Define Dignity: Vol. 1

Prologue from Kōkei: Resting Place

Present Time, the year 5420

I yawn as I open my eyes, sitting there with a spilled mug of beer in my loosely gripped hand. Must have passed out in the tavern again. Oops.

"I fell asleep after drinking too much again, didn't I, Bertrum?"

I question to Bertrum, the bartender and barkeep, and wipe my face of the spilt ale. He sighs,

"I assumed you wouldn't want to pay for a room, so I let you rest here. Be happy I did that, my friend. No extra charge, but I will have to charge you for all of that alcohol... that'll be 300 signatures."

Ah, signatures, the currency of our country. I'll have you know, 300 is a lot. Probably about... 76 two litre mugs of house-brewed beer? I don't know where I went last night, possibly bought a couple rounds for the company with me, or tried hitting on some girls. Clearly it didn't work if I wasn't waking in a bed with someone but on a table of a tavern with a huge tab to pay off.

"I simply can't pay it off, Bertrum. You surely know that."

I am Kōkei Daito. I possess the burning-red hair of my family line, about a mid-weight and height for my age, and my eyes are just like my mom's. They match my eyes, personally I think they pop.

He sighs as he takes the mug from my hungover hand.

"You'll have to pay it off over time... unless you'd rather work here to pay it off?"

"You also know that I can't do that, either. Not while the war rages. I'm needed in combat... well, of my own desire. I'll be back occasionally to visit, of course. And to pay... maybe someday I'll be back to work with you, dear friend."

I reach out my hand, to shake his as he grips mine.

"Come back again, Kōkei. Don't lose out there. Can't afford to lose my best customer."

Bertrum grins and waves me out the door. I can see the worry he has, of course. It's like him to cover up his worry.

As I walked out of the tavern, I felt a bright ray of sun shine down upon me. I stretch, looking up to the sky to notice that it isn't a sunny day at all, but rather cloudy and fogged.

Maybe it was my mind trying to continue easing me, even though I drank the night away; along with the war.

This is a time of war in the land of Heikoto... of course, conflict between nations is common, but when one nation takes action that will affect the remaining nations, all hell breaks loose.

There are 7 nations, each with their own beliefs... and skills. However, one action leads to another, and a war had broken out.

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3 years earlier.

"Sire, are you sure this is the best course of action? We could simply negotiate the relic back for a number of soldiers or such-"

"I simply can't give up my men, they trust me as the king. I won't give them away simply for the relic... I'm aware that they in no way had the right to steal the relic, I'm absolutely livid with the Earth Nation... but I will NOT trade my men- no, friends- for a stolen relic that we can take back."