Year BG (Before Goddess) 003
When the lands were one, and beasts were mere animals, twin sisters were born. Both were, however, immediately separated by two tribal lords.
One traveled north, while the other south.
The twins grew up in completely different lifestyles, and developed vastly different dreams.
They were similar in just a few things; appearance and power.
The former was manipulated into a religious sect that believed in the God of Everything. The being responsible for the cycle of essence. The ruler of life and death of their world.
The latter lived with nature. Free from greed and selfishness, but her free-spirited lifestyle was soon threatened by the waging war of none other than by her twin sister's organization.
She did not want everything to perish. She wanted to protect every animals and plants. As well as the people she lived with on the same land.
Then came a chance when she could be of used. She allied with the only strong and independent King of her land. They were victorious in many small wars, and a few against her sister. She was later known as the Battle Goddess.
While her sister became the central power and belief of the other group due to her strong capability to work with essences. She became known as the Savior Sabrina.
Two great opposing powers called forth different consequences. One of which the land's everlasting division. Divided by a huge deep sea, none can easily cross. It was only years later it was possible to once again continue the fateful confrontation.
But everything was different then...
-Lost Book of History
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-------------Present Time
--------Sabio
"Raize, give a hand to the people. Bring in more of your hallucinations to push them into the boats." Ordered Kiel.
He had taken it upon himself to lead the evacuation of the civilians. As per his sister's words, it was not the time to focus on only one thing. His household's name was at stake for already being involved with the secret group Rebellion.
Although their true aim was not fulfilled, the whole group network was used to help save as many lives possible. The normal and healthy members armed themselves against the city's beast's attacks.
"Seth, you try and stall the beast's movements. Make sure it is diverted away from the docks." And as per his command, Seth made a curt bow and vanished.
With little time to spend, he missed meals and rest, only focusing on the escapade.
"I hope she is alright..." He sighed, his grey eyes lonely.
"Major-General!"
A soldier came running towards Kiel. A part of the royal army that has now given up their previous commands once the King was mysteriously killed. The current acting King remained incompetent, losing the trust of his subordinates in return.
"Yes? What news have you brought me?"
At Kiel's query, the soldier dutifully gave a salute. "Evacuation is at 89%, Sir! And the beasts around Sabio are determined to be not a threat. We can start leaving at any time once a ship has returned!"
"If that is all, leave. But thank you." He knew those details already, but the soldier did not move. "Anything else?"
"...." The soldier gazed at Kiel's form with concern. "I've heard about your father, Sir. I'm s-----"
"Stop. I do not need your sympathy. Anything else?"
With a gulp, the soldier spoke once again, "Your father might not be in Drakon, Sir."
Kiel narrowed his eyes in confusion, "Why?"
"I had heard my Commander that a certain famous General in Sabrina was last seen fighting some tribes in Yatsohara, creating discord over the land of old."
"Why should I believe such rumours?"
"Well, Sir, you should know the answer better than I do. If you'll excuse me, that was all I wanted to say. I sincerely hope you meet him soon!" With another salute, the soldier turned to leave, leaving Kiel's thoughtful grey eyes behind.
Walking to the direction of the docks, Kiel marched on holding the hilt of his sword that was latched to his side. His raven hair swaying with the wind, ever so gently.
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-------------Mingzhe Dei
"Maybe we should visit your parents too, Vic."
To her query, Victor shook his head. "I believe they've already moved to a safer place. Thank you for the concern, Lea." His smile so cute, Lea couldn't help but remember the times when she spent learning the language from Victor. He was her first teacher before books.
She smiled in return. "Alright."
In one corner, Bright was looking at the pair longingly. Victor was laying on Lea's lap as usual. They were waiting for Oliver to finish his court meetings.
"Hey, Lea?"
Looking up, Lea glanced at Bright's weird expression. "Hm?"
"Can I... Can I lay on your lap too?? When Victor does not anyway....."
His face flush, his chest unusually nervous, Bright shyly asked.
He appeared adorable.
He was adorable.
"Alright." She said, her expression placid. But her ruby eyes curious.
Hearing her response, Bright felt like jumping in the air but abstained. Instead, he made a fistful to the air. A smile so bright much like his heart plastered on his face. His blue eyes glittered with excitement.
"Lea, Lea!"
She looked up once again, to Bright's cheerful form. Her brow was raised, "Hm...?"
"Guess how old you are."
To his question, Lea was left to stare at his face blankly. "......14." But as soon as the number left her mouth, her eyes widened.
"Hahaha. No you ain't. Not anymore. You are 15~!! And I'm 17. One more year, and we can get married!" He declared.
"....................."
"I don't know about you, but maybe you should just agree...? He seems so sure of it.
"Did you guys secretly.... *gasp*"
"There's no such thing. Bright."
"What, Lea?"
"This world don't have marriages, I'm sorry to say."
"You LIE! Of course there is! BOY, don't listen to her!!"
"W......what??" Extremely shocked, Bright's mouth gaped. "How... could this be??!! I've been stashing away gold to make it extravagant as much as possible!!! Noooooooooooooooooo!"
"......." An unusual lopsided smile appeared on Lea's face that she immediately hid with a cough. Victor on her lap saw the whole changing of expression and raised a brow. "Lea... Why did you hide it..? It was cute....."
"..........." Looking down, she could see Victor staring at her face mesmerized. She coughed once again.
Hearing it twice, Bright couldn't help but be worried. He believed Lea was sort of a superhuman that would never get sick nor die. "Did you develop tuberculosis....? Please tell me you don't have any sort of illness??? We still have a future together... I want to have children with you. Spend our days running around a field of daffodils...."
His imaginations running wild, Lea unknowingly imagined everything he had mentioned only to make a deep frown. "..............." Her ruby eyes changed to a glare. "That's awkward." Was all she said.
"YOU are awkward."
Hearing Ingrid's comment, Lea creased an even deeper brow. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. Listening to Bright even more would make her feel even weirder. "It's okay, Lea. You don't have to be alone with him when doing all those things..." Victor muttered lethargically.
"Did he say you can have two fathers for your children...? What a very open-minded man!"
Rolling her eyes to Ingrid's comment, Lea looked into Victor's aquamarine irises that were so peaceful and dazzling. "I refuse."
Softly, she heard him chuckle.
Bright on the side felt jealous once again. He couldn't help but feel sad whenever he saw Victor acting chummy or intimately with Lea as if it was normal. But for some reason, he couldn't do anything about it.
Noticing his depressed aura, Lea glanced at Bright. "Come here." She called, and he obediently followed and sat beside her. She then grabbed his head and ruffled his hair up. "If you are unsatisfied, let me know. You are not Bright when you are not being silly." She simply said, observing the changes in his expression. She thought he was honestly upfront with his emotions, and that whenever he did feel depressed, he would unknowingly show it through his actions.
"....Lea. You are so sly." He quietly said as he laid his head on her shoulder, which she didn't mind.
Looking at the scene, one would think they were such a loving family of three. And that was exactly what Oliver saw when he had arrived.
Walking briskly in his heavy expensive robes, Oliver called lovingly, "Lea!!" He was too excited that he almost tripped quite a few times, but his cyan eyes never left her face.
"You've grown so fast!! I can't believe how adorable you were when I next saw you, but this! You keep surprising me... And I've missed you so much!! I've done my all to keep the beasts at bay. Praise me. Praise me!!"
His over-excitement woke up Victor's deep slumber that he was forced to sit up by Lea's other side. He robbed his eyes from sleep, and occasional yawns would be released from his well-sculptured lips.
He looked so adorable that Lea had to stroke his silky light blue hair that had grown down to his shoulders. Lea was not looking at him when she did the gesture, but instead, she focused her ruby eyes on Oliver in front of her.
"I've seen Phoenix work everything out from above. She is one commendable beast. Do you think she can be used to transfer your people to somewhere else?"
Curious to her query, he couldn't help but ask. Completely forgetting the well-deserved compliment he should receive, but that can wait. "Where to?"
"Escarcha."
"Why? That place is infested with beast too, and the climate is really cold for my people."
"It is infested with beasts, but not as badly as the rest of the land. I thought of choosing Solitario Isle, but I have heard no one has ever come back alive from the island."
"If you say so, but how sure are you that my people will not perish in Escarcha instead...? I'm sorry to throw all these on you, Lea, but as their Emperor, I cannot simply decide their place to die."
"I completely understand your concerns, Oliver. If it will make you feel better, I'll bring you to the place where I would like your people to live in. Just you. We can leave Phoenix to guard the nation for now."
Pondering over her suggestion, Oliver furrowed his brows with his free hand on his chin, tapping it from time to time.
Five minutes later, he made his decision. "Alright. Let's go." With a smile, he replied, offering his free hand to Lea. But before she could reach out for Oliver's hand, Victor was already on it. With a grab of her outstretched hand, he wrapped his other free hand around her waist to lift her up carefully.
Both Bright and Oliver were not very happy. Lea did not much have of a choice, unless she slapped away both options, which she did not bother to think of out of instinct by Oliver's offer. She had gotten used to Seth's gentleman gestures of offering his help whenever she needed to stand up that it became her second instinct to accept offered hands.
"Thank you." She said, glancing at Victor's lethargic expression that immediately turned to a mesmerizing smile. His pheromones weren't to be trifled with, but Lea was different. He nodded in response.
She then turned to Oliver who seemed conflicted at the addition of Victor by Lea's side, who he did not notice until just then. "Let's go, Oliver. The faster you make a decision, the better chances we can escape from the beasts' domination."
And as she said so, she urged Oliver to ride on Hamsphant. They then departed with haste from Mingzhe Dei, the only nation that was left standing.
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Up in the sky, Oliver could clearly observe how many regions the cluster of beasts have occupied. They appeared meager dots at the height they were travelling. The ride was fast enough for him to observe how fast certain beast chased after another. He was sure then that if he had traveled by foot, he would not survive a day in the wilderness that was abundant in Ingrid.
Lakes and ponds appeared to be infested with huge amphibious beasts. In the Black Sea, far away, sounds of wailing could be heard. Spirits only knows what exactly was going on in that side of the world.
Facing forwards, he could see the white lands of Escarcha. It appeared glowing white due to the sunshine, leaving the snow to glimmer under its light. It was majestic at sight, but he could already feel the cold temperature when they arrive in the territory.
He was glad Lea had asked him to grab a few more thick clothes before they left hastily. Although the cold temperature did not matter to her, she was not sure about Oliver's resistance. He was not adept to physical fortification when it came to essence manipulation.
"Wear more." She quietly said, swiftly glancing to her back. And at her words, Oliver nodded in assent.
Bright followed after him in fear of catching some certain illness, which would trouble Lea on her conquest. He was growing up to be more thoughtful. For what triggered his change, only he would know.
And he was not the only one who changed, so did Oliver. He seemed more thoughtful of his people now, when he did not give much thought to being an Emperor before. Time and events did matter for all, and that applied for the whole of Ingrid. A continent that will be later known as the Land of Beasts.
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"Here." She said and pulled over Hamsphant to a stop by a village.
"It's small...." His voice disappointed, Oliver couldn't help but whisper his thoughts.
"Indeed it is. Let's meet the Elder first."
Bright and Oliver were surprised by Lea's mention. "You know the people here??" It was Oliver who asked, curious how Lea managed to explore even the land of ever-frost.
She simply nodded in assent and continued to lead the way into the village. They were welcomed with curious stares, and suddenly whispers erupted.
"Why do I feel scared by their looks.....?" Bright muttered under his cold breathe as he reached out to grab Lea's sleeve. She did not seem to mind.
Then, one of the villagers approached them, shock apparent on her face. "Priestess?! It's the Priestess!!"
"She is back! Our savior... Welcome back Priestess!"
"Thank you for your work, Priestess!!"
"Priestess, please name my child....!"
"...As expected of the Priestess! She's grown much more formidable than a few months back!!"
"She is beautiful, Ma.... Can I marry the Priestess?"
All around them, words of praises were thrown at Lea. She was, however, indifferent and continued to the building where she temporary slept as soon as she was reborn.
Bright was more than amazed by Lea's reputation. His former seatmate, now a Priestess of some village. He couldn't begin to fathom over her achievements, while he has only been swimming where the tide led him to be. Disappointed at his worth, something within him changed.
Meanwhile, Oliver was very proud of Lea. He, an Emperor, received praises from his people, so he knew how much it would take to have people act as such. He could only wonder what Lea had to do to be treated by the villagers with so much respect and awe.
It was not long after that Lea stopped at the only building that had three floors. A huge door at the front, Lea casually opened to enter. The three handsome men dutifully followed behind.
Climbing to the second floor, they heard her call, "Elder!" Her voice unusually high, they couldn't help but listen with rasp attention. If she was in a battlefield, her voice would resound in the hearts of men and women. Her voice carried that much power even a god might grant her wish.
Then scurried sounds could be heard, revealing an elderly with some of her entourage at her heels. "Priestess???!!" Shock apparent on her wrinkled face, she charged at Lea with outstretched arms. Lea did not feel like rejecting someone who treated her with kindness since she was reborn, thus she was smothered with affection.
"We looked for you... But then we noticed we could hunt safely outside again. That's when we knew you defeated every dangerous beasts as far as our villagers could travel.... Thank you, Priestess! You saved the lives of this small village's people!" She exclaimed with tears dripping down her face. She appeared pleasantly surprised to have met Lea once again, despite her extreme growth.
"Elder." She called, and at her call, the Elder immediately silenced her sobs. However, she quietly wiped away her uncontrollable tears.
"Can your village take care of people numbered 5000?" Her tone unlike an inquiry, but a demand, the Elder could only crease her already wrinkled forehead.
"Does our Priestess wish to save more lives?"
Left with no other choice of words, Lea could only agree. "Yes."
And at this, the Elder expressed jubilance. "If that is your wish, I will show you a city where the Goddess lived and amassed her achievements. The city of Wern; the city of warring Lords. King Louis' tomb.
"King Louis?!!! I never thought I would hear his name again...."
"...Care to explain?" Lea thought, briefly gesturing the Elder to wait. The latter dutifully complied.
"Well... He was the King I allied with, and the person I brought with me to many victories in battlefields."
"Lovers?"
"W-w-what???!! NO!"
"Suspicious, but okay. Continue."
"Hmpmh. Don't ever ask me that again.
"It was back when beasts did not roam the land, and only humans and animals were recognized to be a part of the life cycle. Well, as well as plants (and fungi).
"I learnt I had a twin sister..."
"Sabrina."
"Yes. Just like me, she had red eyes. Just like me, she had pure black hair and a very similar appearance. Her friends wanted to rule the land, but she intended to evolutionize every animals into beasts. She wanted a world where humans can have the chance to become stronger by competing with a more stronger entity.
"She was strong, and so was I.
"My King wanted to protect everything he held dear, and that included the peace of our common land. I was with his dream, and we did what we could..."
"So the history books weren't wrong. Sabrina won, you lose. The Goddess War was talking about your devastating battle with your sister, causing the land's divide. This made the free people of this land to be left on their own, not advancing their knowledge of the world.
"Just like you, they were happy just to live everyday with satisfaction and that stopped them from learning more of the world and beyond. Ignorance is such a bliss, and now look what happens."
"You are mean... *Whimpers*"
"If you say so. So, what then?"
"...What?"
"You lost against your sister, and she might be the one who's the cause for everything that's going on in Ingrid, what happens now?"
"Uh.... It's sad killing all those beasts. It would take---"
"Exactly. Leave them be, and leave your people to suffer?"
"The existence of beasts are not normal. They were not meant to turn about this way... If there is a way to reverse the process...."
"It's been many years, Ingrid."
"Right, so that's not gonna work too... *Sobs* I don't know!! Waaaaa....."
"I suspected it, but you are no good without your King. I doubt you could've gathered enough resolve to fight off your sister if it wasn't because of your King's determination.... I can see the whole picture now."
With a sigh, Lea could hear Ingrid whining and sobbing. Her evaluation proven to be correct, Ingrid was left to cry in the corner of Lea's mind.
"Sorry. I was communicating with your goddess."
At her words, the Elder almost had a heart attack. "I knew it! I knew it!! So then, I shall lead you to Wern right away!"
"Wait. Where is it?" She asked.
The Elder smiled, expecting a specific reaction from Lea and the others upon her answer, "Below."
"Ah." They uttered simultaneously. "Of course."
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