My name is Moriah Adela Gagliardi-Angelo. Since I could remember I have always had everything handed to me. I am to be the next Empress. This is a piece of my story.

-Year 1242 of the Imperial Calendar, from Tomes of a Proper Ruler.

><>

Moriah woke up in a cold sweat. She had that dream again. Third time this week. 274 time since it started a few years back. The events of the dream never changed and its frequency increased as it only grew closer and closer. Moriah was certain it had something to do with her bloodline. The Angelo part, not the Gagliardi. Her father's bloodline would provide some other type of benefit.

Angelo, Angels, Moriah bloodline came from one of the higher tiered races upon this world. That was all she knew of the matter, she wouldn’t be told how, until the current Empress relinquished her title. As Moriah sat up a servant appeared in the room. Already rushing her out of bed and prepping her for the day's activities. Her day usually followed along the lines of this: etiquette training, vassal management lessons, magic lessons and meditation, and finally her favorite part of the day. Physical combat. Moriah was trained to have proficiency in every standard weapon the Empire uses, but her personal favorite was the sword, for it was the most versatile weapon she ever picked up. She could chop, slash, stab, and parry all with the sword.

It was with the sword that Moriah sought her freedom. Her life was all too sheltered for her taste. She couldn’t remember when she started feeling like this and looking at her overall situation she shouldn’t feel like this. But if Moriah could place a finger on where it starts, then it must have started when she first met her father. Ezio il Gagliardi, a Watcher of the Empire. Watchers' duties consisted of looking for threats that can affect any major household or establishment that can affect the stability within the Empire. They also function as agents in several boarding human kingdoms directed vassal to the Empire or not. In short, they were spies.

Moriah didn’t meet her father until the age of 4 when she was beginning her ascension. In fact, she never knew she had a father until that time point. Male partners of the Empress are established as concubines and reside in an entirely different area than the royal castle. Her father told her a quote and from that point forth Moriah believes that's when she started to get the itch.

“Freedom lies in being bold.”

Since then she took that as her sort of mantra. She already noticed how no matter what activities she performed everyone was subservient to her, yet they restrained her. So Moriah got bolder and bolder in her actions and her approach to receive what she wants. She tricked the son of the Duke of the West in order to be bolder, be rebellious. She went as far as to attempt to murder one of her compact trainers in live practice.

Moriah was going to go even farther in her actions. Until she was summoned by her Empress Mother. Empress Mother. Empress before Mother because that is exactly how she operates. An Empress first and Mother later. That was how Moriah was to operate. A princess first before the individual known as Moriah. Her mother punished her by taking away her favorite pastime: watching criminals fight to the death in the Grand Coliseum. A light punishment but a punishment nevertheless.

Moriah returned her thoughts to the present. As requested the Empires agents in the west dukedom informed her of when Aegeus started his training. It was now time to put forth some of her major plans. It helped a major portion as part of her vassal training. She would scout the Empire for talents that would answer to her and her alone. Each Empress had their own personal force that they cultivated and once Aegeus was sent off-world. Moriah was sure as hell coming along with her retinue.

Freedom lies in being bold, and Moriah was sure as hell going to get her freedom. The only thing she wasn’t sure of yet was removing her Oath Bound. She thought about Aegeus. The boy had made attempts to truly befriending her and Moriah recognized the fact. Now that he could see what they had was nothing but a facade she felt better yet wary about coming along with him.

><>

With a jump, A.K. awoke. He had a nightmare being forced to fight to the death with a hobgoblin. Then he felt the pain. His body hurt, everywhere. That's when A.K.s mindfully came too and he realized the situation he experienced was no nightmare. Groaning, he slowly moved his arms to lift himself off the floor. He fell unconscious onto the dirt floor of the colosseum. Slowly, ever so slowly he lifted himself up. This took almost everything out of him and A.K. rested for a few minutes before moving until he was in a sitting position.

‘Weak’

A.K. spat out a mouth full of blood and leaned forth face almost touching the same blood he just spat out. Once again he felt like was displaced from his body. A.K. could barely stay conscious but managed through sheer will too. That's when he noticed the wounds he received in his first battle to the death were rapidly healing. Only leaving slight scares as a memento. Even his most painfully wound, the dagger he took to the side, was healing at a visible rate.

“Thank you, Gatekeeper,” A.K. said, bowing his head in respect. After what happened previously, it came to his understanding that his status as the son of the Duke of the West meant nothing to this being.

‘So you do know respect.’

“This humble one name is Aegeus Kan, may I know what plans Gatekeeper has for me next?”

‘Hmph,’ the Gatekeeper exclaimed. A.K. could have sworn he heard the satisfaction dripping from its voice.

‘Your father has requested to initiate the trial that all Kans must go through to awake their bloodline. You have been tasked with a mission to retrieve a Stone of Redcoomshi, and ignite your bloodline.’

“Gatekeeper of the Catacombs, may I be permitted to ask a few questions?”

‘Ask 3, no more, no less. Afterward, you will be given a week's worth of food and a starting map and guide of creatures in the upper levels of the Catacombs.’

A.K. spent a few minutes in silence to try and fully organize his thoughts. For so long a period he had never truly needed to watch his manners or words. His mother had spoiled him and his father was usually at the Wall. In these past 8 years of living here, A.K. could say this personally had gone through definite changes. Before coming to Gaia, A.K. was more prone to being indecisive and sluggish in any major decisions he’d have to take. Hell his mother still made doctors/dentist appointments for him during that time. The Kans had changed that, they were building him to become not a follower, but a leader.

Now in front of this being A.K. felt just as he did when [ Beyond ] invaded his first home. Weak. This weakness was eating at him. It wasn’t constantly when he was first born but slightly increased over the years. Nowhere near enough to be a true bother, but now? Now it was like a forest fire that had started from some careless campers, who didn’t properly put out their embers. Blazing and burning everything flammable in its path, and A.K. was running from it but it was catching u-

‘I do not have all day.’

A.K. snapped out of his thoughts and returned his attention to what was important he already knew what his first question was going to be.

“Can you remove my mana cuffs?”

‘No, you are expected to take this take like a mortal man. As your ancestors once did to gain their bloodline and power.’

Although there were numerous questions on A.K.'s mind, he already decided on his first two questions.

“What happens if I don’t succeed in 5 years?”

‘Do not bother returning to the Kan establishment. The shortest time it took for an individual to finish their task was your father, Vasu finished within 4 years. Most Kan takes the full five years of time to accomplish the mission set for them. What is your final question.’

“How will I know how to find a Stone of Redcoomshi.”

‘You will know. All paths lead to Mt. Redcoomshi. The farther you go down the hotter it will get. That is how you know you’re going in the right direction. Upon return the cooler it gets the closest to the surface you are. This will be bonus information: do not spend too much time exploring the Catacombs. Although there are various treasures it is important to secure the stone and activate your bloodline to its fullest effects. Upon your return, however…’

The Gatekeeper left it at that. A.K. watched as new armor much better crafted was presented in front of him. A new buckler and ax were present as well. A.K. could tell they were of superior quality than the one he used to kill the hob. Placed next to them were a backpack and canteen. A.K. quickly searched the bag and found it could hold a lot more than what it showed. A spacial bag of holding of some sort? He picked up the canteen and noticed a rune on its bottom. This one probably held more liquid as well.

A.K. search the bag, it held about a week's worth of food, a few fire starters, wires, and camping gear along with a few other items. A.K. then looked to his new armor and weapons. He decided to get cleaned up first, he took a cloth from the bag a poured some water over it. He then spent the next 30 minutes wiping all the dried blood and dirt from his body. Once finished with that task he took a set of clothing from the bag and noticed it was too big for him. He went through the bag and noticed there were different sizes of clothing within. Did they account for his rapid growth?

A.K. finally found a pair that was roughly his size and wore it before equipping his new armor. The new armor was all black just like his usual style. It had golden spirals running all throughout its body. It was clearly enchanted both upper and lower portions. He then grabbed his newer weapons and marveled at how light they were. These were enchanted as well although A.K. did not know with what yet. The buckler had a golden spiral starting from its center and ending at the edges as well. The ax held one in its center before spiraling outward as well.

Once he was finished equipping everything he packed all the weapons and his old armor into the backpack, this included the sword and dagger the hob had. A light appears in the air and slowly bobbed in one direction. A.K. guess this was his guide out of here. He took a look back at the place where he fought the hob. The body was still there and A.K. would have retched if not for the fact that he still hadn’t eaten anything yet. He turned back and followed the light until he came to steps. There was a torch on the wall and A.K. removed it before moving forth into the dark depths.

><>

Keala watched as her son descended into the dark depths. Those stairs would slowly turn into a vast cave system with natural treasures and dangerous beasts. Those and opportunities as well. She put her hands together and said a small prayer to her god before looking back at the orb. From now on she could no longer use the clairvoyance orb to view her firstborn. The Catacombs were well protected from any prying eyes.

She went to the room of the twins. Both children were sleeping peacefully. In a few years' time, it would be their turn to descend and Keala would make sure that they were over-prepared. However, these two were blessed whereby her god. They were well protected. She now had to plan for the future. Once Aegeus returned he would have to find suitable companions to journey with him. Another one of those Kan's stupid tests for their offspring. If successful, Aegeus was confirmed as the next Duke. The next Defender of the Wall.

><>

Vasu sighed, Keala still refused to speak to him. He would need to find a suitable present for her forgiveness. He looked at the blueprints his son had worked on and wondered where the boy got this knowledge and what it was for. God's blessing humans was rare however when they did they were usually showy about it. Vasu suspected some god had taken interest in Aegeus' birth as well. That being had decided not to make his blessing known at the time period. Blessings usually consisted of weird tendencies and skills belonging to their holders. Aegeus had always been weird since his birth. The way he treated the servants, other nobility, etc. It was like the boy had knowledge from his past. That's why Vasu guess a god or some higher being had taken an interest in the boy. Was this bad? Not necessarily, however, it wasn’t good either. Only time would tell. Sighing again, Vasu turned his attention back to the documents on his table. The signs were all there, the orcs were getting active again. Within 20 years or some Vasu was certain they would strike at the Empire's borders once again. This time he doubts the war would stop until either they were massacred down to Extinction or until they massacred the orcs down to Extinction. The continent was filled to the brim with races and hadn’t seen a new one since the humans. Age-old traditions would be taking place. Extermination would commence.