotted a pair of siblings. Docere watched the pair with suspicion. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ''Those look...odd, no more like familiar.'' Docere recalled the parade earlier, he met a pair of siblings who had brown hair. Now that he thought about it, he wasn''t able to keep tabs on the pair after he dragged the both of them to join the parade. Docere then watched the pair from a distance. They seem to be bickering about something. It looked like the elder brother was restraining his younger sibling with a rough grip, and the younger one was crying. ''Ah, children''s tantrums.¡­ probably got scared of the blood and doesn''t want to watch-'' Docere''s thoughts were suddenly interrupted as he saw the pair vanish like thin air. ''Holy shit.'' Docere''s eyes dilated in shock, he was taken aback as he saw two grown men disappear right before his eyes. His lips then arched and gradually, a wicked grin appeared on his face. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" Docere cackled like a mad man. The crowd before him fell silent as they were slightly taken aback by his behavior. ''I found them! They''re the damn troublemakers!! Looks like I''ll be able to keep some of the coins to myself¡­ The Church should be able to pin their mana down.'' Docere was pleased that his lackeys had finally tracked down the unwanted guests. ''I''ll let the men deal with those intruders.'' he let out a soft chuckle and activated mass telepathy to his men. [[Look for a pair of siblings, an older brother and a younger one. The older brother had brown hair and his cloak was torn near his right sleeve, his younger brother is half his height and should have brown hair as well¡­]] Docere''s expression darkened. [[A word of caution my brothers and sisters, it seems they are capable of handling mana. I expect all of you to not make a careless mess, don''t make me clean your corpses later.]] Docere snickered as he reminded his subordinates their orders. [[Find them and bring them to me.]] Docere''s eyes were full of enthusiasm and his face beamed with joy. Looks like his desire for a great bloodbath will be met by sunset. "Everyone! Our game will end shortly. Kindly settle down, let''s move on to our main agenda!" Cheers resonated throughout the fervent crowd. It was now the time for the Great Judgement to come. Docere was pleased to hear the cheers of the expectant onlookers. He then turned his attention to the weakened monarchs who were barely hanging on with their lives. As he got closer to the restrained couple, he felt Lucis and Florestella''s mana seep out from their bodies. It looked like they were currently invoking a spell. "To think both of you had the gall to do shit behind my back?" With one swift movement, Docere bashed Lucis'' face with his left fist and punched Florestella''s abdomen with his right. "Urk!" Lucis'' nose broke and fresh blood dripped anew from his face, his mouth also bled profusely, he must have lost some of his teeth due to the harsh impact. "Agh! Aack! Haah!" Florestella vomited bright red blood as she gasped for air, her face grew paler as she struggled to breathe. "Both of you, don''t even try doing something unnecessary." Docere wiped the blood off his left fist. "Your son... would join us shortly if all goes well¡­ Hehehe!" Docere chuckled at the miserable couple as he saw their broken faces. "So, how does it feel to be so helpless? I can''t wait to see your heads roll together with your son." Docere''s cackling evolved to a hysterical laugh. Lucis and Florestella glared back at Docere with a deathly expression. "D-don''t¡­ you¡­ dare¡­!" Lucis'' voice broke up as he struggled to speak due to his wounds, he stared down at Docere as if to tell him to learn his place. "L-leave¡­ my s-son¡­ o-out of this!" There was anger in Florestella''s voice, although she was weak, her spirit remained strong. "Hahaha! Hehehe! Wow, to think both of you can still talk shit!" Docere''s hysterical laughter encouraged the crowd to squawk alongside him. "Both of you are so eager to die¡­" Docere then drew out his staff to invoke a calamity-level spell. "Then¡­ I shall grant your wish-" Docere suddenly felt a phantom pain on his face. He wasn''t able to finish his sentence as the pain took over his body. His laughter quickly died down and was replaced by a bitter looking face, he fell to his knees on the platform. He felt the pain intensify, his face winced and his breathing became uneven. It was unbearable, Docere felt like lightning had struck him down a multitude of times. The audience grew silent and their jaws dropped, seeing their host suddenly collapse in front of the weakened prisoners was an odd sight. "Argh!" Docere gripped his eyepatch and stared at the couple with rage. "T-this scar¡­ M-my face... it fucking hurts!!" He then crawled pathetically towards the couple and tried to invoke a spell towards them. It was futile as his mana did not manifest. "Ha...haha!" "Haha! Ha...haha!" Lucis and Florestella''s chuckles broke the silence of the crowd. Everyone stared at the wounded monarchs with mocking eyes. "That wound¡­ Won''t ever...heal." Florestella replied to Docere in a condescending tone. Her eyes radiated with a faint golden glow. "We''ll make¡­ sure that you will¡­ live with that pain for an eternity." Lucis replied with a weak but mocking voice and his golden eyes stared down at the weakened Docere. "What did you fuckers do?!?" Docere''s face had become pale, his eyebrows curved in annoyance and his breathing had become labored. Some of the guards and the sorcerers he sent out earlier had retreated and rushed to Docere''s side to assist him. Docere was not aware that the two monarchs forcefully thinned down his Fate Threads with their divinity. He sensed his body grow weak and his old injuries started to ache and swell. It was all to prevent the man from pursuing their son as they escape from the plaza. ''We''re sorry Athos, we truly are¡­'' Memories started to flood Lucis and Florestella''s thoughts. They recalled their happiest memories with their son, Athos. They remembered his birthdays, his innocent expressions, and the family bondings they had in the past. They recollected Athos'' adorable smile during his infancy, his curiousness, and eagerness concerning the world around him... And they also recalled how brave he was when he bore the pain of their blessings last night. *Plip* *Plip* *Plip* Tears gradually fell from the couple''s eyes. It was time for them to meet the Divine End. With the remainder of their divinity, they severed all their bonds with the city of Anima, including with Athos. Fate sensed the vast amount of bonds being cut down from the capital. The skies blackened and slowly, shadows of the Abyss started to crawl through the plaza. *Plip* *Plip* *Plip* *Plip* Raindrops started to fall to the ground, slowly drenching the earth. The timing felt ominous as the heavy overcast almost turned the day into night. Thunder started to roll with lightning flashing from the overcast, the rain showers then intensified into a deluge. From a distance, a crimson shadow watched over the events happening at the Plaza. He saw the farce that had unfolded a while ago and let out a snicker. "Docere''s density and ignorance never cease to amuse me." The shadow groaned at Docere''s patheticness. "To think they did summon the Calamities into their city! Wow, what an efficient way to deal with things! Good attempt at clean up, but terrible planning..." The shadow observed the panicking crowds at the plaza as the Calamities descended one by one to wreak havoc. The shadow noticed a cloaked man moving away from the plaza. The man seems to be carrying a child on his shoulder as they hastily run away from the plaza grounds. "Wow! That''s no ordinary barrier¡­ How did that bastard manage that enchantment?" A smile slowly formed from the shadow''s face as he observed the fleeing pair. "I really wanna learn that technique. I should ask the guy to teach me before they vanish somewhere." ~~~~~ To be continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 11: Escape Part 3 Dark foreboding clouds loomed over the capital, the daylight had turned to nighttime as the sun was shut out from the sky. The deluge of rain and thunder had intensified and the sound of rain hitting the streets had raised the tension in the air. The shadows of the Abyss slowly descended onto the city of Anima. The manifestation of the Calamities in the plaza brought panic to the Seditio members. One by one, masses of shadows started to appear within the plaza grounds. A curious bystander saw a black orb manifest near him. "W-what the hell is this?!" He stretched out his hand to touch the orb, in a blink of an eye, the man felt a dull pain. His right hand had been cut off from his arm. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The man''s severed hand fell to the cobbled ground and the puddles were dyed in blood. Observers who saw the gruesome sight panicked and started to run away and hide from the orbs. "Run! Run! They will- Aaacccccckkk!" Another onlooker fell to the ground as he lost both of his legs. Something had swiftly chopped them off and the man cried in pain. Another Calamity manifested nearby. It had cornered a poor lady. "No! No! Spare me, please-" *Splat!* A blackened poleaxe pierced through the wretch''s heart. The woman limped and her body looked like a piece of meat being skewered. Docere and his men were startled by the unexpected interference of Fate. They did not anticipate that the surviving monarchs of the Palace would dare summon the Calamities into their city. Seeing the ominous situation unfold, the Seditio officers scrambled towards the weakened Docere. They needed to ensure the safety of their leader. With their armors and weapons ready, they took a defensive position towards the approaching Calamities. "Brother, we must retreat and let the Enlightened One know of this!" One of Docere''s aides, a Healer approached and cast a recovery spell on him. "We can''t deal with this many Calamities, we must-" "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Docere clicked his tongue and glared at the aide. "We just need to-" Docere wasn''t able to finish his order as his attention was taken by a small orb of shadows manifesting a few paces to his front. It emitted black smoke and gradually a figure of a small child started to form around it. "Fuck¡­!" Docere swiftly cast a high-level illumination spell and pierced the black orb. A terrifying scream echoed as the orb shattered with the intense light. "Damn¡­ that¡­ was a close call¡­ Ughh." Docere''s mana pool greatly declined after the use of his last spell. To prevent Calamities to fully manifest, a high-level illumination spell must be quickly injected into a Calamity''s core while they take form. "Protect yourselves men! We must not falter here!" Docere ordered his men to defend against the descending Calamities. "Mages, do not use low or mid magic! If you see a Calamity''s core, Quickly shatter it with a high-power light spell!" Docere''s stern order echoed throughout the plaza. "They will hunt down anyone who uses Mana, so be quick and be discreet! Brothers, defend the mages and the sorcerers!" Docere then directed his guards to parry or guard any incoming attacks from the Calamities. "Shit, I can''t believe those two still had the energy to summon a fucking ton of those monsters!" If it wasn''t for the healer earlier, Docere wouldn''t be able to stand up. He quickly took out a small potion of recovery from his pocket and drank it to alleviate his mana exhaustion. Docere was aware that Moirais was capable of invoking Divine Punishment by manipulating the Threads or the Bonds of Fate by will. He had learned of it when The Church approached Seditio with valuable information in exchange for an alliance. According to the Fae, the Calamities would only descend to the mortal world if there was an imbalance of Mana caused by severed Bonds and Threads. Six years ago, the Church of Arbor and the Palace of Anima waged war against each other due to a territorial conflict. When the war reached a stalemate, and the casualties of the civilians peaked, the Palace proposed a cease-fire in exchange for peace. The Church accepted the offer and committed to the use of a Covenant Bond in return. It was the Bond of Non-Aggression, both parties acknowledged and swore to adhere to the Bond from thereon. However, last night during the siege of the Palace, the Church decided to void their Non-Aggression Bond. In exchange, they have sacrificed the saplings of the Tree of Truths. It was a small price to pay on their end just to ensure the downfall of the Palace, it was the perfect plan. Once the Bond was severed, a Calamity was invoked and the Palace fell into chaos, it brought genocide to the Moirais as their forces and kin were annihilated. Only the monarchs and a fortunate few who escaped survived the onslaught of the Calamity. "We need to kill those damn Moirais first!!" Docere then pointed at the two weakened monarchs who were bound at the platform. "Those fuckers are invoking the Calamities!" Docere''s eyes were fuming with rage. "Kill them and the Calamities will go away! T-they are the s-source of this shit! Ughh." Docere winced as the excruciating pain from his old wounds resurfaced and he struggled to compose himself once more. Upon hearing their leader''s instructions, the aides and the Church''s mages then turned their attention towards Lucis and Florestella. They readied their weapons and approached the restrained couple when suddenly, Florestella activated a barrier around them. "You¡­ All of you¡­!" Florestella''s eyes shimmered with a golden light, she had cast a high-level protection barrier on her and Lucis.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "This¡­ will be your graves...!" She then prevented the advance of Docere, his subordinates, and a few Calamities by surrounding the platform area with a sealing barrier. "You fucking bitch!" Docere struck and punched the barrier in frustration, he tried to teleport outside of it but his mana wouldn''t invoke. His spell was nullified and then absorbed by the barrier. He paused and realized that he and his men were like rats trapped in a cage as they were stuck inside with fully manifested Calamities, Docere''s face paled and his body trembled in horror. "S-shit, men!! Defense positions! T-the enemies are upon us!!" Panic was felt from his cracking voice. Docere and his subordinates quickly formed a phalanx, he saw three Calamities that were slowly closing in on them. The first Calamity raised its poleaxe as if to celebrate a feast. Then quickly impaled one of the sorcerers who was caught off guard at the front. The second Calamity approached Docere''s men slowly, and swiftly swung its poleaxe with a wide swipe. It had cut down through several men, blood splattered everywhere and there were limbs, arms, and other human body parts that scattered like confetti. < YyyoUu LLoOKk TtAassTttTyyY!! EeAatTTt mMmoOOrrReeE!!> The third pointed its poleaxe towards Docere as if to taunt him that he will be the dessert later. The ominous voices of the Calamities terrified the officers, some of them trembled and collapsed on the ground with ruptured eardrums, others coughed and vomited blood due to the Calamity''s accursed voices, while Docere and his senior aides struggled to block their incoming attacks due to their dwindling numbers. "Shit! This can''t be happening!" Docere saw his men die one by one at the hands of the Calamities. The barrier that surrounded them was stained red due to the massive amount of blood that splattered whenever a victim gets disemboweled, decapitated, or impaled by the calamities. Docere saw the brutality of it. Multiple bodies were skewered on the Calamity¡¯s poleaxes, some of the men lost their limbs and arms and were bleeding to death on the ground, while others died a painful death while being butchered up like meat being sold in the market. "I-I d-don''t¡­ w-want¡­ t-to die! Help me-" *Slash* One of Docere''s men, the one healed him earlier, had his head cut off. The poor man''s head rolled on the ground like glass marble being tossed by a child. Docere froze up in terror as he realized he was the only living soul left inside the barrier. The three Calamities flanked him on all sides and moved to close in on him. The only means of escape for Docere was death. *** "Lucis, my love¡­ I''m sorry, this is all I can do." Florestella glanced apologetically at Lucis who was equally as exhausted as her. Florestella''s golden irises reverted to their emerald hue as she slowly dispelled the barriers she had cast. "Stella, it''s alright¡­ That would be enough." Lucis gave Florestella a feeble smile. His eyes too had reverted after forcefully cutting off all of the Bonds that were intertwined with them. "Our son¡­ I fear for him. What if¡­ he loses his way, or be taken?" "He will be safe, Stella¡­ The strongest shield shall protect him from hereon." The couple had fully exhausted their mana and their Divinity when they severed all of their Bonds. Their bodies were slowly disintegrating. Their final sacrifice caused their Threads of Fate to lose their luster. Fate was calling them to return. "My love...It''s time to rest." Teardrops fell from Florestella''s eyes. "If Fate allows¡­ My love, I wish to be with you at the End..." Florestella gazed at Lucis one last time with an endearing smile, and her body disappeared. "I too... would wish for the same... My star." Lucis wept, he knew Fate wouldn''t be kind to their souls due to their transgressions. He mourned in silence as his body vanished. The plaza fell silent, the sound of the rain and thunder reverberated through the ravaged grounds. The Calamities had retreated to the shadows after detecting the absence of Divinity in the area. The rain had turned the plaza into a lake of blood. Dead bodies and body parts were strewn everywhere and the smell of blood was thick. There were cries of dying men and women echoing faintly, but the sound of the rain had muffled their wails. *Splish* *Splash* *Splish* *Splash* A man in a red cloak slowly made his way through the plaza, his heavy footsteps resounded as he made his way towards the central platform. "Wow, so those things don''t hold back at all when hungry." A grin formed on his face, he was rather pleased with the sight of blood and littered human bodies along the streets. The man continued onwards to the platform where he found Docere''s mutilated body, it looked like the Calamities had fun with Docere too as his body was littered with stab wounds. He quickly inspected it and counter-checked his vitals. "Goddamnit! They fucking cut his threads too?!? Shit, this too much¡­" the man scratched his head in frustration. "Sorry bro, looks like I won''t be able to restore you this time¡­" The man held his hands together as if to pray for Docere''s eternal rest. After praying for a brief moment, he then investigated the stakes where Lucis and Florestella were previously bound to. "Even their bodies and threads are gone too¡­ Screw this! Looks like Fate also enjoys trolling people. Wow! What a retard." The man clicked his tongue and groaned as he wasn''t able to salvage anything from the plaza. "I guess it''s time to catch up to those two. Judging by their speed earlier, They should be somewhere in the Eastern district by now." The man cast a teleportation spell and disappeared from the Plaza grounds. *Splish* *Splash* *Splish* *Splash* [[Run away Omri, as fast¡­ as you can¡­ Protect Athos¡­]] Lucis¡¯ words resonated in Omri¡¯s head. He had been running non-stop ever since they hurriedly left the plaza. They almost got caught at one point, thankfully Omri¡¯s intuition and Lucis¡¯ request, had helped them avoid the massacre that befell the people who went to see a Great Judgement. Still, Omri felt a hint of guilt, as he took away Athos. It gave him a rough idea of how his paternal parents must have felt when they had to send Omri away to the Cura family for him to survive. ¡°Omri¡­ please¡­ please let me go.¡± Athos¡¯ voice trembled as he mourned the loss of his parents. ~~~~~ To Be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 12: Escape Part 4 [Take... care of yourself, Athos¡­ Please, live on¡­ For us¡­] It happened quickly and quietly, Athos felt the Bonds with his parents get cut off and vanish. The light had gone out of Athos¡¯ eyes, his tears fell endlessly with the rain, his cries echoed through the gloomy alleyways and his heart was filled with grief. Athos never expected that the final moments he shared with his parents would be their conversation with him last night. Their warm embrace, their soothing voices, and their kind and encouraging words, Athos was longing for them. [Ath¡­ Remember, you¡­ are not¡­ alone.] Lucis and Florestella''s voice echoed through his mind. An overwhelming sorrow engulfed his thoughts, Athos¡¯ heart felt heavy, and his head was burdened by his regrets. ¡®If only I was stronger¡­ We could have escaped together.¡¯ As he mourned for his parents'' abrupt departure, seeds of hatred started to sprout in his heart. He cursed his weak self for being unable to protect the things he cherished and the people he cared for. Athos¡¯s heart felt heavier with the overflowing emotions that surged within him... [Do not blame yourself.] Eventually, the hatred, the regrets, and his grief turned into a burning rage. Tears stopped falling from Athos¡¯ face and his heart throbbed vigorously with rage. ''I promise, to become strong¡­ Mother, Father¡­ please wait for me.'' His warm, kind, and gentle heart vanished and was replaced by a wave of raging anger. ''I''ll kill them all.'' A part of Athos died today. *** *Splish* *Splash* *Splish* *Splash* The sound of Omri''s swift footsteps resonated within the narrow alleyways of the eastern district of Anima. The rain had flooded some of the low-lying areas of the city and Omri was running forward through the countless puddles that formed on the cobbled ground. Fortunately, due to Omri''s actions, both of them had escaped the bloodbath in the plaza. "Haaah¡­ haaahh¡­ haaahhh..." Omri was gasping for breath, he had been running constantly with Athos in tow on his shoulder. He was also maintaining the protective barrier around them for more than fifteen minutes now. It was a precaution Omri opted to do in order to lose anyone who dares to follow them. "Omri¡­ please¡­ please let me go." Athos'' voice trembled as he begged Omri to put him down. "I promise to go with you Omri, just¡­ let me down¡­ please." Hearing Athos'' weak voice got Omri worried, he stopped on his tracks and set down Athos on the ground. Omri then removed his restraints and gazed at Athos with a somber expression. "My prince¡­ I''m really sorry about their majesty¡­ I was¡­" "You¡­ only followed my parent''s wishes¡­ you need not apologize, Omri." Omri saw it on Athos'' face, something had changed inside him. His dispirited eyes reflected a hint of rage and apathy. It was the face of a child who fell into despair and hatred fueled his purpose to live. He was disheartened to see the miserable Athos, Omri then wrapped his arms around Athos and gave him a tight hug. "No! Let me apologize to you¡­ my prince." Omri''s voice trembled. "I''m sorry¡­ that this shield of yours wasn''t strong enough to protect their majesties as well." Tears slowly rolled in Omri''s cheeks, he then released his embrace and wiped off his tears. "I already told you, my prince¡­ Your burden is also mine too." Omri then looked at Athos with a sincere smile. "You''re not alone in this, so please don''t carry it by yourself." The feelings of frustration swept through both of them. Athos in particular felt more guilt as he contemplated his actions earlier. "It''s my fault too for being too weak¡­ Omri, do you think-" *Ssshhiiing* The sound of a sword unsheathing resonated through the alley. Athos didn''t finish his reply, as he felt a sharp pain course through his back. "W-what¡­?" Athos tasted blood from his mouth, he sensed something warm trickle from his stomach, he then looked down and saw a tip of a black sword pierce through his lower abdomen. The tip twisted a bit and then was swiftly withdrawn, Athos immediately felt the pain after the sword had been pulled out from his body. He collapsed to the cobbled ground writhing in pain and his blood stained the ground red. A man in a hooded red cloak suddenly appeared a few paces away from Athos. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. He held a blackened, blood-stained zweihander on his left hand. The robed man then wiped off the blood from his sword and returned it to its sheath. He then turned and looked at Athos, his mouth curved upwards and formed a smile of satisfaction. Everything happened in an instant, Omri was caught off-guard and was shocked how quickly it happened in front of him. "No! My prince!" He rushed towards Athos'' side and cast a healing spell on him. "Ugh¡­ Haaah¡­ Aghh¡­" Athos struggled to breathe, If it wasn''t for the Fated Protection, he would have died the moment when the sword was retracted. "Omri¡­" Athos'' consciousness was fading. He was losing a lot of blood. "It¡­ hurts¡­" Athos''s vision dimmed, he then fainted as his body went into shock. Omri quickly assessed Athos'' wound, it was terrible as it was imbued with an enchantment that nullified healing spells, the wound also bled profusely. Omri then swiftly tore off his cloak, he then used it to apply pressure to Athos'' wound to suppress the bleeding. ''Damn this! I don''t have enough mana to cancel the enchantment nor heal prince Athos. Why must this happen?!'' Panic was visible in Omri''s pale face. Omri noticed the cloaked man gawking at them, it looked like the attacker was amused with what he was seeing and was observing the both of them instead of attacking. Omri then drew out his sword with his left hand and aimed it towards the attacker. "W-who are you?!" *** *Plip* *Plip* *Plip* "Is that¡­ water?" I opened my eyes to the sound of water drops falling, however, I wasn''t able to see anything. It was too dark and I couldn''t sense anyone or anything nearby. I tried to sit up but I couldn''t make my body move. "Where¡­ am I? What is this place?" Only silence answered me back. It seems like I''m currently stuck and paralyzed in this strange, dark space. "Hmm¡­ let''s remember what happened¡­ I was talking to Omri¡­ and then¡­ Ouch!" My head suddenly hurts, it felt like someone was crushing it, I also felt someone was stepping on me and was breaking every bone in my body. "....YyOounGg OonNeE~" A trembling voice rang through my head. It sounded like someone¡­ No, something was trying to talk to me. "...WwHhaAtT aaRee YyouU DoOingG HeeRree?" I mustered my strength to reply back to the unknown voice however, my mouth refused to speak. "AaAhhH¡­ YyOouU MuussTt bBee NnEeWw TtOo ThHiss PpllLaAcCe." I felt the pain from my head and body vanish, the feeling of paralysis disappeared too. It seems I was able to move now in this dark space. "Where am I?" I asked the unknown voice. "YyYoouU Aarre iInn TtHee BBbeginNningg!'' "The beginning? What do you mean? There''s nothing here but the darkness¡­ I can''t even see anything." I replied with an inquisitive tone. "TtThaAts BbecaUse yYouu Aarre tThHeE EEenndDd!" "The End? Wait a moment-" A brilliant light suddenly flashed and my eyes were blinded. Eventually, the light faded and I saw a wide empty space before me. [My son, this is the story of this world please listen carefully.] My jaw dropped, this voice... it was father speaking to me. I quickly looked around to check if he was near however, I couldn''t see anyone or anything. It was all just a white space and his voice continued to ring through my head. [In the beginning, there was nothing. No lights, no sounds, no thoughts, only the Abyss existed.] [One day, Fate descended down into the darkness and illuminated the Abyss. Light spread out like wildfire, along with it, thoughts started forming within the Abyss.] I saw five masses of shadows form in front of me, the shadows were capable of speech, and each one of them came close and whispered to my ears. "WhOoo Am Iiii?" "wHaaAT aM iIIi?" "wWhyY aM I aLooNnee?" "WhAat wasSs mYy ppurpOoseeE?" "WwwWhhHyy doOo I exisSstTtt?" [As the light spread within the Abyss, gold and red threads started to materialize and form, their vibrance increased and slowly the Abyss started to retreat.] [Fate answered to the Abyss: "You are The Beginning¡­"] I sensed a great amount of Mana coursing through space. It felt like something was gathering it. [Mana started to channel within the threads and started to glow. The golden threads were illuminated with a brilliant luster and the red threads started to pulsate like a living artery. The threads slowly extended throughout the space and multiplied exponentially, some of them started to connect and intertwine with each other."] [...And you will also become The End.] [Light slowly ate the darkness, the Abyss shrieked in anguish as the light penetrated through its body, it''s painful cries resonated through space.] "AaaAAhHHHhH!!" "AAaccCCkKkkkK!" "uUwWaAaahhhHh!!" I covered my ears from the loud shrieks. It was too much for my ears to handle. [Eventually, the screams fell silent and the Abyss disappeared. Leaving only the mass of floating threads jumbled together in the space."] [Fate then reached out to the threads and proclaimed that this place shall be called Jumana.] Water started to fill the space, eventually flooding the entirety of it. I felt my feet get drenched. [Fate then gathered the threads and threw it to the water. Gradually, the threads intertwined with each other and formed into a tapestry. The mass then floated on the water and transformed into the land.] I saw Mountains soaring in the north, plains, and valleys formed in the west, an archipelago formed at the east, and vast canyons and deserts littered the south. [My son, remember this story well.] I heard my father''s voice from behind, I quickly turned around and I was stunned to see him. He looked a lot younger and the clothes he wore were the same ones he had during the eve of my 7th birthday. [Happy Birthday, my son.] I was stuck inside my memory room. ~~~~~ To Be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 13: Escape Part 5 Omri''s face''s had become pale as he saw the unconscious Athos lying on the ground, the prince was bleeding profusely from a lethal injury on his abdomen. Athos'' condition was serious, healing spells had been blocked off by a nullifying enchantment and Omri felt frustration as he was unable to treat Athos due to his weakened state. He felt miserable and guilty as he had failed to protect the young prince despite Omri pledging to be his shield. All he could provide was first aid to inhibit the heavy bleeding. ''Damn this! No! Athos, please stay with me.'' Omri''s thoughts were filled with panic, he hastily took off his cloak and used it to cover the wound, Omri''s right hand firmly applied pressure to Athos'' abdomen while checking on his vitals. The cloak was wet with the rain and Athos'' blood had seeped through it. The young prince had lost consciousness and his body went into shock, Athos'' condition was deteriorating fast, Omri knew the gravity of the situation and struggled to keep calm. The red-cloaked assailant, watched with satisfaction as he saw the two struggle. A twisted smile decorated his face. He knew that his attack would bring a slow and painful death to his target and he watched with delight as he saw the cobbled ground get stained by his victim''s blood. Omri had noticed the attacker''s presence and quickly armed his sword and pointed it towards the man. "W-who are you?" Omri''s voice trembled as he faced the assailant. "You need not know my name¡­ child of the Fidelis." The man snickered. Omri''s eyes dilated with shock, only a handful few knew about his lineage inside the Palace. The imperial family and the Cura couple had concealed Omri''s information after the ruin of House Fidelis and it was impossible for outsiders to know of his bloodline. "You did something that piqued my interest earlier¡­" The man closed the distance between them with one swift step, he then smashed through Omri''s barrier, dispelling it. The man came close to Omri then grabbed his neck with force and lifted him up, disarming him. *Clang* The sound of a sword dropping to the ground echoed through the empty alleyway. Omri winced and struggled as he felt the man strangle him slowly. "...I can spare the lives of those who are useful by giving them a choice." The man gazed at Omri with a sincere smile. "Tell me Omri Fidelis, would you prefer to join your helpless master to the End or come with me and be my Brother instead?" The man''s smile flattened and instead glared at Omri with a deathly desire. "Ugh¡­ Y-you b-bastard¡­" Omri grunted, the man''s tight grip on his neck made it hard for him to talk and breathe. "Y-you think, I''m t-that easy? Haahh¡­ Ughh¡­" Omri felt the grip tighten and he struggled to catch his breath. "Ah, but I don''t plan to let you go that easily though." The hooded man had an evil grin, he then activated a fire spell and Omri felt the hand on his neck heat up and then intensify into a scorching burn. "AAaaaahhhhh!" Omri screamed in agony, the heat from the man''s hand had permeated and scorched through his skin. It left a distinct burn mark on his neck. "I''ll ask you again... Be my blood brother or die here along with your dear prince?" The hooded man then unsheathed his sword with his left hand and readied his stance. Omri glared back at the hooded man, the pain was etched on his face but his eyes gleamed with a strong resolve. "...I''d rather die than to serve the likes of you." Omri then spat on the hooded man''s face. "Tsk! You disgusting son of a bitch." The man clicked his tongue with annoyance and wiped his cheek with his sleeve. "I tried to be nice¡­ but I guess you made your choice." The man cackled while maintaining a firm hold on Omri''s neck. "Time to die you piece of sh-" A blinding light suddenly enveloped Omri and Athos'' bodies. The hooded man was caught by off-guard and had released his grip on Omri''s neck to cover his face. "What the fuck?!" The hooded man felt a great mana presence flash before him, it was brief, but the man felt an intimidating aura manifest before him. [[I won''t let you hurt the children.]] A voice of a woman reverberated through the alleyway. The hooded man was taken aback by the unexpected event. Eventually, the light died down and he saw only a pool of blood left on the ground. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Omri and Athos had vanished. "To think that woman lived¡­ Shit!" The hooded man clicked his tongue and stomped on the shortsword that Omri had left behind. The force was powerful enough to break the blade into pieces. "I can''t track him with that damn spell¡­ Fuck this! We''re back to finding mice again." the hooded man groaned as he scratched his head with frustration. "Haaahhh¡­ time to find another replacement for Docere." the hooded man sighed with bitterness then cast a teleportation spell and left the alleyway. *** "Father¡­!." Tears of joy swelled on Athos eyes as he saw his father appear in his memory room. His desire to see the faces of his parents one last time transformed the empty space into the familiar rooms of the Palace. The Memory Room allowed him to recall, remember and reminisce with a great amount of detail. Athos recollected the warm morning of the 13th Day of Spring which was after his 7th birthday. Athos'' tears fell relentlessly as he saw both of his parents, alive inside the memory. He was an observer and his body drifted throughout the room. It was the day he woke up to the sound of his parents'' bickering. "My love, please don''t stay up late!" Florestella reprimanded Lucis in a gentle but stern tone. "Athos'' bedtime last night was supposed to be by 8:00, don''t go past it again, alright?" She then pinched Lucis'' cheeks until they turned red like ripened tomatoes. "Ouch! Stella, forgive me, please! I couldn''t help it¡­" Lucis pleaded to his wife. "Our cute son begged for- Owww!!" "Don''t drag Ath into your workaholic habits, my love." An annoyed vein protruded in Florestella''s face as she pinched Lucis'' swollen cheeks harder. "If I see both of you staying up late again, you''ll be sleeping on your own from hereon." Lucis'' face had gone pale, he knew that an angry wife at home is far more horrifying than waging wars with other countries. His face became dispirited and Lucis shrunk as he knelt in front of Florestella. "Please forgive me, my Star¡­ It won''t happen again, I promise." Lucis cried pathetically on the ground, tears started to well up and snot littered Lucis'' face while his cheeks were sore and swollen. "Don''t make me sleep alone, please." Teardrops started to fall from Lucis'' eyes. It was hilarious to witness the Emperor breakdown in such a fashion. Athos who was observing the memory broke out in laughter as he saw his father''s unexpected side. He was used to seeing his father manage his composed expressions every day and revisiting the memory brought back joy to his heart. "Ah, were we too loud?" Florestella noticed Athos squirm then sat up from his bed. "M-mother?" Little Athos rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Good morning Ath! We''re sorry if we woke you up." Florestella gave the little Athos a warm hug. Seeing his father, kneeling and crying pitifully on the carpet, had Athos confused. "What''s wrong with father?" "Nothing''s wrong my son!" Lucis quickly got back on his feet then hastily wiped off his tears and snot with his robe. "I''m fine, don''t worry." His cheeks were still a bit flushed and swollen from Florestella''s pinching. "Father, you really looked like a tomato back then¡­ Mother was also a bit scary too." Athos'' who was observing the memory felt an overwhelming wave of melancholy. His laughter faded as he recalled his current predicament. The Memory Room was a gift that was bestowed to Athos by Fate on his birth. It was believed that the first generation of Moirais, their ancestors, possessed a rare ability that allowed them to stockpile boundless amounts of information for their disposal. Every memory, whether it was a common one or a pivotal event would be recorded and logged in the room. It documented the experiences of the beholder, the sights, sounds, smells, touch and tastes all of it would be memorized with a vast amount of detail. It was an ability that allowed oneself to never forget and always remember. However as time went by and the Moira kin multiplied, the ability to use the Memory Room gradually vanished. All that was retained were their mana talents, precognition and abilities to invoke bonds and threads. Thirteen years ago, however, Athos was born and it became an unprecedented event to learn that the Memory Room had resurfaced from the Crown Prince. Fearing for their son''s safety, Lucis and Florestella had placed a gag order on Athos'' information. They had also advised Athos to refrain from using it and taught him how to control the Memory Room by suppressing his strong emotions. Athos realized how fortunate he was that he grew up in a bubble that kept him safe. Now that he was outside of it, a feeling of uncertainty overwhelmed him. "This place doesn''t seem that bad." Athos contemplated as his heart was torn between staying and leaving the room. He wanted to stay longer to alleviate the pain and burdens on his chest "At least¡­ Mother and father are here. I won''t go hungry if I just revisit a memory of a meal or remember my bedroom if I need a place to stay." Athos sighed. "YyyYoOunNgG OoOnnNee¡­" Athos'' thoughts suddenly cleared up after hearing the unknown''s voice once more in his head. "YyYyOouU MuUsSt LLleaAvVee! YyOouU DdoO NnoOtt BbeELLoOnGg HherEe yyEeTt!" The space around Athos started to disintegrate to nothingness. "W-what''s happening?" Athos panicked as he saw the pieces of furniture turn to dust and his room break up like pieces of glass in front of him. The five blobs of shadows that Athos saw earlier had reappeared, they surrounded him and slowly swallowed him into the Abyss. "GgGooO BbaaCkkK! GoOo BaAackk!" "RrEeTtuUurrNnn!" "RreEemMembBeerR UuUssS!" "WwaAaKkkE UuUpPp!" "AttHhhoOooss!" "No! Wait a minute! Let me-" Athos drowned into the darkness. Only the voices of the shadows remained and echoed through the empty space. "WWweeE WwIiLL MmeeEtTT sSoonNn." *** *Clack* *Clack* *Clack* *Clack* ''What is that sound? Is that a clock I''m hearing...?'' My eyes felt heavy and tired, my entire body was in pain and I struggled to move my muscles as it felt like someone weighed me down on me. I tried to open my eyes to follow where the sound was coming from but they refused to open. "...M-mother! I-I think he''s w-waking up!" "Calm down, we need to close the wound first and deal with the enchantment after. Haahhh¡­" ''These voices¡­ they sound so familiar, what is happening? "Mother, the anaesthesia has been applied to the wound, it should take effect shortly. Here are the clean bandages too." "Pass me the needles too, I need to suture this properly." "Y-yes! Here, please use these, it''s been disinfected thoroughly." ''Needles...? Suture...? What is going on?'' I then felt a dull pressure slowly creep on my abdomen, it made me recall what had happened earlier. ''Oh right¡­ there was a black sword that went through my stomach... Then these voices must be¡­ Omri and Sagitta. "Mother, I''ll activate the mana field, please tell me when you''re done suturing so I can dispel the enchantment and replace it with a recovery one." "I''m almost done Omri¡­" *Clack* *Clack* *Clack* "It''s done Omri, you can remove the damned enchantment. Haahhh¡­ that was nerve-wracking." I felt a gentle wave of mana course through my body. It was warm and it felt comforting. I heard the two sigh and breathe with relief. My body pains gradually faded and I managed to finally muster my strength to bat my eyelids to open. "Little prince! Thank goodness! Omri¡­ he made it!" ~~~~~ To Be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 14: Wards Sagitta and Omri had called out to Athos after successfully closing his injury several hours ago, Athos'' eyes opened but he was unresponsive and would only blink blankly. Sagitta had deduced that Athos'' consciousness was still unstable and both of them kept watch nearby as they wait for Athos to truly wake up. "His blood loss was severe¡­ Mother, do you think the prince will regain his consciousness soon? It''s been more than eight hours¡­ Patients normally wake up briefly a few hours after¡­ but the prince..." Omri''s eyes were bleak, his hair had been messed up as he constantly scratched his scalp due to anxiety. "Frankly speaking, I''m unsure, the little prince also suffered from mana exhaustion when he was wounded. My Ward would have suppressed the deterioration of physical injuries once activated. But when I saw his abdomen, and the damned enchantment on it¡­" Sagitta''s brows slanted and her eyes expressed concern as he glanced at Omri. "Was it the man with the red cloak?" Omri nodded in silence, his brows furrowed and his mouth quivered, a bitter scowl was etched on his face. "He¡­ was also the one who did this to my neck. Mother, he wanted me to join Seditio." Omri massaged his bandaged up neck, it was still a little sore even after applying a multitude of healing spells and enchantments on it. Sagitta was taken aback, her face flushed red with rage and her fists clenched in anger, her thoughts were filled with murderous intent. ''After taking away my husband, they dare do this to my son? Those pompous bastards¡­ I''ll never forgive them.'' "Uuhhh¡­" Hearing a weak moan coming from Athos, Omri and Sagitta snapped back to their senses. They hurriedly approach Athos'' bedside to check on his condition. It took a while before Athos'' finally regained vision in his eyes. When he initially opened it, all he saw was darkness and his sense of hearing was faint. Athos'' eyes started to wander around, he can now see but the images were too blurry, his head felt a little light and his body ached and felt heavy. Athos then noticed two familiar individuals on his peripheral vision. "...Sa..gitta? Om...ri?" The stab wound was still fresh, Athos had difficulty speaking, as his abdomen was sore and it felt like someone had gutted out his bowels and sucked out air from his diaphragm. Thankfully, the blessing of Fated Protection was proactive in hastening the healing of his injuries and restoring his damaged organs. The bleeding had stopped but due to the blood loss, Athos was pale and lethargic.. "Little prince, don''t try to talk yet! Your wound is still sensitive, please stay put." Sagitta extended her right hand out and caressed Athos'' forehead gently. "I''ll open a link for telepathy, so please, bear with it until your wound gets better." Sagitta''s hand glow golden for a brief moment, Athos felt a current of mana pass through his head. It was soothing and it warmed him up. His shirt had been removed to treat his injury, exposing his bare torso to the cold air in the room. Athos'' body shivered and Sagitta noticed it as goosebumps started to appear on Athos'' skin. "Omri, I''ll grab some blankets upstairs, please watch over the prince for the meantime." Sagitta stood up and activated a mana field around the room. "That should keep both of you warm. I''ll go look for spare clothes too." This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Sagitta then went out of the room with haste, her footsteps echoed through the silent halls as she climbed up the stairs. Omri had been standing near Athos'' bed, by the footboard. The guilt of failing to protect Athos'' parents and the prince himself weighed heavily on Omri''s mind. His face looked dispirited and his eyes drooped like dead fish. It wasn''t the Omri that Athos knew, as the man usually carried himself enthusiastically. Athos noticed the gloomy aura around Omri and called out to him. [Hey Omri.] "Y-yes, my prince?" [Where am I? What is this place?] "It is my paternal mother''s childhood residence here in the town of Parte, we are currently in one of the guest rooms on the 1st floor, my prince." [...How long was I out? And what happened?] "Ten hours, my prince." Omri scratched his head as he recalled the events several hours ago. "Mother had stepped in earlier and rescued us, she sensed that her Ward had been triggered... Apparently, she had cast a passive Protection Ward on the both of us back in the watermill. According to her, if both of us got wounded, the ward would activate a warp spell and would immediately send us to her location." Athos recollected the moment when Sagitta had given them a warm embrace back at the watermill. ''Was it during that time then?'' It was Sagitta''s special ability, Wards. Wards were the highest level of Enchantment, unlike the usual methods of enchanting, Wards utilized both the caster''s mana pool and the external mana from the surroundings to create one. Only the caster can activate and manipulate the flow of mana from a Ward that they created and to dispel one, requires a blood connection or a Bond to the one who initiated it. Sagitta was one of the dominant Moirais that pioneered the use of Wards. [Also¡­ What is that on your neck, Omri?] "Ahh, you mean... this wound¡­" Omri tried to cover his bandaged-up neck with his shirt, it was the burn that the man in the red cloak had given to him when he declined his offer of servitude. Unfortunately, due to the spell that was used, Omri nor Sagitta was unable to fully heal the wound after using all of their healing and recovery methods, a terrible scar remained on Omri''s neck. "Please pay no mind to it. I have already healed it." An uneasy smile was etched on Omri''s face as he tried to hide the truth from Athos. Athos sensed Omri''s apprehension, he knew that the smile Omri had on his face was just a pretense since they were on the same boat. [I told you already¡­ It''s not your fault.] Athos'' emerald eyes were tinted with anguish. "But I swore¡­ to protect you, and I failed! What''s the use-" [Omri.] Athos gazed at Omri with tears welling upon his eyes. [The guilt you feel now, is similar to the guilt I have for not being able to help my parents.] "Prince Athos, I-" [I think I know now... why mother told me not to blame myself¡­ That night, when they sent me away to escape, Mother gave me her blessing of Fated Protection¡­] Teardrops fell from Athos'' eyes, slowly drenching the pillow he was resting on, he tried to suppress his tears but his muffled sobbing echoed through the quiet room. [Father too¡­ He passed onto me his mana¡­ and the Tome.] Athos squinted in pain as the wound on his abdomen was still sore. His fists clenched on the sheets tightly as the feelings of frustration overwhelmed his thoughts. [If I didn''t receive those blessings, then they wouldn''t have to die¡­ They would have had the strength to defeat our enemies... If only I wasn''t weak! If I wasn''t helpless! If only I was strong enough to able to foresee this coming then they wouldn''t have to give me their-] "Little prince, that is enough." Sagitta was at the door, she then brought out three thick blankets and a pile of clean clothes from her spatial inventory. "People in recovery should rest and avoid stress." Sagitta handed out a change of clothes and a blanket for Omri. "Omri, go and take a bath upstairs and change into those clothes. You''re filthy with all the rainwater and blood stuck on you." Sagitta sighed as she looked at Omri briefly and then turned her attention towards Athos. "Little prince, don''t let your regrets and emotions move you." Sagitta''s eyes held a lonesome expression. "There are three expressions that people say to each other every day... Thank you, I Love You and Hello¡­ When you lose someone dear, you start to ask yourself... Have I said those words enough to that person?" Sagitta tried to hold back her tears as they swell up from her eyes and her voice trembled as she remembered Turris. "Or when you recall regretful moments, like when you refused to kiss someone goodbye as they leave on a journey¡­ only to find out that they will never return." Sagitta sat down beside Athos and reached out her hand and caressed his face, she wiped Athos'' cheeks that were wet with tears. "Athos, it''s natural to mourn and remember our loved ones, but please, always remember to love and take care of yourself first." A gentle smile formed on Sagitta''s face. She then activated a condensed Recovery Ward, just enough to surround the bed that Athos was lying on. Athos felt an overwhelming feeling of drowsiness and his eyes started to droop. "Rest and recover first, little prince." ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 15: Traitor The rains had ceased a few hours ago, and a thick morning fog covered the expanse of an old brick manor house, it was perched on the northern hills of the town of Parte. It was 2:00 in the morning, and a dim light was shining from its 1st-floor window. Dewdrops started to condense on the glass and on the vines covering the aged manor''s walls. The droplets shimmered as light reflected on them. A silhouette of a woman and a sleeping child on a bed can be seen through the hazy window. It looked like a mother was watching over her child as he slept soundly into the night. It was Sagitta and she had lulled Athos into sleep with a Ward, she then covered his body with a clean blanket to keep him warm. "Finally, he''s resting... His wound should close up and his blood level should return to normal in a couple of days." A sigh of relief escaped Sagitta as she watched Athos sleep soundly. She knew that Athos'' condition was still grave and he needed to recover both physically and emotionally. The little prince''s Mana was almost depleted and his Divinity leaked out unconsciously from his body. Sagitta then disabled the illumination spell she had cast into the room and took out a small mana stone lantern from her spatial inventory. She activated the illumination enchantment on the lantern and placed it by the night table beside Athos'' bed. "Hopefully, this is dimmer than the illumination earlier¡­ it would be troublesome if the townspeople here discovered that their landlord has returned." Sagitta groaned as she contemplated what would be her best course of action while they await Athos'' recovery. She had thought of reaching out to her old connections in the Town of Sequi, which was a week away from Parte. She wanted to collect information on the current state of the continent. Now that the Palace had fallen, it was likely Moirais shall be persecuted and condemned. It would be a pincer attack from both the Church and Seditio should they expose themselves carelessly. ''Hmm¡­ If that''s the case then we''ll have to head east and escape, to the neutral territories of the eastern continent.'' Sagitta scratched her head in frustration. ''I guess it''s no use, we''ll need to go to Sequi regardless.'' A gentle knock on the door took Sagitta''s attention, she then turned her back to see Omri entering the room. "Mother, I''ll keep watch on the prince now. Please rest as well." Omri walked and grabbed a wooden chair by the door and placed it by Athos'' bedside, just across Sagitta''s. He had just got out of the bath and had changed into warm clothes. "I never thought, those clothes¡­ would fit you like a glove, Omri." Sagitta giggled as she saw Omri''s clothes. Omri was wearing a wool turtleneck, his black trousers were a bit short, exposing his ankles and feet. He had set aside his shoes by the door with a drying enchantment and was walking around barefooted. A towel on his shoulder hangs loose as he wasn''t yet done drying his damp brown hair. "Do I look funny in these clothes, mother?" Omri asked as he sat on his seat with a puzzled expression. "It''s fine Omri¡­ It''s just that I didn''t expect that those clothes would fit you." A gentle smile appeared on Sagitta''s face. "Those are your paternal father''s clothes though." Omri''s widened. "Then¡­ this house¡­ it is true?" "Yes, this was where you were born, Omri." Sagitta''s jade eyes had reflected melancholy but her lips showed a gentle smile. "This was your mother''s childhood home where she grew up from infancy up until her youth. This was also where your paternal parents¡­ met and fell in love with each other." Sagitta then patted Omri''s back. "I and Turris had kept this place safe after the fall of House Fidelis." Sagitta then grabbed the loose towel on Omri''s shoulders and helped him dry off his damp hair. "Dry your hair properly Omri, we can''t risk anyone getting sick due to the cold." Sagitta gazed at Omri with a doting face. Her eyes were filled with concern and a hint of annoyance. Sensing Sagitta''s irritation, Omri grabbed her hands. "I can do it on my own, Mother¡­ I''m no longer a child." He then vigorously stroked his brown hair with the towel. He knew that Sagitta was a doting mother and she would nag endlessly until he followed her instructions. "Mother¡­ Is the prince going to be okay?" Omri inquired as he thoroughly squeezed his hair dry.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Yes, he should be able to regain his strength in two days. He just needs complete rest." "Also¡­ is father Turris alright?" Sagitta''s face darkened, her jade eyes reflected sorrow and her mouth quivered. Omri noticed the change with Sagitta''s demeanor and he held his breath as he anticipated her reply. "Omri, promise me one thing¡­ Don''t let your emotions control you. Ever¡­ Please." Sagitta stared at the pale green eyes of Omri with a forlorn expression. Omri''s fists clenched, he was getting nervous, there was a sense of dread at the back of his head. "I promise, mother." He reluctantly replied. Tears fell uncontrollably from Sagitta''s face, she then embraced Omri tightly and whispered to his ear that Turris'' Bond was terminated when Athos and Omri left the watermill yesterday. Sagitta cried and sobbed as she wasn''t able to feel Turris anymore and that their connection had been forcefully cut. Omri knew that when a person''s Blood Bond is severed, it meant that The End had retrieved the soul of the one who initiated it. Turris was the one who proposed to Sagitta for her hand in marriage and was the one who made the Bond that linked both of them. Turris had died. Both Omri and Sagitta wept as they remembered him. A father that will be terribly missed and a loving husband that will never return home. Their tears and wails seeped into the foggy night until dawn. *** A man decked out in a Green hooded cloak sat before an ornate dining table, The man ate his lunch unhurriedly and elegantly as he sliced a piece of a tender, medium-rare steak on his plate, he then forked the piece to his mouth and chewed with gusto. His lips arched into a satisfied smile as he tasted the juicy bite and savored it before swallowing. He then swirled his wine glass and sipped the red wine that was paired to his main course. "Hmm¡­ so Docere was killed?" The cloaked man asked in a low, calm voice. His henchman was kneeling in front of him, he looked nervous and was fidgeting as he relayed the tragic news to their leader. "Who killed him?" The man asked as he emptied his wine glass. "Big Brother¡­ according to our surviving brethren, he had been killed by the Calamities that were summoned by the Emperor and the Empress¡­ And..." "And?" The robed man then took a bite of another piece of meat from his plate. "...Our fellows from the Church who survived informed us that Docere had asked to hunt for a pair of brown-haired siblings, the strange thing was, Docere had warned them to be careful." "And why is that?" The robed man set aside his fork and gazed inquisitively on the kneeling man. "Uh¡­ Uhh¡­ Docere mentioned that the siblings were capable mana users." The henchman flinched as he felt the fierce gaze of the hooded man. ''Capable mana users? It can''t be¡­'' The hooded man pondered. He is aware that every being in the continent possessed trace amounts of mana by birth, however, it is only Moirais and children of the Fae who are capable of wielding and controlling it. "Hmm¡­ looks like we have survivors then." The hooded man chuckled. "Did our brethren manage to secure them?" "Unfortunately¡­ they weren''t able to do so, Big Brother." "Now that''s a problem¡­ If we let those two loose, they are a risk and a threat to our Brotherhood." The robed man then sat up from his seat and fixed his cloak. He then walked towards the door and opened it for his subordinate. "You may leave." The robed man then gestured to his henchman to vacate the room. "I will be meeting the Enlightened One shortly." "O-of course, I shall bid you farewell Big Brother." The kneeling man stood up and hurriedly left the room. "Survivors¡­ tsk, and I thought I had erased them all back in the Palace¡­" The robed man clicked his tongue with annoyance and slammed the door shut. "Wow, steak for lunch¡­ Isn''t that too fancy for a meal in the daytime?" The robed man was startled by the voice, he turned back towards the dining table and saw a black-haired 20-year old man, his blue eyes glinted as the sunlight hit his face. His eyes had bags underneath and he wore a tired expression. He sat on the dining chair comfortably as he used his red cloak as a blanket to cover his body. "...E-enlightened One! M-my apolo-" "Irae Praeter, can you please stop calling me with that shitty nickname?" The man scratched his head. "I''m not that old enough to be called like an ancient being or something¡­ Or do you want me to call you by your nickname too? 3rd Brother? The Nameless One?" The man clicked his tongue with annoyance. "Don''t do that, please." Irae massaged his furrowed brows. "Let''s call it quits then, call me Cassius, little brother." A tired smile appeared on his face. "A-alright¡­ Cassius." Irae stuttered. He then removed his green cloak as a sign of courtesy and hanged it on a cot, next to the door. Irae''s appearance was now exposed, his long white hair was tied in a neat bun, his fair face had several wrinkles near his brows and chin and his malachite-tinted eyes remained sharp. "To think¡­ Only I have the right to see your face and call you by your name." Cassius chuckled and sat up from his chair. He then approached Irae and cupped his hands on his cheeks and inspected his visage. "Also, you aged? That was fast, I didn''t see those wrinkles when we met last time! Aren''t you Moirais supposed to age slower than mortals?" "Shut it, Cassius, you''re not even a damn mortal nor a Moira. In fact, I find it strange that you, despite being a decade older than me ,still looked like a kid." Irae hissed as he spoke with the Enlightened one casually. "Don''t remind me of my age, you bastard." Irae clicked his tongue. Cassius smiles back at him and then released his hands from Irae''s face. "You''ve heard about Docere, and his fugitives right?" "Yes, apparently the men said they escaped." Irae scratched his head. "And now, we''re trying to locate them since if we let them loose, it''s going to be a headache later on...." "I have good news for you though... I did manage to find them and identify them." A gentle smile appeared on Cassius'' face. "Wanna know, little brother?" Cassius'' smile then turned into a sinister one. "Little bro, I swear, you''ll enjoy hunting for them once you get to know them." Cassius cackled. "Who were they, then?" "It''s the bastard child you failed to erase." Cassius scratched his head as he recalled. "Oh and also, the prince tagged along with him¡­" Irae''s eyes dilated in shock. "Omri Fidelis and Prince Athos? They lived?" "Yeah, and also, it seems that both of them were saved by the woman who escaped my swordsmanship. What was her name again... Cura? Sagica? The wife of the man you cut off recently." Cassius sighed. "Man, your names are too damn confusing! Back in my worl-" Irae abruptly grabbed the collars of Cassius. "Where did you last track them?" His eyes were filled with raging hatred. "Woah! Calm down Irae, I lost them at the eastern district back in Anima. The Cura woman used a Ward. I couldn''t track where they had gone to!" Cassius panicked as this was the first time he saw Irae in an agitated state. "Hmm¡­ if Sagitta is alive, and that bastard child too, there is a way." A cunning smile formed on Irae''s face. "Cassius, allow me to hunt them." ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 16: Onwards "Cassius, allow me to hunt them." A sinister smile adorned Irae''s face upon hearing Cassius'' words. His burning desire to eliminate Omri Fidelis and his companions was reignited. It was due to that bastard child and his adopted family that caused his household and his liege to fall to ruin. ''Avery¡­ Oscar¡­'' Irae''s fists clenched in anger and his malachite-tinted eyes gradually glow golden. ''I''ll make sure your son''s soul would regret existing in this world.'' Irae''s mind was filled with morbid notions of torture and murderous intent. It was time to pay back the debts of the bitter past that had haunted him for decades. --- The Clan of Praeter, the most loyal vassal of House Fidelis, was a family composed of warrior Moirais. They specialized in the art of war and prioritized heavily on their infantry and swordsmanship. Unlike their Moira kin who focused on only using their Mana prowess to subdue their adversaries, the Praeters opted to combine physical competency and their innate mana talents in battle. The Ducal House of Fidelis hungered for power and influence, they desired the wonderful abilities of the Praeter Clan and had bestowed them nobility. Seeing the clan growing and becoming affluent, the 1st generation of Praeter had offered to perform intermarriages as reciprocation. This is to ensure that both families would only bear strong descendants. It became a tradition for every daughter of House Fidelis to marry the sons or descendants of the Praeter in order to proliferate a stronger bloodline. However, Avery Fidelis, the sole heiress to the ducal house, saw through the tradition as an act of greed and immorality. She witnessed countless of her relatives suffer from the diseases of the blood and mental derangement caused by the abusive familial ties. Avery wanted no part in the accursed tradition and had desired to change and forge her own path. She then met Oscar, a gardener of their estate during her coming of age that was held in her hometown. Both fell in love at first sight and gradually started to see each other discreetly. A year later, a child was born from their relationship. This devastated Irae as he was fated to be betrothed to Avery a year after her coming of age. The news of his fiance, cohabiting, and copulating with a commoner instead of him sparked a bitter grudge and friction within House Fidelis and its vassals. --- "I''ll let you deal with them then!" Cassius smiled gently at Irae and patted his back, he then stood near the window and opened it. "Is it time to relay the news to them?" Irae scratched his head as he remembered Docere''s death. "Since Docere was a half-elf, can you calm them down once they hear news of their dear brother?" Irae crossed his arms and gazed at Cassius with an anxious face. "The Fae are pretty easy to please¡­ I just need to see that damned Tree first though." Cassius snorted and fixed his cloak. "I''ll be heading north to Silva to meet with the Elves before heading back to our home in the west." Cassius''s smile vanished and was replaced by a stern gaze that made Irae tremble. "I await good news from you, little brother. Don''t let me down on your hunts." Cassius then leaped outside the open window and disappeared in a blink of an eye. Leaving Irae alone to deliberate and ponder over his plans. "Always in a rush¡­ that man." Irae took his green cloak from its pole and wore it before heading outside the room. "Time to start the hunt." His golden eyes flickered sharply. *** A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A man wearing a dark, wool turtleneck scoured the marketplace of Parte. Sweat dribbled from his face, his brown eyes sagged with a tired expression and his short red hair was damp with his sweat. He was carrying a large rucksack on his back and was holding bulky leather bags on both his arms. It was Omri, he was currently disguised to look like a wandering adventurer. ''Alright, we now have provisions for a week, utensils, a tent, and water canteens ¡­ We''ll probably need weapons too just to be safe.'' Omri enumerated the shopping list inside his thoughts, he grunted as he struggled to carry his purchases. It was already late in the afternoon and he was on his way back to the manor. It''s been two days since they arrived in Parte. Athos'' was in deep slumber and was still recovering contrary to what Sagitta had expected. It seems that Athos'' injury combined with severe mana exhaustion took a toll on his body. ''I wonder¡­ will the prince wake up soon? We''ll need to leave as soon as possible before Seditio discovers us.'' Omri was anxious, ever since the man in the red cloak attacked them both, a feeling of dread constantly hovered inside his head. Whenever he had to go into the town to buy necessities, Omri had to activate his illusion barrier and ensure to layer a stealth enchantment on the way back. ''I''ll have to buy weapons tomorrow then¡­ I don''t think I can carry anymore on the way back.'' Omri felt his arms and legs tremble. It has been a while since he last did physical labor. Back at their home, Turris would usually ask Omri to do quick spars with him every other night. All of which ended up in pain or injury for Omri. He groans as he recalls memories of hardships with Turris. His recollection however was interrupted as he spotted a group of dark-cloaked men. They were wearing a cloak that had a serpent insignia on their backs. It was the emblem of the Seditio. The officers were walking around the street and one of them noticed Omri and approached him. Omri''s face turned pale and his fatigue worsened. "Woah, buddy! You need some help there? Those look heavy." The officer gazed at Omri with a pitiful expression. "I-I''m fine¡­ I can carry these myself! It''s just that it''s been a while since I had exercised. Haha¡­" A nervous laugh escaped from Omri''s mouth. He then quickly made up a white lie to cover his nervousness. "My companions asked me to prepare the provisions so¡­" "Ah, the sad life of a Courier... My condolences to you, brother." The officer sighed then gave Omri a pat on the shoulder. "I hope you advance your class soon so you won''t carry baggage!" The man then went back to rejoin his group. There were three classes of adventurers in Jumana. The lowest class was the Couriers, they are individuals who are assigned to do menial work such as logistics, housework, foraging, and other day to day tasks. The second class was the Subjugators, these are adventurers who are tasked by guilds and factions to hunt monsters. And lastly, the highest class was the Mercenaries. They are adventurers permitted to hunt and subjugate both monsters and human fugitives for bounty. Omri saw the skies turn golden as the sun loomed on the horizon. ''I should hurry back, it''s almost time for sunset.'' Omri gathered his strength and carried the provisions with both of his arms. He then quickened his pace and started running towards a deserted alleyway, he then activated a stealth enchantment on his barrier and proceeded to run towards the direction of the manor. "The Sedito are in town¡­ I must inform the mother about this." *** Sagitta tapped her fingers impatiently on the table, she had brewed herself a cup of tea in the kitchen to calm her nerves while taking a break from guarding Athos. "Hmm, if the Prince had the Empress'' Fated Protection he should be awake now¡­ but why is it that he''s still asleep? The Ward had done its job and I''ve already dispelled it." Sagitta scratched her head in frustration. She then took a sip from her teacup and sighed. "His blood levels are back to normal and his wound has already closed up¡­" She then stood up from her seat and stretched her body and limbs to alleviate her body aches. Sagitta had been constantly checking on Athos for the last four hours, she waited to see signs of him waking up but was fruitless. "Sequi¡­ is a week away by foot from here. We really need to move out by tomorrow." She gazed at her drink while she contemplated what would be their course of action should Athos fail to awaken before their departure. For the past two days, after mourning for her husband''s death, Sagitta thought it would be wise to do surveillance and collect information from the townsfolk. She would go out in the mornings and return by lunch just in time to switch with Omri''s schedule in guarding Athos. Her morning run today, however, was cut short. She saw a platoon of Seditio officers entering the town at the break of dawn. She also noticed some of the men put up propaganda posters condemning Moirais. It seems that they were informing the public of the atrocious massacre that happened in the Plaza of Anima. The information on the poster looked suspicious as it blatantly said that the Emperor and Empress lead the genocide at the plaza and had disappeared. They painted Athos'' parents as the murderers who slaughtered the innocent people who attended The Great Judgement. The posters also announced that a generous bounty was placed on every Moira in the land. Sagitta scowled in frustration. "It would be risky if we stayed here longer¡­ We may need to leave tonight." She groaned as she imagined the worst-case scenario should they get discovered before their escape. She then heard the door open at the back, near the larder, the footsteps were heavy and Sagitta rushed out of the kitchen to see who arrived. "Haaah¡­ haaahhh¡­ Mother! There''s trouble in town¡­" Omri struggled to catch his breath as he sat on the floor resting. The bags he was carrying were sprawled out on the ground, several of the items scattered as one bag was loosely tied. "The¡­ haaahh¡­ The Seditio...they''re here." Omri canceled his barrier and his hair returned to its natural hue, his irises also reverted to pale green. "I''m aware. I saw them enter the town at daybreak, Omri." She then crouched beside Omri and inspected the items that he had bought. She cast a recovery spell on Omri and looked at him with an urgent expression. "Omri, we need to leave this place before dawn. Can you help me carry Athos until we reach the City of Sequi?" ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 17: Questions My body ached as I felt a cold and hard surface against my back. "Ugh¡­ why is it chilly and uncomfortable¡­" Then, I recalled the moment Sagitta stroked my face, an overwhelming feeling of drowsiness took over me and I seem to have fallen asleep again. I pondered for a bit and the hard surface that I was lying on troubled me. "Wait¡­ wasn''t I on a bed earlier?" Upon realizing my predicament, I opened my eyes and to my astonishment, there was nothing before me, the pieces of furniture and the bed itself had disappeared. Omri and Sagitta were nowhere to be found and only an eerie silence greeted me in an endlessly empty, white space. "...The memory room?" As I looked around the space, I noticed a black, double door slowly materializing a few paces in front of me. Eventually, it manifested fully and It became an ornate one as its door frame, carvings, hinges, and knobs were gilded with gold. The ornate carvings had an insignia of a tree, a serpent, a tapestry needle, and thread. An unknown force was beckoning me to come near it, and I felt my legs move on their own towards it. "Strange¡­" I scratched my head and crossed my arms as I skimmed through my memories. "I don''t recall seeing this door in the past." I brushed my fingers along the surface of the door, it was cold and it felt heavy. I used the door knocker to check for any response from the other end, but there was no response. My hands stretched out to reach for the knobs, an overwhelming curiosity tempted me to open the doors. I managed to grab ahold of it and was about to twist and open them but an overwhelming mana presence suddenly flooded the room. "YyyYoOouu AarrEe NnNooTt YyeTt CcoOmppPLletTtEee!!" I turned my back towards the direction of the angry voice, and then saw the five masses of shadows I saw when I first got stranded in my Memory Room. "IiIttT IissS NnOoTt yyEtt Ttimme! SSsTtoOppP!" "NnNoO!! NnNoo!! NNoOo!" "DDddoOonNntT OoOppeEnN!" "GgoOo BbbaAaaCccKkK!! GgOoo BbBaaCCk!!" "YYyyOouU MmUussTt NNoTt MmeEeeeTttT!!" Their loud shrieks echoed throughout the space, their wails were too garish and it was painful to hear. I released my grip from the knobs and covered my ears instead. I tried to dampen their voices, but one of the shadows came close and passed my body, A sudden icy chill slammed through me as the apparitions walked through. The shadows started to consume my body. It felt like I was thrown into a frozen lake to drown. I then heard the doors open, I tried to check who came out from it, but my vision was blocked by the masses of shadows. "HHHhhiiiDdEee HHhHiiImMM!!" "EEsSCCcaaPPee FFfrRoOmm HhEeRrEe!! GGgeeTtt OooOuUT!!" "WwWAaAKkkeeE UuUpP!!" "RRUUuUuuunNnnNn!!" "AAatTthhooSss!! WwWaAkKkee UuUpPp!!" The empty space, then suddenly turned dark and my vision faded. Next thing I knew, the sensation of falling down woke me up.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I found myself awake, My body was drenched with my own sweat and I felt the smooth, stone floor beneath me. I looked around and saw a mana lantern on the side table that dimly lit the bedroom. "I''m¡­ back?" *** *BAM* A loud thud reverberated through the silent manor, it sounded like something heavy fell down on the floor and it grabbed the attention of both Omri and Sagitta who were hastily packing up their provisions. "Mother... did you hear that?" Omri quickly got up from the ground and removed the heavy rucksack attached to his back. "That sound¡­ It came from the bedroom!" Sagitta''s jade irises dilated and her face was etched with panic. She swiftly darted out of the larder and ran through the hall, Omri followed behind her a few paces back. Eventually, they reached the bedroom at the end of the hallway where Athos was, they opened the door cautiously and saw Athos, sitting on the floor. His face was pale and sweat dribbled from his body. Omri''s face was etched with relief, he rushed to Athos'' side to quickly check on his condition and his vitals. He then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Athos'' sweat. "My prince! Thank goodness, you''re finally awake." He then wrapped his arms around Athos and embraced him tightly. "Um¡­ Omri, I can''t breathe¡­ your arms¡­ Ugh¡­" Athos wiggled and prodded Omri''s chest as he tried to free himself from his grasp. "Ah¡­ I''m sorry my prince! It seems my emotions got a hold of me." Omri released Athos quickly and bowed apologetically, his face looked a little dejected. "Good to see you awake now¡­ Little prince." A gentle smile was visible from Sagitta''s face. Her eyes expressed relief and her face brightened. "...Sagitta, I''m sorry for worrying you." Athos held a feeble smile, he slowly got up on his feet while Omri supported his back. Their solemn reunion was interrupted when Athos'' stomach suddenly growled loudly. It seems that his body was in need of food, after all, he was asleep for two days and the only sustenance he received was Sagitta''s, Mana Ward. Athos'' face flushed red in embarrassment and he clung on Omri''s chest to hide his face in shame. Omri and Sagitta chuckled softly as they saw the little prince back to his spirits. Both of them felt relief as Athos managed to wake up a few hours before their departure from Parte. "I''ll cook dinner first then." Omri walked towards the door. "Mother, please watch over the prince for the meantime. I''ll be in the kitchen, food should be ready in thirty minutes¡­ I''ll bring it over." He then darted off the room. Athos and Sagitta were then left alone in the bedroom an awkward silence briefly settled in, Athos went back to his bed and sat down then propped himself on the headboard. He then gazed at Sagitta with an inquisitive expression. "Sagitta¡­ You¡­ probably have some questions in your mind." Athos let out a sigh. "I do, and a lot of them, little prince." Sagitta scratched her head. "Then, first and foremost, your physical healing abilities and pain tolerance are outstanding." Sagitta then crossed her arms and looked at Athos with a stern face. "When we reunited in the watermill, I felt the blessing you had was quite peculiar¡­" "You probably felt a bit troubled by it, I''m sorry for keeping it from you, Sagitta." Athos did a shallow bow with his head, his face also had an apologetic expression. "Don''t apologize my little prince! It''s just that I never expected that it would turn out to be the Empress'' blessing." Sagitta then took a seat on a wooden chair next to Athos'' bed. "Yes, this is actually the first time I saw the Fated Protection at work. I only read about it through the imperial archives¡­ but seeing the genuine article in the flesh¡­" Sagitta''s eyes sparkled with interest. "Little prince, were you made aware of the full capabilities of that blessing that was bestowed to you?" Athos'' suddenly felt curious. "Well¡­ Mother only told me in the past that it can block out all manner of curses and poisons¡­ and also helped in healing." Sagitta nodded. "But did you also know that it can also save you from sudden death?" Athos'' emerald irises dilated in shock and his jaw dropped. This was the first that he''s heard of it as his parents nor the Tome of Moirais did not elaborate more about the said blessing. "...No, I wasn''t aware." Athos''s face paled. "I see, then¡­ I guess it is about time I tell you then." Sagitta then stood up, closed the door, and cast a barrier around the room. Athos looked at Sagitta with a befuddled expression. "What''s with the precautions?" "Because this discussion is only going to be between us, little prince." A shrewd grin appeared on Sagitta''s face. "We can''t risk having this information leaked." Sagitta then returned to her seat and inched close to Athos'' side. "Little prince, The Fated Protection is not from the Ferre Bloodline." Sagitta paused for a bit as she pondered. "It was actually from your Mother''s bloodline." "Is that the reason why it was only passed through the Empresses?" "Yes¡­ and no." Sagitta chuckled. "This might be a little confusing, but the blessing can only be bestowed to someone who has the blood of Ult running through their veins." "Blood of Ult¡­?" Athos scratched his head in confusion. "The Ult... they are a nomadic warrior tribe that lived in the southern deserts. They are Moirais like us..." Sagitta then stood up and adjusted the light on the mana lantern by the bedside. "The Palace calls them the House of Nocte¡­ does it ring a bell, little prince?" Athos then realized that the name Sagitta had mentioned was from his mother''s maiden name. Florestella Nocte Ferre. "Mother¡­ was an Ult?" Bewilderment was etched on Athos'' face. "Yes, and she was a powerful one too¡­ Every daughter of the Ult is born with an innate protection blessing, its ability varies. Fate would sometimes grant Ult infants with physical protection, or strong mana protection, but the common ones are poison resistance or curse resistance... But your mother was born with a rare kind of protection." Sagitta then returned to her seat and her face darkened. "Your mother, the empress, was born with Divine Protection. Her blessing¡­ Also allowed the beholder to avoid death but for a price." Sagitta then disabled the barrier inside the room. ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 18: Chaser "My mother possessed a divine blessing¡­?" Athos was baffled when he learned of his mother''s identity, he only knew that his mother was of noble blood as his mentors nor his parents never fully disclosed her origins as well as the full nature of the blessing she bestowed onto him. "I never thought¡­ mother would be an Ult¡­" Athos felt a little lightheaded, the information that Sagitta had given to him was shocking. He never thought that he would have the blood of the Ult run through him. Sagitta''s eyes reflected sorrow. "Before I got separated from their Majesties during the siege, your mother informed me about it." "Then Sagitta, you mentioned something about a price¡­ for the blessing?" Athos looked at Sagitta with a worried expression. "Did my mother say anything about it as well?" "I''m afraid she did not elaborate about the compensation part, little prince. She just mentioned that if death comes unexpectedly, the blessing will protect you and a price must be paid by recollecting." Sagitta groaned. "Even now, I still can''t figure out why her majesty would mention something about a price and remembering." Sagitta scratched her head in frustration. "Oh, by the way, little prince, your mother... entrusted me with something...." Sagitta then opened her spatial inventory, pulling out a small, silver pendant."She wanted you to have this." She then extended her hand out to Athos. "This¡­ is!" Athos''s emerald eyes glinted. Sagitta then placed the pendant on Athos'' hand. "Your mother mentioned that should you visit her homeland¡­ you will need this for safe passage." It was a small pendant, it almost looked like a choker due to its length. The chain showed signs of wear but remained in good condition. Its links were intricately crafted from Mythril and a rose-cut, blue amber was attached to the bail. Tears started to flow uncontrollably from Athos''s eyes once more. He recognized the pendant that Sagitta had given to him, it was his mother''s favorite pendant. The sight of it reminded him of fond memories with her. Athos gripped the pendant and held it on his chest and his soft whimpers resonated in the room. Sagitta comforted the little prince as she gently stroked his back. *** A platoon of heavily armed, dark-cloaked infantrymen were assembled at the northern outskirts of Parte. The 70 able-bodied men and women were preparing to march toward the hills at a slow but steady pace. At the front of the formation, a man riding on a black stallion while donning a green Seditio cloak helmed the troops. It was Irae Praeter and his lips were curved up forming a sinister grin.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Brothers and Sisters!" Irae drew out his blackened rapier and garnered the attention of his men. "Today, we will hunt the fugitive Moirais that escaped The Great Judgement! We will be heading towards the old estate of the ruined Fidelis family! Leave no mercy to anyone who opposes our Brotherhood!" Irae raised his weapon, pointing upwards to the sky. "March onwards brethren! Glory to the Seditio!" "Glory to the Seditio!" "Retribution for our brothers and sisters!" "Death to the Moirais!" The fervent cries echoed through the formation. And the officers were riled up, slowly their pace had quickened. "If we take this route, how long will it take for us to arrive?" Irae spoke with one of his aides by his side. "Big brother, it will take us about 45 minutes. Our scouts had been sent in advance to disable the Wards. it seems that someone had placed several of them in the outskirts of the old estate." "Good, inform them to be careful, we are dealing with Moirais after all." "Understood, Big Brother." The aid then went back into the formation and rallied the troops to match onwards. ''Omri Fidelis¡­ Sagitta Cura and Prince Athos¡­ I shall have your heads served on a silver platter tonight.'' Irae cackled as he galloped uphill. *** Omri, Athos, and Sagitta had just finished eating dinner. Due to time constraints, they only ate a simple pottage that was made out of smoked meat, roughly chopped potatoes, and fresh wild herbs that were foraged by Sagitta that morning. At first, Athos was apprehensive to eat a serving since it looked unappetizing, However, when he tasted a spoonful of it, he was surprised at how tasty it was. It never occurred to him that a simple peasant dish would taste as good as the cooking in the Palace. "I''m happy that it suits your tastes, my prince." A radiant smile beamed from Omri''s face. He felt proud of his cooking as he saw Athos finish two servings of pottage earlier. "It reminds me of the soup that the palace cook would serve on cold days, it was really tasty." Athos held a feeble smile. His eyes were still swollen from crying earlier, and the soup Omri served helped him calm down. "Well, your pottage is delicious as always Omri." Sagitta tidied up the used bowls and utensils and set it on a desk. She then cast a cleaning spell on the items and then handed it over to Omri who stowed them into a rucksack. "By the way, little prince, do change into these clothes." Sagitta then took out a white long-sleeved shirt, a pair of black trousers, and leather boots from her inventory. "Please change into those as we''ll be departing for Sequi in fifteen minutes." Sagitta then checked the time on her pocket watch. It was now 7:45 PM. "We must leave as soon as possible, otherwise-" Sagitta paused for a moment and gazed at the horizon outside the window. Her jade irises dilated and slowly turned golden. "Mother, is something wrong?" Omri then tapped Sagitta''s shoulder. "...My Wards had been dispelled." She clicked her tongue and immediately picked up the bags that Omri had packed. "Both of you, we need to leave now! There are a lot of people coming this way in thirty- no, it will take twenty minutes for them to reach this place." Sagitta then activated a haste enchantment on the three of them. "Omri, I''ll take some of the bags, you too, little prince, place them in your spatial inventory." Sagitta grabbed several of Omri''s rucksacks and tossed them hastily inside her inventory. Athos followed suit and took the remaining items of baggage. "We can''t risk you straining yourself as well, little prince." Sagitta then turned her attention to Omri. "Omri, please carry Athos for the meantime, we need to escape to the forest as soon as possible." Sagitta then activated a stealth barrier around them and activated an Illusion Ward around the manor. "My prince, please bear with this again." Omri''s face looked apologetic as he grabbed onto Athos'' back and knees and lifted him up in his arms. Athos felt a heavy tension in the air. Seeing Omri and Sagitta, suddenly rushing to leave made Athos feel anxious. It was like someone was chasing after them and both were caught off guard. "The Illusion Ward should probably hold them for 5-10 minutes " Sagitta then gestured to Omri to follow her. "Both of you, follow me." ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 19: Trace A trail of light illuminated the northern outskirts of Parte, the dark horizon was brightened up by the numerous torches that moved uphill, as a platoon of heavily armed infantrymen traversed the terrain. Their rhythmic march reverberated through the hills as they pushed toward the old Fidelis Manor. Irae Praeter led them at the front, his thirst for revenge was burning. He rushed on ahead with the help of his steed and managed to catch up with the scouts who were still dispelling Sagitta''s Wards. The scouts froze in nervousness at the sight of the 3rd Brother and his abyss-tinted steed. They greeted Irae and guided him towards the Ward that they were currently dealing with. "Big brother! Unfortunately, we are unable to dispel this Ward¡­" One of the scouts bowed his head apologetically to Irae. The mages had informed Irae that their dispelling enchantments wouldn''t work on the walls of the Ward. They also tried throwing spells to damage the Ward, however, their attempts were fruitless as their spells were reflected and hurled back towards them. "Our mages can''t decipher what type of attribute was used so they are having trouble taking it apart, Big Brother." A Church sorcerer interjects nervously. "We won''t be able to pass through if this-" Irae aimed his rapier toward the sorcerer. "What do you mean by we won''t be able to pass through here?" Irae''s intimidating voice pierced through the sorcerer, shutting him up. "Haahh, you¡­ Church folks should use your head." Irae sighs and puts away his weapon, he then dismounts from his steed. Irae walks toward the Ward that was in front of him, its walls looked like a smooth mirror, and it reflected anything in front of it. A cunning grin appeared on Irae''s mouth as he observed the Ward, he stretched his arm out to touch it''s surface and was pleasantly surprised that his hand breached inside of it rather easily. He then steps forward and enters it, a few minutes after, the Ward crumbled like fragile eggshells. Irae then emerges from the Ward, he was unharmed and his men saw his golden eyes shining brilliantly. "It was just an illusion barrier." Irae''s voice sounded irritated. "Your incompetence is appalling." He walked past the befuddled scouts while fixing his cloak and slowly mounted his horse. "What a way to waste my time." Irae clicks his tongue and gallops ahead towards the Manor up the hill. *** Labored grunts and breaths echoed through the dark northern forests of Parte, the trees rustled vigorously, and the sound of branches and twigs breaking disturbed the peaceful slumber of the animals along the forest grounds. [Omri! Keep up your pace and keep running!] Sagitta''s stern voice rang loud inside Omri''s head, She had noticed that Omri was lagging behind. They have been steadily advancing deep into the forest for fifteen minutes already. They leaped through the treetops to avoid any interruptions from the monsters and animals below. There was a reason for Omri''s delay, he had been carrying Athos on his back ever since they left the manor. Sweat dribbled from Omri''s face and it was not due to exhaustion, but rather out of nervousness. Omri had recalled how Athos suffered from motion sickness when he exerted his full speed back in Anima. Due to it, his steps were hesitant, and sometimes he would slow down the pace in consideration for Athos. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Hey, Omri¡­" Athos taps on Omri''s shoulder. "You can run as fast as you can, you don''t need to hold back." "But won''t you feel unwell after, My Prince? We can''t have you suffer-" Athos sighs and pats Omri''s back. "It will be fine! After all, I have two reliable healers running with me." Athos chuckles softly. "Also, I don''t want to see Sagitta angry. You did see her scary face back when we were arguing in the watermill and back in the manor too..." Omri recalled Sagitta''s fuming face, he had seen it several times in the past when he was still a reckless youth. This made Omri''s face slightly pale. He then lets out a sigh and answers Athos in a gentle manner. "Understood, then please hold on tightly onto me." He then fixes his stance, props Athos a little higher on his back, and tightens his grip on Athos'' legs. "Please use telepathy from hereon, my prince, we can''t have you biting your tongue and ingesting leaves or branches along the way." [Alright then, do catch up with Sagitta, she''s about ten meters away now.] Athos wraps his arms around Omri''s neck and clung on his shirt. [I''ll close my eyes for a bit too, go ahead and run to your heart''s content." A faint smile appeared on Omri''s face, he knew that Athos was trying his hardest to adjust with their pace. Omri then layered an additional haste enchantment to his body and ran towards Sagitta. [Mother, apologies for the delay.] Omri was now on par with Sagitta''s pace and was leaping in sync beside her. [Good! We''re still a bit far from the border of Sequi¡­] Sagitta glances at Omri with a hesitant expression. [We need to lose the tail behind us first!] Sagitta then activates another Illusion Enchantment, this time, to cover up the broken branches and trees that they landed on every time they leaped forward. [Omri, I''ll activate a Teleportation Ward in a minute, stay close to me so we won''t get separated.] Sagitta''s jade eyes glinted as she gathered Mana around her body. Athos and Omri sense a great amount of Mana coursing through Sagitta. They then saw a faint golden glow from her jade irises. [Jump to that tree up ahead, I''ll invoke the ward once we land.] Sagitta pointed her finger at a tall oak tree that was fifty meters away from their current location. [Yes, mother!] Omri nods at Sagitta and then turns his head to Athos. [My prince, please bear with this for a bit, this might get a little rough.] He then casts a minor recovery spell on Athos as a safeguard for his motion sickness. [Omri, Now!] Sagitta extends her left hand and grabs onto Omri''s right arm as they landed on the oak tree. A flash of light suddenly brightens up the skies above the forest, the golden light enveloped the three of them, and their figures vanished into the night as the light faded. *** A bitter scowl was etched on Irae''s face as he stood outside the courtyard of the old manor. His men searched high and low throughout the estate and the forests surrounding it, however, their efforts were fruitless as they were not able to find the fugitives they were seeking. One thing was certain, there were numerous traces inside the residence that alarmed his men. The hearth at the kitchen was still warm as if someone had used it within the hour or so. Irae also noticed the footprints that littered on the 1st floor of the manor, he also inspected the guest bedroom down the hallway. He found the room unusually clean. As if someone had sanitized and occupied the room prior to their arrival. "Big Brother, we''ve already scoured the manor, it seems that its occupants recently vacated the place." One of Irae''s men reports nervously as he knelt in front of him. "If only we arrived a bit earlier¡­" Irae glares at his henchman with a deathly expression. "We could have caught up with them if the lot of you dispelled that damn Ward the moment you saw it" He then scratches his head in frustration. "A-apologies Big-" A magic circle suddenly appears in the courtyard, one of Church''s sorcerers then emerges from the light and gives a salute to Irae. "Big Brother!! A word from the scouts! There was a brilliant light observed a few minutes ago from the forests north of this manor. We believe it may be related to the fugitives we''re after." The sorcerer answered with vigor. ''So¡­ they were heading north? Do they plan on escaping to the northern ranges of Silva?'' Irae scratched his head as he thought of why they opted to escape through the northern forests of Parte. ''Hmm...unlikely since by now, they should know that the Church is on our side.'' Irae pondered why Omri and his companions were moving northwards, he then recalled Sagitta and her husband Turris. Irae then remembered that Turris was not born in Anima, but was born in the eastern archipelagoes of Orto. ''Are they planning on reaching out to old allies then? I recall, Turris had ties with the Merces of Sequi in the past. But after those two married each other, the Merces cut off their ties with Turris and their relationship fell apart¡­'' Irae''s scowl disappeared and was then replaced by a sinister smile. ''Let''s take a gamble then.'' Irae then called out to his men. "Tell the scouts and the mages to trace where the flash of light occurred and investigate the northern forests for their trail. Send word to our brethren in Sequi and inform them that I will be visiting personally!" Irae then walks toward the sorcerer and whispers to his ear. "Take me to the Council of Merces." The sorcerer nods and activates a Teleportation Circle beneath him and Irae. The two men disappeared after the circle was invoked. ~~~~~ To Be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 20: Sequi Sequi was a port city located northeast from the capital of Anima and was a week away by foot from the town of Parte. Its lands were fertile, the climate was milder than the frigid north, and on the eastern side of the city was the coastline facing the Ocean of Ius. Sequi was the center of foreign trade as it facilitated the entry of goods from the resource-rich eastern continent. Mana stones used for daily tools such as lanterns and stoves were sourced from the mines of the Archipelago of Orto, the capital region of the eastern continent. The port of Sequi was also the gateway for all freight and passenger ships bound to the eastern territories. Due to the presence of foreign trade, the city of Sequi considers itself as a neutral and a self-sustaining city. The influx of merchants and a healthy economy elevated the income of its residents. Among the affluent merchants who opted to reside in Sequi, there were four notable individuals that contributed greatly to the city''s development. The richest merchant was Tuerri Monte, the sole supplier of Mana Stones and the leader of Orto Mercantile Group. The second notable one, Ver Germana, a Fae Halfling who sold medicinal goods and equipment originating from Silva. The third was Mercado Falsum, an affluent farmer who supplied wheat and ran logistics throughout the western territories. And the fourth notable was Finn, a wealthy miner who supplied precious metals and Mythril from the southern regions of Jumana. These four merchants were known as the Council of Merces. The Council ruled over the city, enacting laws while further improving Sequi and its economy. A public vote was raised twenty years ago to establish Sequi''s neutrality and to avoid religious intolerance. The residents chose not to align themselves with the Church, Palace nor Seditio and opted to bar off the factions. The Council back then legislated the Agnoscere, a decree enforcing strict regulation of personal beliefs and banned the open practice of customs and traditions. This helped in keeping the tensions of the three factions at bay. However, due to the fall of the Palace of Anima several days ago, the influence of the council of Merces had weakened and conflict arose amongst its members. Seditio and the Church of Arbor had been putting pressure on the council to ease up the bill and to allow their factions to set up guilds and havens for their followers. Tuerri Monte, the head of the Council of Merces ardently refused both of the faction''s requests, and this did not sit well with Seditio and two of their members, Mercado Falsum and Ver Germana who were pushing for reform. Five days ago, Seditio had put up propaganda to incite fear and paranoia to the residents of Sequi, by branding Moirais as monsters that incite massacres by summoning Calamities at will, this was further reinforced when Seditio spread the word of the incident that ensued during The Great Judgement of Anima. To add fuel to the fire, there were bounties posted against Moirais on the propaganda posters and leaflets. It planted greed into the hearts of the residents due to the generous rewards and sprouted violence and murder toward Moira kin, and their followers. Bloodshed had become rife and started to paint the streets of Sequi red. The city started to kill itself from the inside. *** It''s been three nights since Athos and his companions left the manor in a hurry, Omri and Sagitta had informed Athos that there were people on their tail a few nights back. The three managed to lose the pursuers as Sagitta teleported the group near the border of Sequi. The group would set up camp in the day and move along the treetops at the cover of the night, it was to avoid the suspicion of Subjugators and Mercenaries hunting for bounties in the forest. The dinner Athos ate earlier tossed and tumbled in his stomach every time Omri leaps to the next foothold. Omri had been carrying Athos on his back ever since leaving Parte, despite having a recovery enchantment placed on his body, Athos still felt a little light-headed. "Ugh¡­ I feel sick." Athos gently taps Omri on the shoulder. "Can you upgrade the enchantment to a higher one? I feel like I''m going to hurl a few minutes from now¡­" His face grew paler by the second.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "I''m sorry my prince, please bear with it for a little longer, mother just went ahead to scout for a place to set up camp¡­ she should be-" [[Omri, I''ve found a forest clearing, by a small spring. Face the east and start moving from thereon, it''s a hundred meters away so you''ll see it after running for a minute or so.]] Sagitta''s voice rang inside both of their heads. "Alright then! Just bear with it for a few more minutes my prince¡­ Please hold on tightly." Omri layered a minor haste spell on his enchantment and got down from the treetops, he then ran through the forest floor at maximum speed. Athos clung for his dear life. He noticed that Omri had been a lot faster lately compared to his sprint when they escaped Anima. They reached the clearing within 12 seconds, they saw Sagitta clapping her hands as they arrived. "Not bad, Omri¡­ Last time, it took you 30 seconds to cover the distance." Sagitta''s eyes glimmer with joy, she then pats Omri''s back. "Good, at least your movement has improved." "Well, it''s been a while since I ran to my heart''s content, Mother." Omri bends on his knees to let Athos down from his back. Athos''s legs trembled as he slowly got off him. "Are you alright little prince?" Sagitta casts a recovery spell on Athos. "You look a little pale¡­" Athos'' face loses its color, he swiftly darts off to a nearby tree and retches. Omri gave chase and soothed the prince by stroking his back gently as he hurled out the contents of his stomach. Sagitta approached the two. "I guess it''s high time we take a break... We''ll probably reach the outskirts of Sequi in a few hours." She then pulls out the tent from her spatial inventory. "Let''s set up camp for the rest of the night and get some rest." *** A golden chandelier decorated a lavish study room, its colorful mana stones glistened as mana coursed through it, illuminating the entire space. The furnishing inside the study was luxurious. The floors were fitted with a crimson velveteen carpet, the lounge and armchairs were finished with leather and were gilded with gold leaves, the bookshelves had the mild fragrance of sandalwood, and an ornately carved rosewood round table was the centerpiece of the space. Three people sat across each other on the center table, their faces had a bitter expression. It seems that they were in the middle of a heated discussion and their loud voices reverberated inside the study room. "I refuse to approve of the reform! Sequi will retain its neutrality!" A platinum-blonde man exclaimed. "If we suspend the Agnoscere at this time, it will only bring more bloodshed to Sequi!" His olivine eyes glinted sharply and his brows arched in anger. "The people are clamoring for religious freedom, Tuerri." An elvish woman slams her hand on the table. "We cannot afford to anger them more, a lot of blood has already been spilled-" "Our people have been flourishing through the decades since the decree, Ver." Tuerri glares at the elvish woman with a deathly expression. "What you should realize is, our people are being swayed by greed!" Tuerri bangs his fist on the table, leaving a small indent. "Those damned propagandists from Seditio are misinforming the people and are destroying their rationality! If we let them-" "I''m sorry Tuerri, but I''ll side with Ver this time. Quelling the public comes first!" A white-haired man interjects. "You''re aware where we get our taxes from right?" His malachite-tinted eyes squinted as he gazed at Tuerri. "Mercado, are you insane?! Our people are already killing each other off and all you think about is money?" Rage fills Tuerri''s thoughts, his olivine irises dilate in shock and anger. "Can you not see the bigger picture?!" "You''re the one who''s not seeing properly, Tuerri!" Ver stands up from her seat and slides a bundle of paperwork toward Tuerri. "Our revenue is down, the Church refused to course their goods to our port and the western territories have increased the tariffs by tenfold! Our people will starve-" "We can alleviate the food issue, we have enough in the granaries for our people to last a year!" Tuerri scratches his head in frustration. "A year is enough to convert our cotton farms to produce food-" "But how can we farm if the people refuse to work out of spite?" Mercado crosses his arms and smirks condescendingly. "If we cannot settle the people''s anger and frustrations, then we''re back at square one." Mercado sighs. "Enlighten me, Tuerri." "Suspending the Agnoscere means we are condoning the murder of innocents! Sequi''s neutrality will be no more if both of you insist on that uncivilized path." Tuerri then glares at both Ver and Mercado. "Then I suggest we put this to a public vote then." Ver''s lips curved, a sarcastic smile decorated her face. "Or even better, we can vote now as the council convenes this meeting." Mercado chuckles. "Oh¡­ wait, we can''t! Finn hasn''t returned yet from the Southern territories." He then smirks at Tuerri. "I guess it will be a public vote then!" "Both of you¡­ I can''t believe I''m hearing rubbish from your mouths." Tuerri''s face cringes with disgust, he then stands up from his seat and walks over to the door. "I won''t suspend the Agnoscere and I''ll certainly find Finn." Tuerris then walks out of the room and slams the door behind him. Leaving Ver and Mercado alone in the study. "Wow¡­ You really got him good there, Mercado." Ver snickers as she tied her moss-colored hair into a half ponytail. "Or should I say¡­ The 3rd Brother?" Her gray irises glints with delight. "We need to force out the wolf from its pack." Irae cackles. "After all, a wolf wouldn''t be able to survive on its own." "Is that the reason why you got rid of his twin brother a few days back?" Irae nods, he then stands up from his seat. "We need to cut off his limbs, once he''s disabled, We''ll go in for the kill." Irae then takes out his green Seditio cloak from his spatial inventory and puts it on. "By the way...make sure that our brothers in the south practice discretion. We can''t have Finn return early." Irae then activates a teleportation circle beneath his feet. "I''ll be out to hunt prey." "Understood, Big Brother." Ver gives a curt bow. "Send a swift letter addressed to me should you need assistance." Light flashed from the circle and Irae vanished from the room. ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 21: Twins Part 1 A golden glow was radiating from Sagitta''s body as she stood guard by the campfire. Athos and Omri were peacefully resting inside the tent, and Sagitta had volunteered to keep watch so the two of them could catch up on their sleep. She was aware that her companions were completely exhausted after constantly leaping through the dense treetops of the forest. "That should do¡­ hopefully, not even monsters and animals would detect us here." A relieving sigh escapes from Sagitta''s mouth as she finishes activating the last of the protective wards around the perimeter of the campsite. The golden glow around her body faded and she sat down on the grass to rest. ''If the Seditio were able to reach Parte in a short amount of time, they might be in Sequi already¡­ We can''t be careless once we reach the city.'' Sagitta groans as she contemplates what would be their plan of action once they enter the Sequi. As she stared at the flickering flames of the campfire in front of her, a bitter memory resurfaced from her thoughts. The embers reminded her of the Palace siege that took place almost a week ago. A scowl was etched on her face as she recalled the night when the Palace was being burned to the ground. --- The sound of explosions echoed through the audience chamber of the palace. The walls and floor shook and dust and debris would fall from the ceiling as the tremors intensified. Emperor Lucis and Empress Florestella had barricaded the hall with a multitude of protective barriers as they bought time to regroup themselves and recover their stamina. Eventually, the Emperor had decided to split their group into two, one group would stay with the monarchs and help deal with severing the Blackened Threads of Fate. While another group would need to escape the Palace grounds and rally up support from surviving Moira kin in the city. The monarchs had advised their surviving subjects to pick a group, however, all of them had insisted to stay and serve them to the very end, even if it led to their demise. Turris, however, thought differently. "Wait! I''ll go with you and their majesties!" Sagitta sat beside Turris, as she applied pressure on his left leg. It bled profusely from a deep arrow wound. She then grips Turris'' arm as she begs him. "Your leg is still bleeding! You can''t possibly keep up with Their majesties in that state!" She then started to initiate a high-level healing spell on Turris. "It will be safer if we go together, I can''t lea-" Turris interrupts Sagitta''s spell and cuts her off by wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. He then gently kissed her on her rosy lips. "My dear, you must leave the palace and help rally up our fellow Moirais." He then held onto Sagitta''s cheeks and caressed them gently. "I''ll aid their majesties while you reach out for help¡­" Teardrops soaked Sagitta''s cheeks. "But you''re injured! You can''t possibly keep-" "Sagitta!" Turris'' voice had become stern, he then released Sagitta from his embrace and looked at her, his face was full of resolve. "I can bear the pain." A gentle smile slowly formed on his face. "I''m also a doctor, so I know my body''s limits." Turris took out a small vial of healing draft from his spatial inventory and poured it on his wound to stop the bleeding.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "Our people outside will also need a capable doctor like you¡­ I''ll stay and help their majesties while you help our kin beyond the Palace." Turris then removes his signet ring from his left index finger and places it on Sagitta''s palm. "This ring¡­ has been engraved with the Insignia of the House of Monte. Should you need to cross the Ocean of Ius, show them the ring and they will allow your entry to Orto''s territories." There was sorrow in Turris'' olivine eyes as he gazed at the ring. "It''s also been imbued by a special enchantment that allows you to send a sealed swift letter to my twin brother, Tuerri." Turris stroked Sagitta''s cheeks to soothe her. "Unfortunately, my brother never answered back to my letters ever since I left Orto¡­ Still, I''ll leave this with you, should you need to travel to the east." He then kissed Sagitta on the forehead. "I''ll come and see you once all of this is over, I promise." --- Sagitta had been staring at Turris'' signet ring, she had taken it out from her spatial inventory. Whenever she would catch a glimpse of it, Sagitta would always be reminded of the final moments she shared with Turris. Her mood would turn gloomy as she would recall her husband''s unkept promise. "I guess that''s the only thing you broke¡­" small beads of tears swelled from her eyes as she tried to hold back her emotions, she then took notice of the blue mana stone that was set on the ring. "... Sending a sealed letter to Tuerri." Sagitta''s brows furrowed and her face darkened as she remembered Turris'' family. ~~ The House of Monte was the richest and the most influential family in the entirety of the Eastern Continent. The Montes had expected their youngest heirs, Turris and Tuerri to become prolific diplomats of Orto. The twins were sent to Anima''s Imperial Academy to learn Diplomacy, Economics, Arithmetic, Philosophy, History, Swordsmanship and Languages. Tuerri, the older twin flourished with his academics, but for Turris, he suffered as he was dispassionate about becoming a bureaucrat. Instead, Turris had decided to delve into subjects that genuinely piqued his interests; Literature, Mana Research, Pharmacy, Botany, Alchemy and the Arts. When the twins reached their second year at the Academy, Turris met Sagitta Cura by chance during Pharmacy class. Both of them had the same interests and would spend time together studying in the library, they were also passionate at performing experimentation in the Academy''s laboratories. Turris enjoyed Sagitta''s companionship and would tag along with her every day. They would meet up during lunch or dinner to eat together. Every time the Academy held its seasonal promenade, Turris would always ask Sagitta to be his beau. Their constant interactions sprouted feelings of affection, this kept on for months. And four years later, just a month before their graduation from the Academy, Turris confessed his love to Sagitta. Sagitta accepted Turris'' sincere feelings with a happy heart and Turris started to woo Sagitta. Eventually, fellow students in the Academy noticed their skinship and rumours spread like wildfire. A wealthy Orto nobleman was pursuing a pharmacist from Anima. Word of their courtship reached Orto and the news was not received well by the Montes. They had expected their twin heirs to return home, serve their country after graduation and be betrothed to the prominent noblewomen Orto. The Montes promptly arranged for the immediate return of the twins and their hastened summons did not sit well with Turris. Eventually, a week after returning home, Turris went missing. The House of Monte scrambled to find him, they searched throughout the city for his whereabouts and on the 8th night, Tuerri received a swift letter from Turris. To his shock and dismay, he found out that his twin brother opted to stay in Anima to further pursue Medicine and Pharmacy with Sagitta by his side. Turris didn''t want to walk on the path laid out to him by his family and chose to leave instead. Tuerri felt betrayed by his twin brother''s actions and shut him out from his life. The incident sparked bitter resentment towards Turris and Sagitta. In retaliation, the House of Monte disinherited Turris, they sealed their blood bonds with him and revoked his citizenship in Orto. Branding Turris as a commoner and leaving him stateless. The Cura family welcomed their daughter''s suitor with open arms, eventually, Turris was granted citizenship in Anima. He then married into Sagitta''s family, allowing him the use of the Cura name. ~~ "I only met Tuerri thrice in the past¡­ all of them didn''t end up warmly too." Sagitta groans and scratches her head as she contemplates whether to activate the ring''s enchantment. "But still¡­ I think he needs to know at least¡­ about what happened to his brother." Sagitta activates the enchantment on the ring, the mana stone that was set on it radiated a cold, blue light. Gradually, the light materialized into a blank sheet of Mana, a small quill appeared shortly after. "I should inform him first about Turris and what transpired in Anima¡­ I hope Tuerri finally replies." She then wrote a lengthy letter explaining Turris'' death and their current predicament. Eventually, she finished writing the letter an hour later. "Please send this to Tuerri." The sheet of mana slowly transformed into a blue falcon and flew away quietly into the night. Sagitta watches as the bird vanishes to the darkness. "I guess it''s time for me to rest as well¡­" Sagitta stands up and heads into her tent to sleep. ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 22: Twins Part 2 ''Those ignorant, pathetic, selfish bastards¡­ they don''t even think about the city anymore. Holding a public vote to condone murder¡­'' Tuerri was deep in thought and was pacing himself inside his personal quarters at Sequi''s Assembly. He had walked out on Ver and Mercado who were pressuring him to lift the Agnoscere from the city. A bitter scowl was etched on his face as he scratched his head in frustration, mucking up his neatly combed platinum-blonde hair. ''I must find Finn, only a council vote will settle this matter peacefully-'' His trail of thought was broken off as he heard the sound of knocking from the glass doors leading to the balcony. Tuerri cautiously approached the source of the sound, he peeked through the glass panes and saw a figure of a falcon, it was radiating a faint blue light. "That bird¡­ can it be!?" Tuerri''s olivine eyes dilated in shock, he recognised the bird as it resembled the crest of the Monte family. The falcon had been conjured up from an ancient enchantment created by his predecessors. Tuerri knew that it was a swift letter from Turris as it emitted a blue glow. "That wastrel... what does he want now?" Tuerri clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes as he sees the bird perch on the balcony''s railing. The falcon sat and looked at him with a patient expression. "Haaahh¡­ why is it so difficult to ignore swift letters." Tuerri sighed and contemplated whether to let the bird into his room. ''That fool, sending letters every month¡­ Shouldn''t he be treating patients in Anima instead of wast-'' An ominous feeling crept inside Tuerri''s thoughts as he recalls the report he read earlier about the fall of the Palace. One of the envoys he had sent to the capital, had sent word to him of the turbulent situation in Anima. Seditio had violently taken over the city and was reforming it from the ground up. Realising this, Tuerri quickly opens the door and allows the falcon inside. The bird perches on Tuerri''s right hand and transforms into a sealed envelope. He quickly opened it and saw unfamiliar handwriting. It was from Sagitta and the letter was addressed to him. A bitter scowl forms on Tuerri''s face, he didn''t want to be associated with the scholar that his brother had married. Tuerri was about to dispose of the letter, but then a stray page fell from the envelope. He picks it up and sees a sketch of him and his twin. Tuerri was sprawled on a bed on the left side of the page, while a portrait of Turris was drawn on the right. It looked like he was using his reflection as a reference. The detailed sketch was made with ink. Turris had placed his signature on the lower left part of the page, the paper had turned yellow and was worn out. One side of it had been roughly torn, it looked like someone pulled it off from a book. Tuerri then flips the page, he sees a date that was written in ink. {73rd Day of Summer, 9115th Thread.} He recognized the handwriting, it was Turris''. The date indicated was from the day when they arrived for the first time in Anima. Tuerri then realises that the sketch had been illustrated by his twin. He remembered that Turris enjoyed painting back in his youth. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. "Brother¡­" A bitter smile forms on Tuerri''s face as he recollects the memory of their arrival in the capital. *** It was a humid summer day, the brothers had agreed to go sightseeing around the city of Anima after unpacking their luggage. They were the first students to arrive in the Academy''s dorms and were blessed with free time to explore the city a few days before their classes started. However, due to a sudden downpour at noon, their itinerary had been spoiled and both of them were stuck in their rooms instead. "Do you think the rain will end soon?" Turris yawns as he listens to the sound of rain by the window. He was sketching random people and objects he saw around him and from the gloomy view outside. "Hmm¡­ The tail end of the summer season is usually humid, my dear brother." Tuerri groans. "We can go to the market tomorrow if the rain doesn''t stop. We still have four days before classes start." A sly grin forms on his face as he watches Turris idling on the chair. "Turris! Spar with me, I''m bored." Tuerri threw a pillow at Turris'' back as he laid down like a slacker on his bed. "No, you''re good with the sword and I''m only good with my fists. So I''m cutting off my losses as early as I can by not entertaining you with a spar." Turris then glares at Tuerri. "Brother, can you please stay still?" Turris picked up the pillow that landed on the floor and threw it back hard at Tuerri. "I''m trying to make you look good here, so please help me, alright?" He turns his back and resumes his sketching. The pillow landed on top of Tuerri''s face. He then removes the pillow and sits up straight. "Wow! Nice aim, Turris. Right in the face." Tuerri arose from the bed and approached Turris who was seated by the study table. "What are you doing?" Tuerri rested his chin on Turris'' head as he observed his brother drawing a piece. "Is that me, on the left? I look horrible!" Tuerri pokes Turris'' cheek. "Why would you draw me like a slacker?" Turris snorts. "Because you look like a slacker, brother." He sighs and smacks Tuerri''s finger. "Your idleness is bothering me. Go away! Let me draw in peace!" Turris picks up his sketchbook, his brushes and inks, and bolts out from the room leaving his brother alone. *** "Now that I think about it¡­ I guess I was too harsh on him back then." Tuerri groaned and massaged his forehead. He then turns his attention to the letter that Sagitta had sent. "Maybe it''s time for me to move forward." A relieved sigh escaped from Tuerri''s mouth, he had changed his mind on discarding Sagitta''s letter and opted to read it. He briskly ran through the first paragraph of Sagitta''s letter, but as he progressed further, his face lost its colour and his expression became deathly as Sagitta informed him of what transpired inside the Palace during the siege. {Tuerri, I know we started off on the wrong foot when we met. But please, believe in me as you read this letter¡­ My Bonds with Turris'' were cut off almost a week ago¡­ I believe that someone had killed your brother.} "No¡­ that can''t be it¡­" Tuerri felt his knees weaken, he then sits on the sofa and contemplates in anguish. "Turris¡­ No! I refuse to believe such lies!" A golden aura radiates from Tuerri''s body as he invokes his Thread of Fate. "If Turris is truly dead then his strand should-" To his shock, Tuerri only saw his own golden thread and Turris'' strands had disappeared. ~~ Fate threads of twin siblings were special. At birth, their threads would manifest in pairs and their strands were braided along with their blood bonds like it was woven together. Should any of the twins die, the threads and bonds of the deceased sibling would disintegrate and the braids would come undone. Leaving only the strand of the surviving kin. ~~ Tuerri felt overwhelming grief as he saw his lone strand float above his head. Turris perished and Sagitta''s words spoke of the truth. "Turris¡­ why?" Tuerri felt his throat tighten and his tears started to swell from his eyes. His regrets were slowly coming into the light. "I should have replied to your letters. I''m sorry, Turris¡­ I''m truly sorry¡­ please forgive me..." Teardrops fell relentlessly from his cheeks, soaking the pages of the letters he held on his hands. Tuerri''s wails echoed through the room as he mourned the death of his brother. Gradually, the feeling of frustration and anger took over his thoughts and sprouted hatred. The desire for vengeance in his heart burns bright. He stands up from the sofa then darts off to his study table, and hastily takes out his signet ring from the drawers. His ring had an emerald mana stone embedded on the centre, it radiated a verdant glow as he invoked the enchantment on it. Tuerri conjured up multiple letters and sent word to his other siblings in Orto to inform them about Turris'' demise. Turris then generates a separate letter, this time, it was addressed to Sagitta. "I swear¡­ I''ll find the scum who did this to you, Turris¡­ I''ll make them pay." ~~~~~ To be Continued. ~~~~~ Chapter 23: Twins Part 3 The soft humming of nocturnal creatures echoed through the forest. Mist and dew-covered the trees and the bushes and a gentle breeze course through the treetops. It was two hours before the break of dawn, the embers of the campfire had died down and the forest was dimly lit by the stars shining brightly in the night sky. Sagitta jerks up awake as she senses a Mana presence approaching the camp. Her irises turn golden as she activates the Wards of Protection around their tents. ''It''s fast¡­ Who¡­ or what is it?'' She quickly pulls out a knife from her spatial inventory and goes outside her tent to confront the incoming intruder. As she emerges, a cold wind passes her by, Sagitta''s hair sways along with the breeze, as an emerald falcon descends from the dark sky. It was Tuerri''s mana. The falcon''s eyes locked onto Sagitta and it gradually transformed into a sealed envelope. Sagitta reached her arm out to catch the letter with her hand. The letter had an insignia of the House of Monte and the initials of ''T.S.'' was visible on one corner. Sagitta''s eyes blanked and her mouth gapes in disbelief, she did not expect that she would receive a prompt response from Tuerri. She hastily opens it and reads the contents. {Sagitta,} {I give you my sincere condolences and I would like to thank you for letting me know of what happened to Turris.} A sigh of relief escapes from Sagitta''s mouth. ''I guess attaching Turris'' old sketches helped in getting a response from him.'' She wasn''t expecting a tame reply nor aid from Tuerri, especially after her relationship with Turris'' family deteriorated after their elopement. She then continues to read the letter. {However, due to unexpected circumstances, I can''t commit a warm welcome nor safe passage for you and your companions into the City. Sequi is currently being plagued by senseless murders, especially against Moirais. There is discord amongst the Council and I can''t guarantee your safety if your group wishes to seek shelter within our city.} "Against the Moirais?" Sagitta''s eyes squinted in annoyance. "The Council is in discord?" She then scratches her head in frustration.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''If that''s the case, then¡­ it is likely that Seditio had already infiltrated Sequi''s politics. This is going to be difficult.'' Sagitta groans, she knew that entering the city without any preparations would bring them trouble. ''Seeking asylum to the eastern continent will be tricky.'' She contemplates for a bit and proceeds to read the last paragraph. {Although, I wish to know more about what happened to Turris during the fall of Anima, and I would like to speak to you personally about it. If you agree to meet with me, please reply to this swift letter and I shall provide you with temporary refuge, courtesy of the Orto Mercantile Group.} {Tuerri Monte} A feeble smirk forms on Sagitta''s face. She knew that meeting Tuerri would allow them to escape the clutches of Seditio. "Looks like I have no choice but to meet him when we arrive in Sequi." Sagitta pulls out Turris'' signet ring and activates the enchantment on it. "I''ll need to meet him as soon as possible to help the Prince and Omri escape..." *** Tuerri''s eyes were sunken, there were dark rings under his eyes due to lack of sleep. The sunrise outside his window blinded him as the light gradually seeped through the glass. He had burned the midnight oil after receiving correspondence from his siblings in Orto. His elder brothers and sisters were shocked to learn of Turris'' demise and wanted to learn more about the fall of the Palace of Anima. A steady stream of Swift Letters flew out from Tuerri''s balcony and the sounds of birds of prey knocking on the glass windows resonated through the room. Tuerri clicks his tongue in annoyance. "I should have told them to send only one letter at a time¡­ Ugh, these damn letters!" He slammed his fist on the study table. An exhausted sigh escaped from his mouth after being overwhelmed by the constant arrivals of letters. Tuerri was about to discard the newly-arrived mail, however, he hesitated as he opted to wait for a particular falcon to arrive. "That woman¡­ will she reply? Tuerri scratches his head. "If she and her companions managed to survive from the Palace, they might know something about Seditio¡­ Those damned fanatics." The man was also bothered by the recent entry of Seditio''s officers into Sequi. Although the Agnoscere was still in place, Seditio''s followers, the Brethren have been steadily increasing since the past week. Their propaganda efforts bore fruit as half of Sequi''s residents opted to adapt with Seditio''s beliefs. Seeds of animosity and hatred towards the Moirais had started to sprout. Tuerri notices a blue light shining by the windows, he quickly turns his head and sees a blue falcon land on the balcony. Tuerri rushed to it while it transformed into a sealed envelope. He collected it from the floor, opened it and studied the contents. {Tuerri Monte,} {I''m grateful for your response. My companions and I are currently traversing the southwestern outskirts of Sequi, we are set to arrive at noon today.} {Due to the sensitive nature of my companions, I can''t risk them getting involved with the Council nor your Mercantile operations. And I refuse your offer of shelter.} Tuerri''s eyes were filled with curiosity, he was puzzled at Sagitta''s apprehension towards his offer of refuge. {Instead, I would like to request asylum to Orto for my companions. I''ll speak to you about the details personally if you agree to meet with me alone. Please come at 7 o''clock in the evening to the ruins of the old Sequi Lighthouse where Turris'' old laboratory once stood.} {Kindly attend without your aides and don''t disclose to anyone regarding the contents of this letter.} {Sagitta Cura} "Who are the people she''s travelling with anyway?" He massaged his chin as he pondered. "Could it be¡­ a survivor of the Palace?" Tuerri''s eyes dilated in shock. It was made known that the Imperial Family of Anima had gone missing after the day of The Great Judgement. The Emperor and the Empress had vanished alongside with the Crown Prince. The Church of Arbor and Seditio sent word throughout the land to track down and exterminate anyone who was associated or involved with the Palace of Anima. The promise of generous rewards for succeeding in exterminating Moirais blinded the people, and this encouraged blood to spill the streets of Sequi. Tuerri knew he could use Sagitta and her companions as leverage to regain control of the city. "I guess we''ll find out tonight once we meet." Tuerri smirks. "I should prepare just in case¡­" Chapter 24: Twins Part 4 "Little Prince and Omri, listen up." Athos, Omri and Sagitta huddled quietly atop the branches of a tall cedar tree overlooking the border gate of Sequi. The group arrived early, it was now 11:00 AM and they were making preparations on entering the city. "I was able to get in touch with an old acquaintance living in the city, he warned me that violent crimes against the Moirai are common in the streets. We need to be careful once we enter Sequi..." Athos and Omri''s eyes widened in shock as they listened to Sagitta''s information, it was a clear sign that their adversaries, the Sedito and the Church of Arbor have already infiltrated the city. "I¡¯ll give you both a Concealment Ward.¡± Sagitta reaches out and grabs Athos and Omri¡¯s hands, a golden light envelops her body as she activates it. "This will hide your mana presence and change your appearances as well." Athos and Omri observed each other as their hair darkened and became obsidian, their verdant irises changed into ochre and their skin complexion gradually tanned, they now looked like commoners from the Eastern Continent. "I made both of you look like siblings from Orto, so that should make the two of you inconspicuous." Sagitta casts an illusion ward on herself, her hair and eyes turned dark brown. "The wards I''ve bestowed to both of you should last a week." Sagitta releases her grip and leaps to the ground below. Her landing was graceful and silent as she had a stealth enchantment endowed on her body. Omri followed shortly after carrying Athos on his back. "I''ll expand my enchantment and enable invisibility so we can sneak past the gate. Stay put for a moment." She then flicks her index finger, Athos and Omri sensed a warm mana current course through their bodies. "Let''s go and enter the city." *** Tuerri felt discomfort from his neck and head as he opened his eyes. It appears that he had fallen asleep after reading Sagitta''s swift letter. Wrinkles and marks littered his face as he slept over the pile of paperwork on his desk. He stretched his arms and back and stood up from his seat to alleviate his aching body. "...Her companions should be here in Sequi by now." He glanced at the wall clock inside his room, it was now 12:21 PM. "Looks like I need to make preparations¡­" Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Tuerri sighed as he invoked the enchantment on his signet ring to write a letter. He remembered Sagitta''s reply and she intended to have her companions granted asylum to Orto. Deducing the nature of Sagitta''s letter, Tuerri had an inkling that her companions were prominent Moirais that were trying to escape to the east. ''I need eyes to observe her companions. After all, merchandise should be kept in good condition.'' A snarky grin forms on Tuerri''s lips. He then writes a swift letter addressed to the Mercenaries situated in the port area. He left his initials as a signal to his men to be discreet. {The Mountain wishes to watch the trees growing at its base. Take note and keep watch of the people that enter its forest. Particularly a middle-aged woman with grey hair and jade irises} ''That should put a tail on Sagitta. Hopefully, her face hasn''t changed much.'' *** Athos, Omri and Sagitta were leaping across the rooftops of the western residential block of Sequi. They had opted to avoid the roads and alleys due to the angry mobs that patrolled the streets. They also noticed the sheer number of Seditio''s officers and brethren marching along the main thoroughfares. Seditio''s followers were rallying residents to take up arms against the Moira residents of the city. The three of them watched helplessly as they saw numerous homes being burned or ransacked by the mob below. They saw countless Moira men, women, children and the elderly being rounded up outside their homes and shortly executed by beheading or impalement. It was a horrendous sight, some of the victims begged for their lives to spare the women and children but the armed mob paid no heed to such pleas and would cut down anyone who dared do so. Seditio had offered a bounty of five hundred gold coins to every Moira corpse being surrendered to them. It was a substantial amount considering that the average household in Sequi earns an annual income of a hundred gold coins. The public who were blinded by greed clamoured for more, it was genocide. Athos clicked his tongue as he heard the agonizing wails of his fellow Moirais below. He couldn''t bear watching his kin being hunted down and slaughtered. His fists clenched in anger and frustration as he held onto Omri''s back. "Why did the city allow this? Isn''t Sequi a neutral state?" Athos grits his teeth. "Why is the Council turning a blind eye on this?" Athos was familiar with Sequi''s socio-political structure. His private instructors in the Palace had taught him well about history, politics and diplomacy toward other states and countries. He was aware that Sequi had the Agnoscere, a decree that regulated and restricted the practice of one''s belief and tradition. "There might be something going on within the city, my prince." Omri groaned. "Looks like mother''s acquaintance spoke the truth." "That is why we need to tread carefully here," Sagitta interjects. "We''ll reach the port area within the hour as long as we stick to the rooftops." She then layers on a haste spell on top of their invisibility enchantment, making their movements faster. "Where are we going, mother?" Omri gazed at Sagitta inquisitively. "I remember father telling me that he sold off his property here when you took me in." "He did, but Turris kept his private workshop and his research laboratory here¡­ We''re heading to his workshop near the trading port, it should be there still since I helped Turris seal up the place." "The streets are already littered with murderers, Sagitta, I think the violence would probably be the same in the port area." Athos sighed. "Well, the port would be safer than the city itself, after all, the Orto Mercenaries manage the security and safety of the eastern merchants there." Sagitta groans as she recalls the meeting she had arranged with Tuerri tonight. "I''ll guide you both to the workshop since it will be our temporary shelter here in the city." Sagitta suddenly stops on her tracks, she lands on a chimney a few paces ahead of Omri. Omri with Athos in tow leapt and stopped on the roof near Sagitta. "Mother, what''s wrong?" "There''s a faint mana presence behind us¡­ It seems we are being followed." She clicks her tongue and conjures a teleportation circle underneath Omri. "It can''t be helped. I''ll distract them while both of you go on ahead first, I''ll send you to the path where the workshop''s entryway is." "Wait! Mother, how will-" Sagitta cuts off Omri. "Your mana will show the way Omri. Your name will allow you access inside." She smiles and snaps her fingers. The circle activated and the two men vanished.