Alitia: Crown of Ash

III: The Alight Five

Surion Irikai of Igni sat atop his throne and looked out at the ground stretching out before him. His dark hair was cut close to his tanned face. His eyes were brown and hardened, and if one looked close enough, they could see speckles of red here and there. He was known for being terrifying, and he certainly lived up to his reputation. Crossing Surion was one of the worst mistakes anyone could make while living on the planet of Igni, and he intended to show that to anyone who dared to break the rules he had set forth as the king of the land. 

He wore typical royal garb for the kingdom. His clothing consisted of extravagant clothing of red and orange hues, something traditional to show the fiery origins of the land. It was a display of power to all who saw him, and, fittingly enough, his clothing made him seem just as terrifying as he was. 

News of Octavia's death had reached him a few days before. She had been found stabbed to death near the castle. It was a simple assassination, and while it was tragic, it wasn't something he didn't expect. After all, members of royal families died all the time. It wasn't abnormal for them to be killed due to their position. Surion had endured quite a few assassination attempts in his many years of life, and it was tragic to him that Octavia had died in a way so unfitting of a princess. 

Octavia had been his heir for years now. Surion and Octavia got along rather well. She was obedient and soft-spoken enough to listen when he had instructions to give, but she was good at talking to others and gaining favor as well. Octavia struck a perfect balance in between respect and revolution, something Surion had grown to appreciate over the years. If he claimed they got along all the time, he would be lying, but Octavia had been his favorite grandchild for as long as he could remember. If he was going to be passing the throne onto anyone, it was going to be her. 

Unfortunately, such plans were shattered with the information that she had died. There wasn't anything they could do to change the truth of the matter, but it was still a tragedy. Octavia was meant to lead Igni into a state of prosperity that would help the planet to grow to a great kingdom. Igni had not been considered a great world for many generations, but Octavia was going to change that. 

However, now that she was dead, those plans were as good as ash in the wind. It was frustrating, yes, but nothing could be done to bring her back. There was no known way to resurrect the dead, and even if there was, it would likely be immensely dangerous. As far as Surion was concerned, he would have to look to the future, even if Octavia wasn't around to see what her kingdom would become. 

The first thing on Surion's list was to figure out who had killed Octavia. 

The common people and nobles alike had been upset to hear of her death. There were many who disliked her, claiming she was too much of a departure from the norm of Igni, but there were many more people who admired her and looked up to her with great respect. Justice was being demanded. If they were going to look to the future, the people wanted answers behind who had killed the princess.

Surion knew exactly how he was going to find the truth behind Octavia's killer. It didn't take him long to find a solution, and he was sure it would work. After all, this group had never let him down before. 

Surion had called in the Alight Five to meet with him already. They were known as the most powerful generals in the Ignite army. For years, groups of fighters had been chosen to defend the crown, and the Alight Five was the best of the best. They were handpicked by the ruler of Igni themselves, and nobody would dare to question their authority. They were second only to the ruler, and disrespecting them was a crime tantamount to treason. 

A knock came at the door to the throne room, and Surion looked up. "Enter," he called sternly. His voice echoed throughout the throne room until it was cut off by the sound of the door's hinges creaking open.