The spectral white bird fluttered into the huge chamber through the wide mahogany doors. The man, noticing the messenger bird, raises his hands, and the bird, just like a ghost, dispersed into a silvery mist, which covered the hand of the man, and the man closed his eyes in concentration. His wrinkled face contorted, as if receiving unpleasant news.

He swung his expensive looking robe with a fwoosh as he walked towards the doors. His aged face looked as if it were delving into a serious problem.

“The council is summoned”

The man muttered, and another spectral bird, this time one of gold, formed from the flames he released from his palm.

“To think she would appear here”

The Emperor of Arialis continent, Alsaire Kyagruyock murmured, exasperated.

****************************

Time, space, all of it has been lost.

What time is it? Where am i? For all of these questions, I can only show you my empty palms.

For even I don’t know what is going on.

I was suspended in some aquamarine fluid inside a huge glass cylinder, various tubes attached to my body. I could breathe even inside the water for some reason, but inside the cylinder, I could only think.

My entire body was immobilized, and I couldn’t even shift a finger. Thankfully, I could see, but the little bubbles from my mouth blocked my view. My body kept breathing as if it were only natural, and I had no control over it.

My long black hair floated in to my vision, and I started counting the strands of hair that appeared, since that was all I could do.

It has been some time since I came to ‘The Cradle’ as he called it, and I only know that it’s been some time. For ever since I came here, I was submerged, along with the crucifying apparatus, into this fluid. These experiments might not be so bad after all.

I could feel that several days had passed, since I could count that the length of my hair had increased, considerably. I had cut it short a few weeks back, but now it was growing again, beyond shoulder length, I presume.

I can only guess, since my hair floats around, like kelp.

Then, something happens.

The ‘tentacles’ that were piercing my skin detached, and a little bit of red fluid leaked out, dying the aquamarine fluid in a colorful pattern.

*FWAAASHHH*

I could hear the sound of gas escaping, and suddenly, the board that I was tied to rose upwards, yanking me along with it.

“Puhaaa!”

I breathed out, relieved to take in fresh air. I could breathe in the liquid, but it felt like drinking water through my nose. Really weird.

My hair dripping wet, I raise my eyes, glancing at the Professor, who was surveying me.

He beckons, and the board moves forward, towards him.

His face comes close to mine, and he stares at everything. Then he extends his hands and pulls my ears, checking inside it. Then he pulls down my lower eyelid, to check my eyeball.

Then without warning, he stabs his thumb through the area under my eyeball.

Blood spurts out, and my vision turns bloody.

“Guaaa!”

I yell, shocked by the sudden pain. He continues his job, disregarding my shriek of pain.

“Hm… amount of blood released is unsatisfactory. Keep him in the deprivation tank. We need to fatten him up more. His bodily tissues are lacking”

The professor talks, but nobody except me is in the room. And I was in no condition to listen to his babbling, as I was currently gritting my teeth about the sudden wound in my eye.

The board moves up, and plunges down into the cylinder again. Something shuts above me, and my vision turns blue again. A red layer surrounds my wounded right eye.

Then, suddenly, a stinging pain greets me in several parts of my body. The tentacles pierce my body again, and rather than remaining as such, something flows into me.

I try to peek at the tentacles, and barely catch one in my sight. It was glowing, with a brownish tinge.

It was injecting something into me.

Something that’s strengthening me. IS this food?

I could only think that towards the nourishment given to me.

The pain fades, and my body turns numb, with all my senses rendered useless.

Haaah…It’s better to sleep now, I guess.

*******************

“Why have you summoned the council, emperor?”

A man with a well muscled appearance questions the old man. He looked quite fierce, with his maroon hair and eyes. There was a scar running down his chin, one from the result of another of his great battles.

“A messenger came from Gureis”

The old man replied, his orange eyes filled with worry.

“Gureis? That small time country? What of it?”

A woman asks him this time, an aged woman. Pointed ends peek out of her thick blue hair, and she looked quite young. But her youthful appearance only hid her age.

“Syriel, it is her… The Pegasus”

“The Pegasus?!”

The woman exclaims, shocked. The others in the room also had shocked expressions, their eyes filled with surprise.

“Pegasus?! But she hasn’t appeared ever since the fall of Ascalon! Why appear now?”

A handsome man, almost in his thirties, spoke. His platinum blonde hair was brushed back, and he wore a luxurious coat, befitting that of a noble.

“It is true… She had appeared, and given a sacrifice, it seems… The lands of Gureis have been corrupted.”

The old man muttered, his wrinkles darkening.

“We have to eliminate her!”

This time, a small girl spoke. She looked about 6 years old, wearing a witch’s traditional three cornered hat and a cute outfit. The hat hid her blue hair, as she stared at the old man.

“We cannot move now. The aggressiveness of the remnants shall not allow us to waltz away and kill a demon general. Besides, it seems she has vanished. So tracing her won’t be child’s play.” (Emperor)

“But letting her roam free?! Unacceptable! Have you softened that much, Als?!” (Red head)

“Of course not! But what do we do?” (Emperor)

“Send someone to kill her ofcourse” (Loli)

“Someone strong enough to kill one of the generals?” (Elf)

“Haaah.. This is the perfect opportunity.” (Thirties guy)

“What do you mean, Albion?” (Emperor)

“I told you about the ones I trained. Send them. They shall make great examples out of the demon’s remnants” (Thirties guy)

“Your ?” (Elf)

“Yup. They shall show you their prowess in this mission” (Albion=Thirties guy)

“I see. Maybe that is correct” (Loli)

“Then, I shall dispatch three of the Dragon commanders. Will that be enough?” (Albion)

“I don’t feel secure enough. Send a hero too.” (Red head)

“A hero?! “ (Albion)

“It is as you say, Zeltris. Who shall we send?” (Emperor)

“How about the new one? He shows great potential” (Loli)

“Itsuki, eh? Well, he did have some abilities to back up his title as hero” (Elf)

“Then, it’s decided. We shall dispatch the hero Itsuki, and three of Albion’s Dragon commanders.” (Emperor)

“Umu, that’s good” (Red head)

“Gunununu” (Albion)

“ Very well then. The council is adjourned” (Emperor)

****************

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

I could only scream in despair as the sharp spikes bore into my body, like teeth biting into me. I bore with it, but soon I could no longer bear it.

My blood was spraying like mist, and those people stood there, just watching. Several of those tentacles were stuck onto me, drilling into my body.

They stopped, finally. I could feel holes even in my bones.

Then, something entered my body.

Originating from the spots those tentacles pierced, a hot something spread, like a viscous liquid.

It was swelteringly hot, and I thrashed about, unable to break the pain. The something kept spreading, like molten metal in my body. I could feel it, slowly spreading through my abdomen, into my now healed legs—

They had healed my legs, since without it, complete analysis couldn’t be completed, it seems.

The molten metal slowly dragged itself through my body, inching closer and closer towards my brain. My body felt like it was breaking, and I tried everything in my power to prevent it from reaching there.

Moments later, it did.

“UGYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

I yelled, screamed, shrieked and thrashed about. My blood felt like it was boiling, my head felt like it was being pierced by stakes. My vision darkened, and blood flooded my eyes. I could feel it leaking from my ears, my nose, and even from under my long nails.

I wanted to die. I really wanted to die. This was cruel. Even if I gave up everything, this was just too cruel. The pain broke my body into bits, every single day. They had done this almost three times a day, forcefully injecting this lava into my body. And at every new try, the lava got hotter and hotter.

Relief came to me when I felt the board move. Yes, put me in the cylinder. Please.

The cylinder cut off the pain, and little by little, I started looking forward to being submerged. In order to escape the pain.

The familiar blue surrounds me, and I comfortably close my eyes… Yes… it feels good….

******************

“Prepare the teleport gate!”

The old man roared, his tension nearing its limits. Before him, the people were running about, in a hurry to prepare the teleport gate to get to Gureis as quickly as possible.

He glanced at the selected party for the ‘Pegasus hunt’. A hero, Itsuki Tachibana. The hero was summoned merely 3 months ago, but the ability he had shown was outstanding.

Next to him, three people, all clothed in black stood. Their armor seemed to suck in light, and they looked around with their bright vermillion eyes.

The draconians, for that is what their race was, swung their reptilian tails around restlessly as if they were nervous.

The emperor returned his attention to the construction, and kept yelling, in order to complete the task, even if it was a second quicker.

Pegasus, that horrific demon…..