Side-story α

He strolled along the palace’s balcony, adjusting the lens of his glasses and enjoying the warmth of the sunrise fall on his face. From that high ground, he watched the world wake from its slumber. Birds and animals were the first, chirping and crowing to the morning.

Then, the humanoids were next. Humans, beastmens, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and orcs all started coming out of their abodes for their activities of the day. Soon, the streets were bustling with people and from there came the sound of life.

“You are early Vanadic.” A male voice yawned.

“Antorine.” He greeted, his eyes still fixated on the scenery before him. “So are you.”

“Not as early as you, my friend.”

He snorted, before turning back to face the newcomer who was dressed in full armour. A long sword and a shield hung from the man’s back and his boots clinked with his every step. “What will people say if they knew that the bodyguard of our King is not as disciplined as they think he is?”

A feigned look of horror came over Antorine, who retorted. “Well we are at peace. So I am just there for show. So, what are you looking at? Ooh I see a pretty elven lady.”

Antorine is a human like him and the guy had a decent personality, if not a little goofy. Being the King’s bodyguard, he was stationed right in the capital instead of given his own fief so that he could be by the king’s side at all possible moments of time. He had always complained about that supposed biasness and mocked the position at every chance he had, but Vanadic knows that deep down Antorine held his job in high regards.

In fact, all of them do.

“So… why do you think he decided to hold court after so long?” Antorine unbuckled his equipment and leaned back on the railings besides Vanadic, his brown unruly hair fluttering to the wind. “I mean I don’t mind seeing you all again but why now?”

“I have no idea. Aren’t you supposed to be the closest to him?”

Antorine shrugged, giving an expression of nonchalance. “All I know is that everyone is arriving throughout the night, even the one person I did not really want to meet.”

As if on cue, a female voice shrieked throughout the quiet palace, shattering the tranquility of the morning and possibly waking everyone in it. “ANTORIIIINEEEEE!!!”

“Ooohh, help me. The Dark Hand is going to kill me...” Antorine stressed the title of the voice in question and trembled in feigned fear. “… if she could.”

“What did you do to her again?” He asked like it was none of his business as he began flipping through the pages of a simple black tome.

“I think I might have left an Antroach in her pantsu.”

The pages stopped. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Antorine in the eye for a second confirmation at what he had just said. When the bodyguard nodded with a serious face, the two men broke into silent laughter. It was after a few seconds before he managed to catch his breath back.

“I think you will need to get new cod-piece from Gutrand soon. Get it before he leaves for Scelenia.” He commented pointedly. It was at this moment that they both could not hold it in any longer. Hearty chuckles rang out from the balcony at the absurdity of it all.

“Hey,” He said, suddenly changing the topic. “Do you think our peace will last?”

Antorine pursed his lips, as though he was giving the question a great deal of thought. A few seconds later, the man shrugged. “No idea. I prefer not to think about it.”

“What does your goddess think then?”

He noticed Antorine eyeing his shield. “Well, she is the goddess of cycles. Her answer will most definitely be no. In her eyes, nothing is permanent, not even her Chosen.”

“And I would agree with that.”

He is a historian after all and one thing history taught him was that nothing last forever. Not life. Not love. Not even the greatest of empires had withstood the passing of time. They rise and fall like cycles, which was why ages and eras existed. It made him wonder if the peace they have fought so hard to attain would one day crumble like a castle in the sand at the mercy to the cycle of the sea tide.

“Maybe I should change my religion to Balces. I will ask Gutrand later.”

“You really should not joke about things like that.”

Antorine flapped his hands dismissively. “Like I would give a damn. Well, let’s get down to the hall for some food before court is held. I am so famished.”

“Let’s.”

“I think you will like the breakfast, Vanadic. Alexandrian style is much like Alvastran…” The two friends re-entered the palace with warm smiles on their faces.

Author's Notes:

I have recently come to the attention that several ships have set sail for Ages Online. As a formal survey I will conduct a poll on the subject to gather some information. :)

Feel free to elaborate on your choices. If you choose ???, please do elaborate, otherwise I will not have any idea what you are referring to.

Cheers!