Elonian Calendar, Year 1502, Lunar Month of Fire ⎯ Ember, Day 25

In a room within the Imperial Castle, a middle-aged man paced back and forth before two children seated in front of him, scroll in hand and words upon his lips. His red-robed attire gave him the look of a well-established scholar; however, his demeanor and figure were not of one that had spent their life in court politics. The man’s face was by no means handsome due to the scars that adorned it, but he walked with confidence, wearing them like a badge of honor for having survived until today.

“After the tragedy that we refer to as the 'Collapse of the Heavens’, the Eiloong continent was fully formed, created when all the nearby land masses merged into a giant continent. It also marked the beginning of the fall of one of the greatest empires at the time, the Empire of Qiela Ilona. Before they fell, however, they proceeded to create the Elonian Calendar as we know it today.” His voice was firm but carried with it a hint of disinterest as he recited from the scroll.

“Jomin,⎯” One of the scholar’s students, a brown-haired boy adorned in crimson-red robes emblazoned with a symbol of a pair of herons, interrupted the man’s monologue.

“Airen Casteya, while in this hall, you will refer to me as ‘Teacher’. How many times have I repeated myself?” Jourmind faked a sigh and lightly struck Airen atop the head with the scroll as if it were a wooden stick. Had there been any dedicated scholars nearby, no doubt they would have been fuming with rage at the way Jourmind treated the teaching materials.

“Hehe, you got scolded again, Aren.” The other student, a young girl dressed in a similar attire but with robes of silken blue, laughed as Jourmind rubbed the boy’s head affectionately.

“But teacher, you already went over this material three days ago!” Airen protested. “And Yuli, you call him Jomin too!”

“What did I just say, Airen?” Jourmind’s hand clenched as he smiled, “Call your sister by her proper name and title! There are manners one must portray when they are the Crown Prince and Princess!”

“Okay! Okay!” Airen rubbed the side of his head once Jourmind released his grip, attempting to alleviate the phantom pain that remained. “Just because you are stuck in here with us, it doesn’t mean you should bully us!”

“These lessons are the sort of thing they should get an actual scholar to teach.” Jourmind grumbled, his voice ringing out in the hall, as he dug through a mahogany desk, only his back visible.

“When I agreed with your Lord Father to train you two, I did not expect that he would push the title of ‘Royal Educator’ on me.”

“This looks like the right one.” Jourmind picked up another scroll and lazily glanced at the title before returning to his two students. The drawer remained ajar behind him, revealing a disordered mess of parchment, scrolls, and ancient-looking books.

“In Year 423, two centuries after the fall of Qiela Ilona, five countries firmly established themselves on the west coast of the Eiloong continent. First off was our country, the Kingdom of Macha, although it was under a different name. Then came our neighbors, the Red Slate Republic to our southwest, the Holy Land of Ecclisa to the north, the Dew Plains to our east, and the Kingdom of Four Winds to our west.”

“Teacher, are they just like our country?” Yuelei asked.

“Not at all. The Red Slate Republic's lands are rocky, full of hills and canyons, and its name comes from the red clay and sandstone found in abundance there. However, their culture is a bit extreme if you compare it to ours, and I would daresay dangerous for many people.”

“The Holy Land of Ecclisa has its unique religion, worshipping the Goddess Ecclisa, and it is a land of forests and snows. They are a somewhat feudal society with a majority of their political power centering around their church but hold personal honor in high regard.”

“The Dew Plains are vast, larger than all of the other countries put together. They are a coalition of wandering tribes, city-states, and whatever else lives upon those plains. Their cultures and way of life are as varied as the number of stars in the sky, but they all group up to defend the plainlands they call their home when necessary.”

“The Kingdom of Four Winds is a series of four large, separate islands to the west of the Kingdom of Macha. Although it is called a Kingdom, four houses rule that country. When the current king passes away, the successor will be chosen from the most notable of the youth from those four houses through a series of trials and tests.”

“Lastly, our Kingdom of Macha is right in the middle of all these countries and has the best lands for farming. Due to our geographical advantage, we are often the ones to facilitate communications between our neighbors, as well as to conduct trade.”

“But if our lands are so appealing, and our country is right in the middle of all the other countries, wouldn't we get attacked?” Airen frowned

“The Kingdom of Macha has the most comprehensive intelligence network compared to all the nearby countries, and in this age of peace, intelligence is more powerful than might. Compared to the armies of other countries, ours are also much more elite and well-trained. We are also fortunate that the borders of our country lead to several danger zones that are teeming with monsters, and our country controls the few safe roads that go through those areas.” Jourmind explained.

“How come nobody has tried to exterminate the monsters?” Yuelei questioned. “If they can do so, isn’t that more land that they can claim for their own?”

“Throughout the recorded history of the Eiloong continent, there have been several large scale expeditions to exterminate these monsters. In the year 460 of the Elonian Calendar, the Ecclisan Knight-Templar Order launched an invasion into the Whitefrost Mountains to our north. It was said that, three days into the endeavor, they had lost over half their forces and had no choice but to retreat. The Church of Ecclisa requested a vow of silence from its members, and to this day, we are not sure what forced them to retreat.” Jourmind shook his head.

“Didn't they have a grand-master on the expedition?” Airen exclaimed. “Wouldn't that person also be at least a rank six mage as well?”

“Indeed, that person was a rank seven mage of the light affinity. However, he did not return from the expedition. They likely encountered monsters of ranks nine or higher. Rumors were that there were sightings of a Divine Beast during their expedition. Now tell me, Airen, what is the difference between a Divine Being and a Divine Beast?”

“Both refer to an individual of the tenth rank that has mastered both their weapon arts and magical affinity,” Airen’s eyes glittered as he replied. “Divine Beast is our term for magical creatures that have reached that level, while we refer to our kind as Divine Beings.”

“Correct and incorrect. While one has to be at the rank of ten in both martial skill and magical prowess, there is a huge step between one who has mastered their skills and one that has stepped in the divine” Jourmind shook his head. “But that is a lesson for another day when your lord father has returned.”

“There are several rank ten individuals, but only six major named 'Divine Beings' that operate closest to the countries I mentioned. Airen Casteya, name them.”

“Lord Dumeis, the ‘Sword Emperor’, with dual wind and fire affinity.”

“Priestess Geisla, the ‘Soul Saint’, light affinity.”

“Magus Telsin, the ‘Necromancer’, dual earth and dark affinity.”

“Lady Elumia, the ‘Huntress’, wind affinity.”

“Sage Grendel, the ‘Ocean Gaze’, water affinity.”

Airen rattled off the names quickly, as if knowing them by heart, but he paused for a moment before finishing the list with a small smile.

“...and Lord Father, Macha, the 'Fist of the Heavens’, dual earth and light affinity.”

“Correct. If only you could remember the other things I tell you, as well as the notable individuals of our lands...” At their enthusiastic responses, Jourmind could only nod and smile grimly. In this era, it was common for youngsters to look at such talented individuals as ‘heroes’, even though they did not understand the work, time, and suffering it took to reach their level.

Jourmind did not wish to shatter the dreams of the two seated in front of him.

“On the same topic, let us move onto the first discovery of a Divine Beast.” In Year 510, the Kingdom of Macha attempted to cut down the Sel Forest, separating us from the Dew Plains. However, after the first day of lumbering, all of the trees grew back overnight. When we sent our Mages’ Guild to cast fire magic to burn down the unnatural greenwood, their spells had little to no effect. As they wondered what happened, a voice echoed from the forest, warning them that next time 'it would not be so lenient’. ”

“Teacher, magical creatures and monsters can talk?” Yuelei asked.

“There are no records of talking creatures, but it isn't inconceivable that high-ranked creatures or Divine Beasts would have such an ability.” Jourmind rubbed his beard and replied after pondering the question a bit.

“Because of that voice, we stopped our plans. And unlike the Church of Ecclisa, we made this knowledge public, called these new types of creatures ‘Divine Beasts’, which is one reason why our Kingdom of Macha and the Dew Plains have such a good relationship. But that was the last time any kingdom attempted to invade one of the bordering monster-infested areas, including the Sea of Voices to our west and the Hero's Desert to our south.”

“Why do they call it the Hero's Desert?”

“Legend has it that the barren wasteland was the aftermath of a clash between ten ‘Divine Beings’ who fought with all their strength before the ‘Collapse of the Heavens’. Many adventurers traverse there in hope of finding relics of an ancient civilization, or the graves of those that died in that conflict.” Jourmind replied as he walked in front of Airen, who was starting to drift off.

“It is said that those grave-sites hold great treasures, and deep beneath the sands are the remnants of civilizations older than ours,” he whispered close to his ear.

“Mm?” Airen's head shot up, but not before Jourmind’s scroll struck him.

“Less sleeping in class, Airen.”

“Sorry,” Airen mumbled as he rubbed his head.

Jourmind sighed, his chest deflating slowly in defeat.

“Sorry, Teacher.”

***

Later that night.

“Yuli, Yuli! Lord Father is coming back tomorrow, right?” Airen asked, rubbing his stomach. With both of their parents being away or occupied by affairs of the country, the two children ate by themselves and in the privacy of their rooms.

“Yes, Airen. How could you forget?” Yuelei replied, seated on her bed across the room.

Airen stared at his sister, his hazel-brown eyes taking in her long black hair and fair complexion, which was a stark contrast to his own despite being twins. Although he was the older one, there was no doubt between the two who fit the visage of an heir to the throne.

According to Jourmind, Airen had inherited his mother’s personality while he had his father’s family features, while Yuelei was the opposite. Although Airen was the older one, in many ways it felt that their roles were reversed.

“Maybe we can finally tell him about step-mother.” Airen sighed. The two siblings had never known or seen what their mother was like, having been told that she had died at childbirth. Their father had remarried two years earlier for political reasons, but the newly crowned Queen Xeina acted somewhat negligent and cold towards them. She spared not even a glance at the two children when they crossed paths, and would refuse to sit at the dinner table with them and Lord Macha.

Of course, Airen, along with Yuelei couldn't help but notice this difference in treatment, yet whenever they brought it up to their father, he would sigh and quietly shake his head.

Yuelei, on the other hand, was more observant and curious than her brother, and perhaps due to ill-fortune, once managed to meet eyes with her mother in law. However, what she saw behind the veil was a deep-seated darkness, like the sea when there were no moon or stars in the sky and you were on a small boat traversing into the unknown. At that time, Yuelei had felt as if she were slowly sinking into a pool of tar, the viscosity holding her in place and preventing her from clawing her way out or even screaming for help.

“Say, Yuelei, the Potential Ceremony is going to be in two weeks, right? What sort of magical affinity are you hoping for?” Airen’s words broke Yuelei out of her stupor, and her face brightened a little. The Potential Ceremony was a tradition in the Kingdom of Macha, where all youths that had come of age would be tested by mages to see what elemental affinities they had. As long as they received a high-enough rating, it meant they would also receive an invitation to famous academies across the country. For Yuelei and Airen, this would have meant a measure of freedom and being able to get away from the stifling atmosphere that was the Imperial Court.

“Well, it is not like I have a choice in my affinities. But if I could choose and be greedy, I would like to be as free as the wind,” Airen replied. As successor to the throne, there was an insurmountable amount of responsibilities on his shoulders. Airen could only wistfully watch from the side as others his age acted like the children they were.

“Then… I would like to be proficient with fire or darkness magic,” Yuli smiled. “Jourmind said that they were the most destructive elements, and they seem like they would suit me well.”

“Yuli, you can be pretty scary.” Airen rubbed his hands together. Although his sister’s appearance was often quiet and serene, he knew that she could be fairly baneful towards others.

“Hehe, as your older sister, who else is going to protect you when you become king?”

“But, I'm the older one...” Airen huffed. Nevertheless, he became quite happy hearing Yuelei's words. “I think you would make a better ruler than I, Yuli. I wish as decisive as you are.”

“I do not have that aura of dignity that would make people want to follow me. I am also not as considerate as you are.” Yuelei walked over and patted Airen's head reassuringly.

“But you're probably going to be stronger than me, sis. You are always studying and practicing with such vigor and dedication. I... I'm just doing it because I have to,” Airen sighed.

“When you stop daydreaming and focus, you can do just as well or better than me,” Yuelei admonished. “Don't worry, elder brother, you will become a great king one day, and when you do, I will be there beside you to help ease your burden.”

“Hopefully, that day will come later rather than sooner. May father be long-lived like the other Divine Beings, and I will be free to roam the world for a little while.” Airen sighed again and stared out into the dimming night sky, beyond the great walls that surrounded the palace.

“You are too free-spirited sometimes, Airen. I would not be surprised if you find out that you have wind or water affinity during the Ceremony,” Yuelei teased, poking him on the side.

“Let’s sleep. Otherwise, Jourmind is going to have my head if I fall asleep in class again,” Airen yawned. As he laid down in his bed to sleep, he secretly hoped that the two of them would get the affinities they wished for.

***

The following day.

In a small courtyard, Yuelei and Airen stood side by side while facing Jourmind. In their hands were two wooden sticks that resembled a rapier. The midday sun was beating down upon all three individuals, but it was perfectly comfortable when combined with the fresh breeze.

“The Casteya Clan's weapon of status is a heavy rapier. After you two young ones go for the Potential Ceremony, you will still need to pick your weapons of choice. As a member of the Casteya Clan, you will always have to learn the rapier to defend yourself.” Jourmind lectured, lightly hitting the palm of his hand with a blunted rapier of his own.

“Although the rapier is mostly a weapon for duels between nobility, today the both of you will spar with me at the same time,” Jourmind pointed his blade at the two of them. “Today’s victory condition is whoever can land a blow on their opponent first. Show me how well the two of you have improved your teamwork.”

“Yes, Teacher!” Yuelei and Airen shouted and readied their stances. Yuelei held the rapier to the left of her chest, the tip pointing straight up, her left foot and shoulder forward. Next to her, Airen held the rapier ahead with one arm extended, his right shoulder forward.

“So Yuelei will be defending, and Airen will be attacking, eh?” Jourmind was an eighth-ranked duelist, and their posture and stance was something he could easily read. As he deflected the first thrust from Airen, he retaliated with a swing of the blade, which was promptly blocked by Yuelei as she approached from his left.

“Hmm?” Jourmind exclaimed as Yuelei suddenly changed her stance and aggressively stepped into the swing and traced her rapier along the edge of his, the blade quickly closing in towards his face.

However, Jourmind simply flicked his blade, and that simple gesture was enough to knock Yuelei off-balance, allowing him to sidestep the path of the blade easily.

Just as he was about to counter-attack Yuelei, two well-timed thrusts flew past Yuelei’s shoulder, forcing him to defend. Airen had unknowingly found the ideal time to interrupt and maintain control of the initiative.

“Not bad.” Jourmind took two steps back to put some distance between them, just enough to avoid Airen’s attacks. However, that minute amount of time was enough for Yuelei to recover and stand next to Airen again.

The two of them worked in tandem to prevent Jourmind from striking, and after five more similar skirmishes, Jourmind acknowledged that they were able to stand on par with him as long as he controlled his strength. Perhaps it was time to step it up a notch.

“Brace yourselves!” Jourmind took a stance with the rapier held horizontally, and his arm twisted back like an arrow nocked onto a bow. Airen and Yuelei were familiar with this stance and quickly jumped backward.

Sonic Thrust. Jourmind released the weapon art as the rapier thrust forward, sending two waves of wind towards Airen and Yuelei that kicked up the dirt beneath the ground as they whistled towards their target.

Yuelei managed to dodge the long-ranged thrust of force, but Airen blocked it head-on. Jourmind had a surge of adrenaline as he watched, as this was not something a young child could stop, and he had expected him to dodge. Airen’s knees trembled for a moment before the attack lifted him off the ground and sent him flying onto his back.

I should finish this and check up on Airen. Taking advantage of the sudden development, Jourmind closed the distance between him and Yuelei and lashed out with a slash.

“I had thought that your brother was the better one when it came to determining decisions, but seeing that he blocked the art. I suppose I was wrong,” Jourmind said as he traded blows with Yuelei, carefully controlling his power so she could block his attacks, but still enough to overwhelm her. His student’s attacks all struck from the side, forcing him to angle his body each time to block it.

“Unlike your brother, who feints and attempts to outwit the enemy, you attempt to refine your movement to match and overwhelm the enemy. If it was your brother who was dueling with me now, I doubt that he would have lasted this long,” Joumind commented with a hint of admiration in his tone.

“Thanks for the praise, Teacher, but you should not underestimate Airen,” Yuelei replied and dodged to the left of Jourmind's thrust with a light spin, retaliating with a jab.

“He is already out of the fight. Right now, this is just a supplementary lesson for you,” Jourmind replied, meeting Yuelei’s attack head-on and interlocking his blade with hers. With movement akin to a conductor in front of a band, he deftly twirled his weapon and knocked Yuelei’s out of her hand.

“Well, that’s that.” Jourmind yawned and withdrew his weapon. Although there were some unexpected actions, he had grasped a decent understanding of their teamwork abilities.

“Not yet, Teacher.” Yuelei's eyes were smiling.

“!” With his senses borne from years of experience, Jourmind felt a trickling sensation behind him and quickly turned around. Yuelei had intentionally forced him to move about until his back was facing Airen, and Jourmind caught a glance of Airen’s stance, rapier held horizontally until it was perpendicular to the body. Arm arched back as if drawing back a bow.

As the wave of force tore towards him like a gale, Jourmind had a light smile on his face as he stood his ground. He dipped his rapier into the ground, and as the weapon art reached him, he slashed upward, cleaving the Sonic Thrust in half and rendering it harmless.

“Well, well. Aren’t you two the sneaky little ones? Hiding something from your dear Teacher...” Jourmind had never taught his students how to use the ability, thinking it was too soon. His smile grew as he quickly turned and slashed downwards, dispersing another Sonic Thrust but this time facing Yuelei instead.

“Now then, since the two of you seemed to have put all your cards on the table. Maybe I should get serious for once as thanks for the kind gesture.” Jourmind grinned, but it was the type of smile that made Airen and Yuelei shiver.

The two quickly realized that Jourmind had no intentions of letting them off easy for their accomplishment, and instead was forced into practicing their new technique.

...

“Alright. Let’s stop here for today. It’s time for lunch...” Jourmind picked up the weapons on the ground next to his students, who were heaving in exhaustion on the floor.

Airen shot him a look as if he had seen a demon.

“This is so good. I’ve been missing this taste…” Airen said, munching on a baked and then deep-fried dumpling. Jourmind had gone and fetched these from outside the palace for them, and both the golden-battered exterior and thick and fragment meat filling inside were things that made one’s mouth water.

“Mmmm,” Yuelei agreed, already finished with hers, and reached for another one while her cheeks were still stuffed from the last. “Airen, you absolutely must learn how to make these for me.”

“A prince that cooks in his spare time? What is going to happen to the poor Kingdom of Macha?” Jourmind sighed with a hint of a smile as he tore into a dumpling of his own. While the food in the Imperial Palace was exceptional, it was seldomly cooked with oil.

“Ignore him, Airen, any princess would fall for you if you can make food this good,” Yuelei responded between bites. “You should take the culi-, what's that word again, Jomin?”

“The Culinarian Exam,” Jourmind replied. “This is something you know I have memorized already, Yuelei.”

“Bleh~” Yuelei stuck out her tongue in defiance. “It’s just a fancy name for a cook!”

“There are several professions that are well acclaimed on the Eiloong continent, such as culinarians, alchemists, blacksmiths, and artificer-scribes. Each of them serve a purpose, and especially culinarians.” Jourmind explained. “Magical-beasts serve as an important food supply for many nations, whether wild or domestic, and it is up to culinarians to prepare them in a way that is palatable.”

“In that case, if I can learn to cook monster meat, does that make me a culinarian?” Airen asked.

“Each of these professions has five ranks in total, Novice, Apprentice, Skilled, Renowned, Artisan. Although there are many novice-level professions as grains in a sand on a meach, true Artisans are rare and hard to find, even among the highest echelons of royalty.” Joudming admonished. “You will hear of a dozen queens, or kings before you come across a single Artisan!”

“You hear that, Airen? If you become an Artisan Culinarian when you become king, people far and wide will come to the Kingdom of Macha,” Yuelei teased.

“Wouldn't it be beneath a king to cook though?” Airen looked at Jourmind for an answer.

“No, it isn't uncommon for leaders of their countries to be skilled in a few professions. However, the knowledge is kept secret so only a few know about it.“ Jourmind answered. “It is said that Priestess Geisla is an acclaimed singer, and Sage Grendel is rumoured to be an avid chess player.”

“Why do they keep it a secret?”

“Because there are very few Renowned and above craftsmen; after reaching Skilled, you need to take a unique test in front of the respective guild leaders and gain their approval to advance. Every year, hundreds attempt to take the exam. Once every few years, someone manages to reach Renowned, and only a few every centuries manage to become an Artisan.”

“What does that have to do with kings and queens hiding their craftsman skills?” Yuelei objected.

“Since it's a public test, there are few leaders that are willing to make a public appearance.”

“It seems like being a king is a lot more complicated than I thought,” Airen commented. “Even when Yuelei and I sneak outside the palace, there's always someone following us.”

“It is for your good, Airen,” Jourmind said while shooting Yuelei a knowing look. At one point, Yuelei had noticed Jourmind watching them sneak towards the hole in the wall, and he had put his finger to his lips. She had put two and two together when Airen had forgotten his wallet, and Jourmind had slipped a small purse into her hands.

“It's not easy being a prince~” Airen sang while jumping around.

“Or a princess~,” Yuelei said, chasing Airen around the courtyard.

Jourmind smiled as he watched the two fooling around. He had come to adore them like his very own children, and he often wished that they weren't born as heirs to a kingdom.

***

Later that night.

“Jomin, tell us a story.” Airen and Yuelei had returned to their chambers as soon as the colors of dusk had started to blanket the sky. Jourmind had followed them, bringing them their dinner for the night.

“Of course,” Jourmind smirked and started in a matter-of-fact tone as if he was reciting from a book. “ In the year 294 of the Elonian Calendar- “

“Nooooo~” The two little ones protested together.

“... There was a certain heroine called Alesta of the Golden Lightning.”

“Lightning?”

“Yes, that was what made her exceptional. This woman with hair the color the finest cinnabar,, instead of wielding water, fire, earth, wind, light, or dark elements, wielded lightning the color of gold. This was the first time the entire world was made aware of variant elements, and we would eventually put these in a category of their own, called divine elements because to be given one was considered to be blessed by the heavens.” Jourmind smiled, having slyly turned a story into another lesson.

“To be more specific, it was the first time that a human was known to be able to wield a divine element. After her appearance, many countries tried to research them, but there was no conclusive answer to how one can acquire a divine element. However, the theories that came forth from it paved the way for new forms and utilizations of magic. ”

“Alesta must have been special,” Airen commented between mouthfuls of rice and smoked meat. Beside him, Yuelei was more enraptured by the story, and only after Airen’s interruption did she realize that she had not been eating.

“No, Airen, she was human just like you and me. There are few records of her during her youth, but I would imagine that she would have had a rough childhood due to how different she was. But the world knew nothing of her for a long time.” Jourmind paused to wet his mouth with some tea.

“The largest country of the time, the Gatun Empire, was starting its conquest to unify the Eiloong Continent. It was known for levying heavy taxes and working its vassals like slaves. Their first target was a nearby village, both to display their might and what would happen to those that questioned them. The villager resisted, and because of that, that village no longer exists today.” Jourmind paused, giving some time for his words to sink in.

“So the Gatun Empire were the bad guys?” Airen asked naively.

“There are no good or bad people, Airen, but I believe that the Gatun Empire's methods were 'wrong'. Perhaps they wanted to set an example, but I believe that there was no reason to wipe out an entire village’s population.” Jourmind shook his head as he replied.

“Either way, their conquest went smoothly, and country after country was defeated and annexed by the Gatun Empire. The few that resisted were utterly crushed, their people killed, raped, pillaged, and used as slaves or for entertainment.”

“Those that knew they had no chance surrendered, their rulers were executed, and puppet governments put in their place. Even those countries with Divine Beings that could resist would fall after some time, for the Gatun Empire had Divine Beings of their own, backed by the strongest army at the time.”

“After conquering most of the continent, their final target was a small country to the west, Roredi, that was made of the various islands that today are part of the Kingdom of Four Winds. They built large warships, each the size of our Imperial Palace, and filled them with their formidable troops.”

“It was cloudy that day as if foreboding an ill omen, and the enemy fleet was intercepted on the Sea of Voices. Although the island country's navy was more skillful in naval warfare and consisted of all water element mages, they could not manage to stop the enemy troops from reaching their major port.”

“Why not?” Yuelei questioned. “Can’t they just sink all the ships with water magic?”

“That is exactly what they did.” Jourmind reached out and rubbed Yuelei’s head in praise for the deduction. “As the Gatun Empire's warships sank, their wind element mages would levitate the troops and fly them towards land. When mages clash, not only is it a battle of strength, it is about who can outwit the other. Although the country of Roredi’s navy had stronger mages when it comes to the water element, there are still five other elements they had to contend with and all manner of spells that come with them.”

“But as I was saying, the Gatun troops managed to land and secure the beach, then started making their way towards the nearby harbor. They cut down everything in their path, regardless of age or gender; even if they were non-combatants. Roreti was going to be made into another example of what would happen to those that dared oppose the Gatun Empire and it seemed all was lost at that point.” Jourmind paused and met Airen’s and Yuelei’s expectant gazes.

“And when one soldier raised his sword to strike at a fleeing girl, with a thundering crackle a sword of golden lightning shot from the skies and impaled him through the heart. The rest of the charging soldiers stopped in their tracks. As they stared in shock at their fallen comrade who was a powerful rank eight warrior and a rank seven mage, five more swords of lightning rained down from the heavens...”

“That was when Alesta, the 'Golden Lightning', made her name known across the Eiloong continent. Alesta wielded a pure white blade of lightning and flitted across the battlefield slaying one enemy after another. With each flash of lightning, she would vanish, and with each clap of thunder, she would reappear, her sword sinking into another soldier's chest. What made her even more fear-invoking was that she controlled those six swords of lighting as if they were her own body, and soldiers died left and right as soon as they placed their foot upon the shore.

“Despite all their numbers and training, none of the troops knew how to deal with this new type of enemy. Experience borne from hundreds of campaigns was meaningless in the face of absolute power, and the ever-growing piles of bodies dotting the shoreline was evidence to that fact. Even their mages were no match for her, their spells literally and figuratively disintegrated by the golden lightning that sparked from Alesta’s swords.”

"They simply could not stop her. Before long the sand turned a shade of deep crimson, the lapping waves filled with more blood than seawater, and bodies piled up in the thousands. Yet, despite this, it appeared to the islanders as if not a single speck of blood had touched her nor tainted the color of her blades.”

“Why did she appear there and nowhere else when other countries were attacked?” Airen asked.

“Who knows. Human motives are always things that can never be easily understood .” Jourmind shook his head in sadness. “Nevertheless, that was a turning point for the Gatun Empire. Four times they attempted to attack the islands, and each time they were repelled single-handedly by Alesta. And on each attempt after the first, they sent more and more Divine Beings.”

“Are you saying she managed to defeat more than one Divine Beings at the same time?” Yuelei gasped.

“Very few managed to witness that battle, so we are not entirely sure how she managed it. But what we do know is that because of their battle, two more islands now exist in the Kingdom of Four Winds, and those Divine Beings from the Gatun Empire were never seen again, while Alesta very clearly made her presence known. Perhaps this story may have been different if the Gatun Empire had sent all their Divine Beings together, but they were still struggling to maintain control over their newfound territories.”

“It was at that point the rulers of the Gatun Empire knew that they had made an enemy of a very, very dangerous person. They sent a messenger with a peace treaty and offers of riches beyond imagination and asked her to name what she wanted, and all they received back was the messenger's head with the words 'Nobody can bring back the dead' seared into the messenger's face.“ Jourmind lightly shook his arm to shoo away a firefly that had landed on him.

“It is said that Alesta went to each conquered kingdom and town, executing all of the rulers put into power by the Gatun Empire. She left rebellion in her wake and exacted justice for the enslaved populace that had become slaves under the Gatun Empire’s rule.”

Within a month, all of the countries and lands that the Gatun Empire had conquered were in open rebellion, having been inspired by her actions.”

“Within the next, there were no more Divine Beings that the Gatun Empire had remaining that dared to contest Alesta. Those that survived their encounter with her would quietly excuse themselves from the growing conflict.”

“Within the last, the rulers of the Gatun Empire were executed by Alesta. There are many tales of how she had killed them, but the most common one was that she killed the Emperor in the middle of his court before she started to hunt down anyone that supported the Gatun Empire’s policies.”

“What happened to her afterwards?” Yuelei asked. “Did she rise to become a queen of her own country?”

“She vanished after it was all over.” Jourmind shook his head. “To this day, many speculate her motives, who she was, if she is still alive, and even if she was human. But we will never know as many of the countries from that time no longer exist today, and only a few even recall the legend of Alesta, the Golden Lightning. ”

“Now, both of you have been up long enough. It's time for the two little ones to go to get ready for bed. Look, Airen is already half asleep.” Jourmind started to stack the empty dishes quietly to take back with him when he left Yuelei followed his example and silently helped out, careful not to wake up her slumbering brother, his head in his arms atop the table.

“Jomin?”

“Yes, my child?”

“When I grow up, I want to be like Alesta,” Yuelei smiled, and Jourmind faltered before replying, not having the heart to tell her that not everyone was blessed with a divine element.

“That’s good, Yuelei. But to do that, you’ll need to rest so you can train tomorrow. If you work hard enough, anything is possible. Now off to bed with you, young lady.”

***

Elsewhere, that same night.

In a well-furnished room, Empress Xeina sat alone in the dark, illuminated only by the light of a single candle. If a servant would have dared to peer into the Queen’s chambers at this time, they would have been surprised that the Queen was still awake, seemingly staring into the candle. If they had peered even closer, however, then they would have noticed her lips slowly moving before dying on the spot.

“Did anyone see you enter the city?”

“No.” a hooded figure spoke in response, hidden between the shadows. “Why do you even bother asking? Even a Divine Being would find it unable to sense my presence. ”

“I take it that our... arrangement is complete then?”

“It took eight extremely rare poisons, but he is dead.”

“And did you-”

“He is nothing but a walking corpse now, as you wished.”

“Good.“ The tension in the room seemed to dissipate with the murmuring of these words. “At long last...”

“Hold out your arm so we can be done.” the owner of the voice walked into the candlelight. His face was not visible, having been obscured by the rune-inscribed cloak that he wore.

“Is that the way you treat a Queen?” Xenia scoffed, but she nevertheless did as he asked.

The man ignored her and opened an ornate chest he withdrew from inside his robe. To Xeina's eyes, it appeared to be a dark red crystal. Taking the crystal into his palm, a light purple flame started glowing from his fingers, and the crystal started to melt and drip onto Xeina's arm.

As the final vestiges seeped into her skin, the crystal formed a sigil, the only evidence of the dark pact that was just made. Without a word, she took out a box of her own and opened it in front of the ghost-like figure.

“Here it is, per our agreement.” Xenia opened the box, revealing a lotus formed from pink crystals that seemed to be growing out of a block of amethyst. Almost as if entranced, the hooded figure scooped up the box with erratic movements and retreated into the darkness before he inspected it.

“It took six years to procure it... six years I have waited…” After confirming it was what he had been searching for, the man whispered to nobody in particular. At this, Xeina felt her anger begin to rise.

“Six years is a small amount of time for a legendary herb that wasn't even supposed to exist.”

In response, the man slowly turned his gaze to Xeina, as if seeing her for the first time.

“You have my gratitude, but do not forget that this was a deal we made to spare the lives of your citizens.” He cradled the herb as if it was his child.

“May we never meet again, newly born Divine Being.”

***

“I thought we were going to be training today,” Airen complained to Jourmind as they entered the courtyard after breakfast. However, Jourmind had not brought any of their usual sparring equipment with them.

“We are training today. Training your mental fortitude that is.” Jourmind replied as he pulled out two chairs for the two little ones. “A good warrior trains his mind, and a good mage trains his body. “

“Should it not be the other way around, Teacher?” Yuelei asked as she sat down. “Mages train their mind while warriors train their bodies?”

“A good warrior already has a trained body, and a good mage has a strong mind.” Jourmind elaborated. “One must make up for their weaknesses before bettering their strengths.”

“Ok. I think I get it” Yuelei responded. “How would Airen and I practice magic if we don't even know about our affinities yet?”

“You'll find out the day after the ceremony. But today, I'll tell you a bit of magical theory so you won't be too overwhelmed when we start” Jourmind poured out some black-speckled sand from a pouch onto the floor in front of him. “Watch.”

Jourmind furrowed his brow and floated his hand above the mound of sand. The sand began to shift and condense into a small sphere. A few seconds afterward the sphere started to warp and grew a pair of arms and legs. Before long, a miniature Airen figurine was looking back at them.

“This is one of the middle-ranked Earth affinity spells, Clay Image.” Jourmind explained. As the figure walked towards Yuli, she picked it up and held it next to Airen to compare.

“Wow, he looks exactly like you, Airen!”

“Does not. My head isn't that big...” Airen peered face to face with his miniature self.

“A higher ranked mage would be able to create a life-sized one, but it takes an enormous amount of magic power. Perhaps, you can ask your Lord Father to demonstrate when he returns tomorrow.” Jourmind smiled. “Put him back on the ground, Yuelei.” As she did so, the figure returned into a pile of sand.

“There are three parts to casting a spell.” Jourmind held up three fingers.

“The first part is using magic is to gather the element in the area around you with your magical power.” Jourmind waved his hand, and the pile of sand drifted towards him before settling in front of him. “One’s magical power comes from the soul, and each person’s soul is like a vessel that they can draw from. By dispersing their magical power into an area, shape, or form, it will create a resonance with whichever element the user has an affinity with. The more proficient you are at this part, the quicker you can cast your spells.”

“The second step is shaping it.” He furrowed his brow and the sand formed into the shape of a needle. “By manipulating one’s dispersed magical power, you can change the form of the target to your will. Each spell has its own form and method of creation, which greatly affects the end result. The better you understand your spell, the less likely it can backfire or fail.”

“The last step is to project it.” With a gesture from Jourmind the needle shot into the air and impaled a migrating goose, before returning with the corpse. “This part is both the easiest and hardest, and it is up to the user how they want to use their spell. Small subtle changes can change a spell into entirely different things.”

“Each spell is different. For example, large-scale ones usually require a large amount of magical power to gather the elements, and magical enchantments require skillful manipulation. Generally speaking, it is up to the mage to create, shape, and use a spell, and as they use more and more magical power, their vessel will also slowly grow as they grow used to being a conduit for magic.”

“If it's up to the mage to create a spell, how come people give certain names to common spells?” Airen asked. Jourmind chuckled as he turned the earthen needle back to sand and started to skillfully de-feather the bird.

“Most of the time spells like this Earth Bolt are given that name because of the magic's purpose and the way the magic is cast. Although I made it into a needle, I could have easily made it into a smooth round rock or a spiked ball. Either way, it was meant to be formed quickly and shot at the enemy.” As he explained, he started to gut the bird while a hole dug itself next to him, the dirt forming a neat little pile next to him.

“Basic magic manipulation can also be used to change the environment; for example, this hole is being dug with magic. I'm simply gathering the earth element from a specific area, and moving it elsewhere.” Jourmind threw the innards and feathers into the hole and packed it with dirt.

“Are you going to cook that bird, Jomin?” Yuelei asked. “Should we ask the servants for some firewood?”

“I've already brought some.” Jourmind grinned. He carefully prepared a spit-roast pit and placed the wood inside. Once he finished, he stopped and stared intently at the wood.

A few minutes passed, and Jourmind did not move or make a sound.

“Jomin?” Airen and Yuelei chirped quietly. They did not get a response so they raised their voices and repeated themselves. At the interruption, Jourmind turned towards them and put a finger to his lips, and they quieted instantly. He returned to staring at the fire.

One minute passed. And then another. After a full six minutes, a flame burst forth from the wood, and Jourmind slowly coaxed it into a cozy campfire. Yuelei and Airen stood and stared at Jourmind, for they had never seen him use fire magic before.

“Are you a dual-element magus?” Yuelei ventured.

Jourmind chuckled. “No, I am not like your Lord father. I'm just a humble earth mage.”

“But... that was fire magic. We both saw it. “ Airen interjected.

Seeing his pupils’ faces, Jourmind couldn't help but start laughing. “Yes, yes it was.”

“Then-,” how did you do it? The unasked question hung in the air.

“Just because I'm an earth element mage doesn't mean I can't utilize the other elements. A mage can use any element, but it is extremely difficult to use an element that they don't have affinities with. As you saw, it took me a long time to simply create a small flame while it took a few seconds to create an Earth Bolt.” Jourmind revealed as he took out a dagger and cut snippets of meat for Airen and Yuelei.

“That's precisely why dual-element mages are dangerous. Although neither one of their elements are as powerful compared to an element of a pure-element mage of the same rank, they can combine the effects of both elements to create new spells.” Jourmind drunk from his canteen that he always carried around. As he watched the two little ones eat, he asked. “Do you know why your father was called the 'Fist of the Heavens'?

“Isn't it because he fights with gauntlets?” Airen asked.

“That's part of it” Jourmind responded. “There are several stories that most people don't know about that led to him getting his name.”

“Tell us Jomin,” Yuelei said. “Tell us!”

At their clamoring, Jourmind closed his eyes and tried to remember his adventuring days, before launching into a story.

“The first event that set everything in motion was probably a tournament hosted in The Holy Land of Ecclisa. Your father, Macha, did not know he was the heir to a kingdom at the time. He had no fame to his name, or country to call his own or even a home that he can return to. His only valuable possession was the ring his mother had given him. He was just one of the wanderers in our small band of mercenaries.” Jourmind’s eyes glazed over as if he had returned to a time in the past.

“Despite that, your father was a strong and compassionate individual. When times were desperate, he would forego food so the young war orphans we picked up would be able to eat. I was one of them. We were merely a group formed in order to survive in a cruel environment, but in many ways, it was a much closer family than any I have seen.“.

“When our last leader died in one of our missions, your father was unanimously voted to be the new leader. A few years afterward, he decided it was time that our rag-tag band would have a home, and participated in the tournament with all intention of taking the monetary prize. He was the only person without the name of a weapon school or magic academy backing him to pass the preliminaries. “

“I still remember how he climbed into the finals. All the spectators and judges were whispering among themselves 'who was this man'. None of them knew, but we did.” Jourmind smiled. “He was our leader, we had thought to ourselves at that time, and Macha was our pride and honor. ”

“When the final duel took place, that was when the foundations of his name were built. The opponent introduced himself as the son of the Acher Clan and asked for his name and status. Macha introduced himself as well, and the opponent, upon finding that he was a nameless individual, started to insinuate that he was cheating,”

“Your father ignored him and waited for the signal to start the match. Right before the bell went off, his opponent made the mistake of calling our small band a group of highway bandits. The fight was over in an instant. Macha had sent the enemy flying into the skies with a flaming uppercut. In stunned silence, the judges pronounced that his opponent had died.” After another sip from his canteen, Jourmind continued.

“Using our newly-acquired funds, your father bought a large estate that we started to reside in. After his display of strength, more and more people came to us for jobs. Our living conditions improved, and before long our mercenary group’s name became commonplace⎯ Restless Sparrows.” Jourmind 's face darkened.

“It wasn't uncommon for people to die in the tournament, especially if they refused to yield, but the Acher house came for revenge. It was... a massacre. After waiting for Macha to leave the estate, they came and killed everyone. Our haven for wanderers turned into an execution ground. A few of us managed to hide in the hidden underground storage room, and we had to listen to the screams. After they were finished, they set the place on fire to hide the evidence. Black smoke started to waft in, and eventually, we passed out.”

Jourmind 's hands were clenched and his teeth grated against each other.. Remembering that Airen and Yuelei were watching, he forced himself to relax. He started to wonder if this story was too gruesome for the two.

“What happened next?” Yuelei quietly asked.

“When I woke up, someone had taken me out of the wreckage. I sat up and saw Macha digging through the rubble trying to find other survivors. I took a look around and saw the eight of us, the eight that were hidden in the storage, on the ground next to me. We were the few that survived. I called out to your father, and when he saw I was awake, he rushed over to see if I was alright. His expression that day, I could never forget it. It was the face of a man devastated by emotions. And then I told him what had happened.”

“That was how we came to the Kingdom of Belsing in pursuit of the Acher clan, all for the sake of revenge. If you recall, Belsing was your grandfather's name. He had recently passed away and there was a war being fought over the succession. It was rumored that he had a son, but nobody was sure of who it was.”As a result, several people came out claiming to be the son. “

“The man your father killed in the tournament was one of these false pretenders to the throne. We infiltrated the Acher clan’s estate posing as guards posing under a different name and sharpened our fangs. And one night, we returned the favor done to our home.” Jourmind paused.

“We spared anyone that surrendered. Just as Macha was about to strike down the Acher clan leader, that person noticed the ring Macha was wearing. With Macha's appearance, his power, and the ring, he put the pieces together and begged your father to spare the others’ lives in return for his own, calling him a 'benevolent king.'”

“Perhaps it was the realization of who he actually was, perhaps it was the Acher leader's two daughters jumping in front of him, maybe both, but Macha's anger receded. He asked for the person that ordered the massacre and found out it was the clan leader's second wife. And then he gave them an offer. Her life, his allegiance, one of his daughters, and he won't exterminate his clan.“

“The rest from there is unimportant. Your father had reached Divine Being status at that point, and that alone gave him the strength to challenge the throne.”

“Some of the loyal factions he managed to persuade, several of the pretenders he crushed with an iron fist, but what made him king wasn't power but rather the admiration of the public. After five years of civil war, the masses were tired and hungry. Macha ordered the clans on his side to open their gates and use their money to feed the people. When fights broke out between factions, Macha would intervene and it seemed to onlookers that he fell from the heavens as he slammed the ground causing the earth to splinter and crack. “

“With both the backing of the public and several powerful clans, your father eventually properly succeeded your grandfather. And that was the story of how your father became the ‘Fist of the Heavens’ as well as how the Kingdom of Macha came to be.”

“What happened to the young girl that father took as a hostage?” Airen asked.

Jourmind stared at the sky that was starting to turn a shade of orange and red and chuckled. “It's funny how love works because that girl was your mother, Airen.”

“What?” Yuelei exclaimed, “How did that happen?”

“A story for another time,” Jourmind promised. “Right now, it's time for the younglings to be off for dinner. You can’t be eating in your rooms all the time.” He stood and ushering the two towards the Imperial Palace for their daily bath, ignoring their complaints, and waving them off to a servant.

As Jourmind was cleaning the fire pit, a blue sparrow darted from the skies and onto his shoulder. Jourmind rummaged around his pockets and pulled out a small bag of nuts that he fed to the sparrow.

“To think that someone still uses our old band's method of communication.” Jourmind mused. “I wonder who it's from...”

As the bird pecked at the dried nuts, Jourmind retrieved the message that was tied to its leg.

Reading the message, Jourmind's eyes first widened, then steeled into a glare. He glanced around him to check if anyone was watching. After asserting that there were no prying eyes, he hid the message within his pockets.

He knelt down and brushed the sparrow's head a few times before finally pulling himself together. Jourmind quickly left, and when he returned, he tied another message to the bird's leg.

Later that night.

“Hey, Yuli.”

“What?”

The pair were returning to their room after a lavish dinner. Airen fumbled around his brightly colored robes and pulled out a small box.

“We won't have time on the day before the ceremony so...” Airen shifted his feet.

“Happy birthday.” He presented the teal box to Yuelei.

“So that's what you were buying the last time we snuck out of the palace.” Yuelei teased.

“It's funny because we think alike.” Yuelei also took out a mint colored box, slightly larger than Airen's and handed it to him.

They opened it at the same time. Within Airen's was a dark red piece of cloth embroidered with lotuses. Upon closer inspection, the lines in the cloth seemed to glimmer slightly. Within Yuelei's was a beautiful hairpin encrusted with three deep blue gems.

Airen picked up the cloth, despite how thick it was, it was extremely lightweight and flexible.

“This scarf is specially made from the fur of a rare magical beast that never dirties. You can use this cloth to wipe just about anything and it would still remain clean, and if it tears, it slowly fixes itself” Yuelei said proudly.

“That's pretty useful,” Airen conceded.

“Ok, your turn.”Yuelei pressured.

“That hairpin was made by a blacksmith, not a jeweler” Airen bragged. “Each gem has a special effect. Touching the smallest one would cause it to emit light. The medium-sized one changes color if it encounters poison, and the largest one can be used to find water.”

“Where did you get this sort of thing?” Yuelei questioned as she looked over the hairpin.

“Actually... Jomin helped me pick it out” he confessed.

“Really? Jomin told me to get this for you too...” Yuelei said.

They both held their heads in silence.

“That Jomin... he really did ruin our competition this year, didn't he?”

“Either way, I would have won. Obviously, my present was the better one.” Airen declared.

“Is not! You know I don't wear any of those weird hairpins. Plus mine is more useful!”

“But... it doesn't do as much stuff as mine does...”

The two of them bickered for some time, long before they fell asleep.

Airen woke up with a hand softly covering his mouth. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and he saw Jourmind with a finger pressed to his mouth. Jourmind's piercing eyes stared at him, and Airen nodded his head. He gestured for him to wake up Yuelei as he walked to the door and peered outside.

“Yuli, wake up,” Airen whispered. After nudging her a few times, Yuelei finally roused from her sleep.

“What is-” Yuelei’s eyes were drowsy and she was about to complain but halted herself after seeing Airen put a finger on his lips.

“Shhh!”

“Airen, Yuelei. First, change into these and listen to me closely.” Jourmind handed the pair some dark-hued clothing. As they fumbled in the dark to do as he bid, he continued.

“Your father tasked me to get you out of here.” Jourmind handed the two of them two large burlap sacks. “I know you two have questions but now is not the time. Right now, we need to leave..”

The two children were confused at first, but quickly followed Jourmind's instructions. After moving them to the corner of the room, Jourmind removed a few tiles on the floor. He placed his palm onto the ground and after a few moments, the earth started to shift apart until a small man-sized passage was made.

“Airen, you go first, then Yuelei, you follow him. I will be right behind you two. Don’t speak unless you have to, otherwise, someone might hear us.”

The tunnel was relatively straightforward, but it was by no means a comfortable experience as dirt and stone dug into their knees as they crawled forward in the darkness. Deep beneath the earth was cold and silent, with the only sound being the patter of crumbling earth as Jourmind continued to form the tunnel ahead of them.

After an hour, Airen could no longer bear it and broke the silence.

“Jomin, where does this even lead? And why did father ask you to take us away from the palace? Airen’s words assaulted Jourmind, unable to hold back any longer.

“Lord Father is Divine Being. Why would anyone want to risk the wrath of someone like father?” Yuelei added.

“An incident befell your father and he was severely injured. There are rumors that the Imperial Palace has been infiltrated by assassins.” Jourmind did not wish to lie to the children, yet at the same time, he needed them to concentrate on the task at hand. It should be fine to talk now since we are pretty deep underground.

“This tunnel leads to the outskirts of the city where we are going to go into hiding for a little while until I can figure things out.” Jourmind explained.

“Are you going to protect us Jomin?” Yuelei asked.

“I am confident I could protect both you and Yuli, but sooner or later, a small mistake could be the end of us.” Jourmind explained. “Remember what I said?”

“When you are not sure who your enemies are, that is the worst situation to be in. Remember what I said about how to deal with your enemies? If your enemy is stronger-”

“Elude him,” Yueli said. “If your enemy is your equal-”

“Prepare for him,” Airen continued. “And if your enemy is weaker-”

“Crush him” a female voice declared, and the ground started to shake. The earth above the three's heads splintered open and all three were ejected into the air.

Jourmind quickly oriented himself to land on his feet. He came face to face with Xenia and two masked men. The limp bodies of Airen and Yuelei hanged from their arms, showing that they had been knocked unconscious.

“It did not strike me that you too were a reader of the art of war,” Xeina commented as her cold eyes peered over from her side, barely illuminated by the torches held by her retainers.“But think you, a mere sixth-ranked earth magus, can elude me?”

“Put those two down. I do not know what sort of grudge you hold, but those two are innocent.” In a flash, Jourmind drew his rapier and took a defensive stance. He glanced at the two masked men and cursed inwardly, unable to get a grasp of their strength.

“Innocent?” Xeina started to laugh, a grudging laugh full of bitterness and a hint of sadness. “Nobody is truly innocent, Jourmind, or should I call you by your full name? My half brother, Jourmind Acher.”

“The Acher family banished me before I was even born into the world!” Jourmind roared. “If your grudge is with me, then let those two little ones go, and I will come quietly and accept any punishment you desire! Why are you doing this!?”

“Why?” Xeina repeated, her eyes narrowed. “Do you really not realize why I am doing this?”

“Macha?” Jourmind questioned. “His problem with the Acher family was resolved when he and your sister, Aris, fell in love and got married!”

“Yet if they were in love, why did she die? Why did Macha, the mighty Fist of the Heavens, not protect her? Why did she, who sacrificed herself to take my place, have to die!?” Xeina snarled back.

“But that was an accident!” Jourmind interrupted. “Nobody could have predicted that-”

“Perhaps not, but that doesn't change the fact that he came back one day, her body in his hands. If he had lied, who would dare not to believe him?” Xenia scowled.

“Macha really did love her, Xeina. I watched him hesitate for years because of the uneasy tension between him and the Acher clan. Your sister also hesitated, thinking that she was atoning for what the Acher house did to his- our family.” Jourmind muttered after being silent for quite some time.

“I, too, was willing to let bygones be bygones. I had sworn that as long as Macha held her dear and his love was true, I would be content with everything.” Xeina walked in front of him until their faces were inches apart. Jourmind braced himself, thinking that she was going to attack, but she merely whispered.

“But she died under his watch, and when I asked dear husband why, he said he had to choose between her and the future of the country.”

“I could have forgiven our troubled history, but I cannot and will never forgive him for that. But what really caused everything was how quickly he took me as the new Queen. He did not even spend time to mourn and he had the gall to propose marriage... to me. I will not be a replacement for someone we both cherished.” She turned around and walked back to where the two men were.

“He is dead now, and I don’t regret doing it.” Jourmind opened his mouth to protest but Xeina cut him off. “All that is left is to clean up those that would follow such a man.”

Red mist started to seep into Jourmind's vision. The letter Macha had sent him was during his final moments, and it was only now that Jourmind found out who was the culprit.

“I would not do that if I were you, Jourmind Acher, or would you prefer if I called you ‘brother’?” Xeina said, her back towards him. “You've always treated Aris well, and I would not prefer to kill my last sibling.

“These two, however...” she brushed the sleeping Yuelei's black hair, “... are a different story.”

“The Casteya clan is my family now, leader of the Acher house. And if you insist on harming those two, I have no choice but to be forced to fight you.” Jourmind channeled his soul power and poured it into his earth magic. Two, then four, then eight Clay Images of him appeared behind his back, each holding their rapier in a dueling stance.

Xeina said nothing and merely observed. Even as the Clay Images all charged towards them brandishing a weapon art, she seemed indifferent. When they finally reached within ten meters, one of the masked men started to walk forward, only to be blocked by Xeina's arm. A golden-orange light flashed in Xeina's eyes as thousands of Earthen Lances pulsed forward in waves from her fleet and disintegrated all of the Clay Images. Several of them pierced and pinned Jourmind, delivering fatal wounds as they impaled him.

“What...” Jourmind spat blood, his eyes on Xeina who was calmly walking towards him. “You...”

“Yes, I'm a Divine Being.“ Xeina affirmed sadly. “I had wished that the world remained ignorant, but with the way things are, it seems I have no choice after all.” Her words slurred as Jourmind felt his vision and hearing starting to dim.

“Goodbye, brother of mine that I have never known.”

“Please...” Jourmind croaked out with the last bits of his strength. “Spare them... they are also your sister's children.” He wrenched his hand off the Earthen Lances and placed it on Xeina's shoulder in a feeble attempt to squeeze. Blood soaked into her gown but she did not knock it away.

He stared intensely into Xeina's eyes. A minute passed as Jourmind fought from falling into eternal sleep, and finally, Xeina simply nodded.

Perhaps it was her way of saying goodbye to her last sibling, perhaps it was out of mercy, but as soon as she did, Jourmind Casteya, Traitor of the Acher Clan, passed away.

Xeina stood there until the warmth faded from the hand on her shoulder. She retrieved out her magic and Jourmind's body fell to the ground as the earthen spikes, as well as the earthen dome, returned to being dirt and stone.”

“So... it is finally all over,” Xeina murmured as she stared up into the night sky. “Aris, may you forgive me for what I have done, but as promised, I will fulfill your last request until the day I die.”

“Shall we dispose of these two? My Queen, there’s no need to dirty your hands any further…” a voice interrupted her. The masked men walked over and pointed towards the unconscious children in their arms.

Xeina walked over and caressed her hands through Yuelei's hair. During their minor interactions in the palace, Yuelei had painfully reminded her of Aris, while the shy Airen reminded her of her weak self. Every time she had looked at them, she had felt pain and suffering, for they so very much resembled her and Aris.

As her mind drifted between childhood memories, she recalled Jourmind's last words.

They are your sister's children.

“Let them go.” Xeina quietly said.

“Are you sure?” one of the men inquired.

“I'll return the favor Macha did to Aris and me. Split them up and send them away so that I may never see them again.” Xeina walked away and left the two men gazing at each other.

“And if fate and fortune favor them, then one day they'll meet again.”