《Lotus Ascension: Uncrowned War God》
Prologue: The Heavenly War
The sounds of explosions rang across the battlefield. Fierce warcries of mighty soldiers and grumbling howls of beasts echoed about. Engulfing the desolate earth, everything was set ablaze by their furies. Piled corpses lay across and over while forming a mountain as high as pillar of light that reaches the heavens in the East.
That pillar of the light is the sacred tower, Eternion.
Atop of the Eternion, a white haired and dragon bearded elderwrapped with silver robelooked over the vast battlefield that had purged the land. Sighing with a deep breath, his eyes were filled with remorse as he thought of the current predicament.
"Celestial Overlord..."
A voice whispered behind the silver robed elder. It was a kneeling man with emerald hair dressed in splending battle armor with gold and ruby ornaments and decorations. From his aura, his strength was supreme while displaying a charismatic demeanor. Even so, compared to the man before him, he appeared miniscule.
"What is it to speak of, Damedes?"
The silver robed elder asked but it was clear he never hoped for an answer.
"The Eastern Army fell, the Great General died in vain. The Northern Garrison was purged. The South burned to ashes. The West..."
He sighed. There was no longer any hope left. For the mighty Eternion Overlord, this was an ending he never envisioned would happen.
"What did I do to deserve such a reckoning? Did I not obtain enough good karma?"
The elder questioned as he gazed over the sky. It was deep purple with occassional hue of red and orange wrapping it. Sometimes, thunder bellowed and lightning sketches itself across the cloudless sky.
Seeing the somber elder, Damedes could not help but stay silent.
True, the current situation was unfavorable. There was certainly no hope for victory. However, if the Celestial Overlord escaped to there....they maybe.
"Milord, I have prepared the Void Chariot. It''s the only way---"
"No."
Before Damedes could continue, the Celestial Overlord halted him as he raised his right hand.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
"This is Fate. The Great Gods have decided to abandon the Eternion. Nonetheless, I have to fulfill my obligations as its entrusted overseer."
"Milord?"
Damedes gazed at him with a questioning look. He was baffled. What obligation? The Great Gods have already abandoned them! In the first place, this war wouldn''t have begun if not for those accursed tyrants.
"At the same time..."
The silver robed elder turned his head and looked at Damedes still kneeling on the floor.
"I have to fulfill my obligation to my friend."
As he said those words, a smile pasted on his face. That was the smiling face that Damedes saw for the second time in his life.
The silver robed elder was a proud man yet had the strength and wisdom to back it up. Therefore, he was never one to stand on equal shoulders with others. He was aloof and almost never showed any emotions.
Yet this time, just like that time in the past, he smiled.
"Milord...it can''t be?"
Damedes was trembling. He felt something would happen and it was not something he would desire.
"Your personality truly resembled him but I am sorry. I cannot allow you to fall here."
"Eh?"
With a dumbfounded look, Damedes raised his head to look at the Celestial Overlord.
"Live well..."
Those were the last two words he had uttered.
Immediately, a piercing light impaled the heavens. The entire desolate battlefield was embraced by the transparent light. The transparent light, like a mighty blanket, enveloped everything---turning the living into nothing.
"Iyaaaa! Iyaaa!"
In a land many realms away...
In a town deep within the outskirts of a country...
A cry of a newborn baby echoed.
"Lord Baron! Lord Baron!"
A woman dressed in a maid attire rushed across the stone corridors of a villa.
It was already 12 midnight and the Full Moon gleamed over the stone windows. The shadows of the torche flames magnified as it flickered after the maid went pass it.
"Lord Baron! The Young Masterhas been born!"
Arriving in a large room filled with paintins, furnitures and other decorations, the maid addressed a man sitting on a chair. She knelt as she gave the news.
The man, the Lord Baron, stood up swiftly and without uttering a word dashed across the corridor and into a room several meters away.
"Eleina! Eleina!"
The Lord Baron shouted as he entered the lightly lit room. Most of the light came from the moon as its light flashed over the bed where a woman lay almost breathless.
The woman did not utter a word but answered with a sweet smile instead. In her bossom, she raised a delicate figure wrapped in grey garments.
It was a small boy whose eyes were closed but the moon light shone over them prompting those eyes to tremble.
"This is...!"
The Lord Baron let out a surprised face but quickly replaced with an overjoyed expression.
This was his son. His successor.
"His name?"
The woman, Eleina looked at her husband with an urging look. It was a sign that she wished for him to name their child.
The Lord Baron nodded his head and the smile still pasted on his face opened as his voice escaped.
"As you were born in the full Moon of the first night of Winter, the Moon God favored you. O, my successor, the Moon''s---"
He took the baby from his mother''s embrace and raised it over the stone window. The moonlight wrapped his entire being as the Lord Baron''s face was filled with joy.
"--Asten!"
Prologue: The Letter, the Prophecy and the Ancient Box
It was the morning of the third day of Winter.
In the town of Barcus which was located near the edge of the Norne Republic, a mild and tranquil area governed by a humble Baron, suddenly went buzzing like bees.
Horses gallop from everywhere. Wagons pulled from North to South. People running from left to right and vice versa. Whether it were lowly peasants, commoners, clerks or soldiers, they were hardly anyone who was never busy.
This was a rare occurrence in this small place. Having existed for three generations since the time of the First Archduke, the town of Barcus was known for its silent persona. Thus, it earned the monicker, "Serene Barcua."
But now, all traces of that disappeared.
"Lord Baron''s child has been conceived! Quick Quick!"
Shouts of joy and excitement echoed around the town''s streets. Due to the news of the Lord Baron''s heir being born, the people would most certainly rejoice.
Although such an event would normally not be of any significant to these people, unless they were belonging to the aristocrats seeking connections. But, the Lord Baron was a humble and generous man.
Tyrus von Barcuse, third generation Baron of the Barcus clan, was famous in the Winter Provinces.
A former squire of one of the Twelve Royal Guardians, apart from his significant contribution to administration, was a splending soldier.
Bravery, charisma and management; such skills were obtained by this man. But what separated him from those Barons, Earls, Marquis and Dukes were not those traits.
It was that magnanimous aura that he had inherited from his ancestors.
"What gift should be appropriate?"
Asked a merchant down the corner of the streets. He secretly slithered to a guard''s pocket a few bronze coins.
"I heard from my captain''s acquiantance that the young master had great health. He can be a great soldier one day. A sword maybe..."
The guard whispered to the merchant.
"I see. I see."
Clasping his hands, the merchant sallied forth. The guard, on the other hand, smirked before leaving.
"I heard the young master was guided by the goddess of Wisdom. It was said that the Star of the Knowledge brightened upon his birth."
A man dressed in purple robe whispered while surrounded by a group of people.
"Books! We should give books!"
"But what sort of books would young master not have?"
Recurring situations occurred in the streets. Rumors of the status of the young master was spread all over.
The son of the goddess of knowledge.
A man who was fated to be a great soldier.
A scholar who will shake the Earth.
Many of this rumors propagated but with no certainty.
Even so, regardless of factual evidence, it was true that the young master was not an ordinary boy.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
After all--
"Milord, the Clan Leader of the Yusof Clan has sent his regards with 800 ort of Gold, a chest of rubies and saphire with a silver robe made of the finest of silk."
"Milord, Lord Rork of Iron Black Mountain has given three chests of the fines of swords, spears and axes."
"Milord...."
Recurring sentences were voiced out inside a spacious hall. From the end of the hall which was quite near the center, a bronze chair were place.
A man dressed in bluish white uniform with an insignia of an azure bird with red feathers emphasized on its edges. The man sat with a disinterested expression. It was just quarter of the day yet over 1000 vette of gifts were already given to him.
Those gifts were all lavish to these people living near th edge of the Republic. Although compared to those living in the Federal Capital, those gifts were but simple ornaments yet here they were a symbol of making relationships.
"As expected of noble. Fast like a horse, slick like the snake."
The man sitting on the chair grumbled while he placed his head on top of his right palm.
"Lord Tyrus, what should we do about that Letter?"
A man wearing a white robe and a black pillow-like hat spoke. He was beside Lord Tyrus as he held a small red chest adorned by gold engravings.
"From Master?"
The man whispered as he glanced at the chest before bringing his mind into deep ponder.
A gift from his Master was quite rare. Altough it had been a few decades since they last met, it was still very unnatural considering that man''s personality.
"It should be because of the irregularities of his birth."
Lord Tyrus slightly nodded his head and then took the chest from the man''s hand.
"Colbert, tell the maids to fetch Eleina. I need to discuss something important to her."
He said as he fiercely gazed on the red chest. Colbert nodded his head but before leaving he let out a question.
"Milord, what should we do about the gifts given by the commoners?"
"Naturally we accept them. Commoners, slaves, guards, nobles, even the nomads....even if they are beasts with no intellect so long as they stay, breathe and live within the walls of my town they are considered my family."
Lord Tyrus declared with a proud tone but did not give even a glance to the man known as Colbert.
Colbert''s face slightlytweaked but it was swift and abrupt that not even the guards stationed beside the corridors would notice it.
Within the courtyard of the Knight Grounds of the Town, a pile of gifts were placed in a large mat.
Even though it''s called an area where knights convened, compared to those located within bigger cities, especially to that in the Capital, it was like comparing a gravel to a mountain.
Managing the gifts placed within the area, a man dressed in silver battle armor had his steed stand beside it. The man had rough and menacing face with his hair appearing quite grayish. It can be said that this man''s age would definitely surpass his 40''s.
In front of the mountain of gifts, a long line of people, who were being assisted by guards, stood. Sometimes slowly advancing, sometimes swiftly dispersing. The total population of the town is around 10, 000 people which was composed by all forms of people, from the rags to riches.
But that estimate did not include mercenaries and nomads normally outside the walls of the town.
Compared to most towns, this city was flourishing in number. It might be said that due to it being in the outskirts of the republic the abundance of resources made it eye-catchy for human life to thrive. However, it was not only men who craved those resources.
"So it had already begun..."
Througha narrow view from the top of the mountain of gifts, a inconspicuous man dressed in rags made himself appear within the long line.
It was swift like a bird but the silence it had was like a shadow in the night. Not even the guards who were trained harshly by Lord Tyrus nor the man who stood with his steed that was clearly an expert, sensed his entrance.
"27...the number was 27...."
He whispered as he took an object from within the rags that he wore.
"The goddess Mayari truly loved them. But, even gods could not love all equally. If they can''t, how can''t men, can?"
The man whispered in a low tone as the line slowly advancing towards the end.
"Ahh...my goddess Mayari. Choosing one from many, the prime of 27. Even so, all are considered your beloved. Yet, you chose this child from the many. Truly truly..."
As if in a trance, that man sang those words like a poet.
"The moon conceals the sky. The sun radiates the heavens. The heavens is the sky."
As he said those words, the man appeared at the end of the line. In his hand, was a black box. The box appeared crude and ancient. Several dusts and spider webs were seen covering the box. Yet, there was something unnatural about that box.
As the man raised his head and gazed at the sky, he murmured, "Soon, the moon shall rule."
A few breaths has passed and the bustling line continued.
There was no trace of that man who held the black box. Likewise, they was no trace of that crude and ancient object. It was as if everything was an illusion. No one had known the existence of that enigma.
But, from within the gifts piled like a mountain, a shadow lurked from its depths.