[Fantasy] Aetherian Rhapsodies-(Stanza IV: Kings and Cowards)

Omega

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Aetherian Rhapsodies
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Stanza IV-Kings and Cowards
Recorded Stanza-(Past Chapters)



Authors Note:
I wanted to split this into a couple of chapters, but I could not find a proper place to break this off without compromising the effect I was going for. So longer chapter although I average about 5000 words. This is around 6000. Sorry folks xD
"Please forgive me. I have fallen in love with Death, and have come to disdain Life. I believe they are both misunderstood, but as it stands my heart only understands one of the two sisters. I pray that the other grows to hate me so that my love for her sister becomes justified. As it stands, I detest myself. I detest my kind, save for Death. It is she that I love, and it is she that I look forward to. Let my eternal sleep come forth. May my eyes never be opened until Fate retrieves my soul."

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Light dust and debris trickled down the abandoned building. The concrete was broken, and worn. Parts of its steel frame were exposed to the air. Boralis stood at the top of the building, basking in sunlight and silence. The day had begun to drift toward its sleep as the final sun rays painted the sky gold. It was not the sunset he laid eyes upon; his eyes were set on the great kingdom of St. Rose. The sun, the kingdom, and the gentle breeze seemed to completely contradict the reality in which he was immersed. Viewing the magnificent kingdom from the Lawless District held different meaning then those who viewed it from the inside. “Will we ever be free, or will we be forced to be lost, as the forgotten ashes time has left behind,” Boralis said to himself while reaching out to the Kingdom of St. Rose.

“Even ashes can burn bright for all to see.”

“Father? I did not sense your presence.”

“You have great hopes for the future Boralis, but your heart waivers in despair. You must accept reality, and your place in it. Do you not know that we all have the power to change? Do not become entrapped in the past, or entangled in the future. Remember Boralis, only your present self can make history, and change that which lies ahead. As much as we struggle with time, the present is truly the grandest of them all.” The Father, walked over to Boralis and stood atop the building alongside him. He placed his hand on his shoulder while he gazed at the castle that stood in the center of the city. “Do not concern yourself with your brothers. They will see to it that the revolution begins.”

Boralis turned around to face The Father, but he had already vanished. He then turned his gaze back to the castle. His expression did not carry contempt, or envy, but he looked toward the castle with determination and hope. “If we are to become ash, we will choose to become the bright flame whose existence cannot be ignored or forgotten.”
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Aurora stared into a mirror whilst in her chamber. It was almost time for her to test fate and wield the Sword of Destruction. Even now, Aurora could only think of the many lives who were lost in the attempt of trying to discover the chosen hero of Xelania. “Sevaila, please guide me through this trial. If this is my fate, then please protect them. She closed her eyes and placed her hand over her heart as she said the prayer.

“So you pray to the goddess of nature and life, it suits you. It’s strange, you’ve lived in St. Rose for months and yet I still know so little about you.”

“Oh, Prince Wyvern, I didn’t hear you come in.” Aurora turned away, flustered and embarrassed at his sudden arrival. She placed her hands in her lap and began to drift into the deafening silence that followed. It was as if she attempted to detach herself from reality while Prince Wyvern only wanted to exist in the very moment she wanted to cast aside. Unable to view her face, Prince Wyvern gazed into the mirror as if it were the person to whom he meant to speak.

“Please, as I’ve told you before, you can address me by my first name.”

“Forgive me, Phoenix, I will try to be more informal when addressing you.” Once again, silence rung loud and true after she had spoken. Prince Wyvern turned away from the mirror and gazed directly at Aurora. That was when he allowed his intentions for being there known. To her surprise, by glancing toward the mirror, she caught a glimpse of Phoenix kneeling down. This prompted Aurora to slowly turn and face him; however, it was Phoenix who was now unable to face her. His voice was heavy with burden, and his face was shaped by pain. His body trembled with emotion as he managed to gain the strength to speak.

“Aurora, I’m sorry. You should no longer feel the need to pretend; I don’t want you to pretend. Even though our marriage is an arrangement I want you to know that…I love you. If this is to be your last day, then please answer me, honestly, with your heart. Will you-” Aurora placed her hand on Phoenix’s head to prevent him from finishing his thought. She raised his head so that his eyes would meet hers. Her eyes, seemingly made out of glass, betrayed her smile, and she was probably aware of this. Even so, she spoke through her smile as Phoenix became entrapped within her radiance.

“Do not trouble your mind Phoenix. If I am to live past this, I will continue to be what I am, for that is what King Wyvern desires. I will be yours regardless of love, hate, or time. I agreed to become a symbol of St. Rose and looming death has not changed that. I will either die today, and ensure the future, or I will become the chosen one. Either way, I will be this version of me, if this is the version that King Wyvern desires. Goodbye Phoenix…”

Phoenix could not utter a single word as she walked out of the room. Her words echoed in his head, and resonated in his heart and mind. They were true, without mercy, yet, there was no ill will in her voice. Even though her words did not bring him any joy, he truly believed he was just beginning to understand her, and that caused him to think of the event to come. Her death was an immense possibility, if not a certainty. The mere thought of this forced Phoenix to hold back tears as the light of the sun entered the windows of her room. It was time for Aurora to test fate, and destiny. Meanwhile, Aurora was walking toward the audience hall when a patrolling Black Knight of the Rohanian army caught her attention.

“Has King Loris finished dining,” she politely asked with a smile.

The Black Knight paid his respects to the future princess of St. Rose and then shook his head to imply that he had not yet finished."He just started. I am returning to the kitchen after I pick up some supplies from the equipment room."

Aurora smiled and bowed to the knight before continuing to the audience hall. The black knight continued walking in the opposite direction and eventually made his way to an equipment room; however, what he found was not a mere assortment of shields, weapons, and armor, but he stared, in complete shock, at the four lifeless bodies that were stacked in front of him. Standing in their midst was a tall man holding a St. Rose helmet in his hand. His hair was even darker than the unlit room.

“What the hell is this?! State your business Red Rose knight,” The black knight exclaimed while drawing his blade and pointing it in the direction of the mysterious man.

“Why, that’s just rude. It’s indecent to intrude on one’s privacy.” The dark haired man turned around to reveal his face to the black knight. His hair had a strand of silver, and his face possessed a strange scar across his face. It was Cain from the Lawless District, and member of the Shade Syndicate. “Just so you know, I’m gonna have to kill you now. I’ve heard you black knights are pretty strong, so maybe you’ll be a lot more fun than these dead guys.”

The black knight had heard enough from Cain, and leapt forward with great speed. He raised his silver blade above his head and swung it down with immense force with the hope of splitting Cain in two. However, Cain simply spun to his left to avoid the vertical strike then quickly somersaulted over the horizontal back hand slash that quickly followed. In the midst of the somersault, Cain picked up a blade that was originally owned by one of the knights he had killed earlier. The moment he ended up upright he had to fend off yet another powerful blow from the black knight. Cain still held his condescending smile as they each tried to push through the other’s sword. The black knight stared directly into the sinister eyes of Cain and nearly gasped in shock when the familiarity of his face entered his mind. “Now that I’m standing in front of you, I am certain that I’ve seen you before. You are one of the noblemen of King Loris! What’s your purpose? Are you here to assassinate our King!”

“Well, why the hell would I tell you,” Cain sarcastically retorted with a look of insincere bewilderment.

Enraged, the black knight pushed against Cain with a great amount of force that resulted in Cain being flung backwards toward a wall, but just before he crashed into the wall, Cain angled his body so that he could simply kick off of it and perform an aerial counter strike which was easily blocked by the Rohanian knight. Cain used the repelling force to continue various aerial maneuvers which flowed into successive strikes. Even still, the black knight continued to block the strikes while losing ground when one of Cain’s many strikes finally broke through his seemingly impervious defense, and struck the right shoulder of the knight. This brought the fight to a slight pause. It was the briefest of moments, as if time itself had become entangled in this affair of theirs only to discover the armor had not been breached. Time resumed, and Cain soon realized that his blade had not cracked the dark armor of the knight; however, Cain would come to this conclusion a fraction of a second too late. Cain’s blade was quickly knocked away by a powerful swing of the black knight which left the airborne Cain in a vulnerable position upon his descent. Cain, utilizing quick thinking, or pure instinct, immediately extended his right leg toward the weapon of his opponent which sent the path of the strike off of its original course. Cain was struck immediately after his counter by a crushing kick to the abdomen which resulted in Cain flying back towards the wall yet again, and by this time, Cain’s smile had faded and his world was blurred for an instant. Ironically enough he did not think about death as much as he thought about pride. Even as the black knight charged forward with the point of his sword aimed towards Cain’s face, Cain could only think of how embarrassing his current predicament was. In contrast, the black knight’s mind was clear. Victory was imminent, certain, and felt as natural as his next breath. He was a knight of Rohanis, and only one with the strength to carry that title could wear the trademarked black armor of Rohanian knights. The knight smirked beneath his helmet as he grasped his blade with both of hands for the presumptive final blow. He thrusted the blade forward and ran it through the head of Cain, or at least that is what he believed. It was at this time that the veteran knight realized his strike had not killed his opponent. Cain’s black hair and hazel eyes were now a luminescent red. The black knight was confounded, and frozen. There was a strange energy emitting from Cain; it was not an overwhelming presence of strength as much as It was ominous, eerie, and silent. Cain had caught the sword with his teeth, and consequently halted its forward momentum. The knight tried with all of his might to pull his blade away to no avail; in complete contrast, it did not seem as if Cain was in any strain while holding the blade between his teeth. This only served as a testament to the reserves of power Cain had begun to tap into. Cain applied a slight amount of pressure as he broke the tip of the sword by merely biting down. The confidence that previously rested in the heart of the knight had vanished completely at this point. Every stumbling step backward, was as step toward fear and imminent death. With a slight smile on his face, Cain rushed forward. Whether it was bravery, or desperation that compelled the knight to end his stumbling retreat is a moot point, for his death seemed to be carved in stone at this moment. He raised his broken blade above his head, took a step forward, and swung downward only for it to be repelled by Cain who performed a back flip to kick the blade through the ceiling. In the middle of this flip, Cain spit the broken piece of the blade straight through the helmet and skull of the black knight and then returned to his normal state. When Cain landed on the ground he sighed as he watched the knight fall at his feet. He ran his hands through his hair while laughing at the site of deceased knight.

“A black knight of Rohanis eh? I guess all the rumors about them are true, but I still can’t believe I had to use a bit of the curse to beat him. Man, I really need to stop toying with my enemies.”

Cain started to move the dead bodies away from the center of the room when he noticed the door was left wide open. He laughed yet again, and then kicked the black knight out of frustration. “Damn knight left the door open. Well, I better get moving. I’ll be surprised if no one heard that battle.” Cain walked out of the corpse filled room and into the hallway. He was now clad in the armor of the Red Rose Knights. He stood outside the door to determine his next move when he heard a faint noise coming from his left. Expecting this noise to belong to reinforcements, he calmly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I didn’t expect them to arrive so soon. If I waste too much time here, I’ll wind up fighting everyone in this damn castle.”

“GODS HELP ME,” an unknown voice uttered.

“The hell?”

“PLEASE, I’LL PRAY TO WHICHEVER GOD GETS ME OUT ALIVE!”

A frantic Zane was running down the hall toward Cain’s direction. One could tell he was physically reaching his limits; however, that was not saying much. Zane’s eyes happened to be closed as he tried to fight through the pain of physical inaptitude and continue his sprint down the hall. He opened them to see what he believed to be a Red Rose knight which only made him sprint even faster.

The bewildered Cain remained as still as a tree unable to comprehend what he just saw. “Who the hell was that? What the hell was that?”

Suddenly, a rumbling sound started to rise from the same place Zane had just fled from. Cain quickly put two and two together, and purposely fell down and grasped his shoulder as if he was hurt. A troupe of red rose, and Rohanian knights, as well as a nobleman, stopped at Cain’s location to see what had happened.

“Did you see a young man pass through this hall! He assaulted King Loris, and has thus become an enemy of all of Xelania,” the sole nobleman of Rohanis exclaimed.

“Ugh, yes. I apologize, I was taken by surprise and knocked to the ground before I could evaluate the situation. He continued down this hall. We should be able to catch up to him.” Although Cain wore a helmet, he made sure not to directly show his face to anyone in the crowd.

“The little infidel is waltzing right into the audience hall. Is he trying to kill King Wyvern!? He must be stopped!
Where are the remaining guards!”

Cain scratched his head as he resisted the urge to explain how he killed five Xelania soldiers on his own; however, he was pleased to hear that they would be heading into the audience hall. He decided to lag behind the front of the group as they ran towards the audience hall to confront Zane.

“Even if he does manage to make it to the audience hall, he won’t have anywhere else to run. Hurry men, let us kill the traitor!”
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Before Zane crossed paths with Cain, he was present, along with the other cooks, in the royal kitchen. Zane dipped his finger in a bowl of what appeared to be chocolate batter and nodded his head as if to give serious thought. “Hmmm, this is pretty good. I think it needs more sugar.”

“Zane,” Molina said as she placed her hand over her head out of frustration. “That isn’t our bowl…”

“Huh,” Zane uttered as he looked up at a hefty man who seemed to be holding back the steam that was to be emitted from his ears. For a moment, Zane truly believed he would die by this chef’s hands even before he faced King Loris. Zane simply pretended as if it didn’t happen, and sauntered back to his designated area. Just as they were going to begin, a King Loris nobleman appeared before them. Even though he did not speak upon entering the kitchen, he immediately commanded the attention of everyone who was present. Even the inattentive Zane stopped what he was doing in order to see what reason the nobleman had for coming to see them. The noble eyed each and every one of them before speaking. It was as if he was the right hand of god, sent to crush them; moreover, it appeared he was also well aware of this fact.

“I see some of you have already started. No matter, I’ve come to inform you that King Loris will be expecting your dishes 30 minutes earlier than originally planned. I am afraid some of you took too long to dine before coming here.” The nobleman ignored the numerous faces of anger and despair, and placed his piercing gaze upon Zane. He felt his one sided grudge was vindicated and left with a proud smile. In contrast, Zane was left furious, confused, and a tad desperate.

“Thirty minutes, and did he really just prance out the room?”

Dyne quickly crushed any doubt, with his lively, room filling laugh. “Do not fret! While you all were goofing off I had already begun to prepare!”

“Dad, why are you yelling…”

“Molina, I think he’s trying too hard…”

“Zane, he is definitely trying too hard…”

“Since when did you two start agreeing? Zane don’t tell me your perverted lust has finally taken hold of my daughter!?” As strange as those words sounded coming from a father’s lips, they were carefully calculated. Molina immediately attacked Zane with a bag of flour that seemed to be packed with stones, while Zane pondered how one woman could have attained the strength of one hundred oxen as he fell to the ground. Dyne simply whistled as he innocently prepared the necessary items to begin. Somehow, their little routine put everyone else at ease. They saw individuals who were content with their present selves to the point that the unknown future was not enough to make them forget who they were at this very moment. The other cooks were fully aware of the promised glory and riches to be gained, as well as the chance of an untimely end to their life’s novella. Seeing Dyne, Zane, and Molina made them forget about the uncertain future. They realized that they could only live in this moment to the best of their ability. Ironically enough, it was now that gave them hope for the future. Oblivious to the various emotions of the other cooks, Molina smiled as she helped Zane up to his feet.

“I suppose you’re not completely worthless Zane. Are you ready to start?”
Zane, rubbed his head as he smiled back at Molina. “I don’t know how to take that, but I’ll follow your orders just this once.”

“…It will only be once; when you’re dead you’ll never follow my orders again.”

And just like that, the feeling of budding hope shattered throughout the minds of all the other aspiring chefs in the kitchen. They were even more panic stricken than when they had first arrived, and some began to lose their ability to perform normal tasks out of sheer fear and anxiety. Since they were painfully unaware of the dynamic between Molina and Zane, it is easy to see how such a statement could affect their psyche; however, even Zane looked fairly appalled at Molina’s most recent statement. Zane attempted to prepare a counter to her brutal honesty, but by then Molina had begun to take charge of the kitchen. Her demeanor and expression had completely changed. The same could be said of Dyne. Even though neither of them looked in Zane’s direction, he nodded in respect to their actions and took his place as the third cook in the Dyne Dyne bakery.

After what seemed like an eternity Dyne placed his massive arms around Molina, and Zane as they looked toward their finished creation. In layman’s terms, it was a chocolate cake. A design that seemed so simple, yet as complex as the meaning to of being alive. Although the Dyne Dyne bakers could use any of the ingredients available the mostly stuck to their roots and used the same ingredients they have always used. Even though they stuck to their roots, they were able to produce something that seemed to be sent from heaven which fully showcased the level of baking Molina, and Dyne had attained. The inside was made out of chocolate. It was dark, moist, and light. The outside was coated in a gold frosting, made from vanilla and honey, that encased the chocolate that was inside. From the outside, it would seem that the cake was actually made out of pure gold. It was an original masterpiece composed from the heart, it was Molina’s cake. The dessert that Molina’s parents originally prepared. This would be only the second time she baked this cake.

“Your parents would be proud Molina,” Dyne said with an unusually soft voice.

Zane was back to his usual self as he goofed off with some of the other cooks. One of them even high fived him after asking for a slice after this was all said and done. However, in the midst of his antics Zane came to a complete halt when he saw Molina’s smile. It was a smile born from the darkest parts of her heart while representing the most joy. It was a smile similar to the one he saw that night on the roof. It was a smile that set her free. She walked over to the cake and removed the flower that adorned her hair.

“This is my mother’s favorite flower. I hope you are watching over me...”

“She is, they both are,” Zane said as he looked toward Molina. He was just as surprised as her to hear those words come out of his mouth. He did not know Molina’s parents, and he had only known Molina for a few days, but those words flowed naturally from his lips as his heart, and soul compelled their utterance. Molina nodded with a smile, and then took a deep breath as she placed the flower on the center of the cake. It was almost as if that were the trigger for despair, for when they had finished, the prancing nobleman, and two black knights burst into the kitchen. Everyone became frozen in time, or rather, they became entrapped in the time that belonged to King Loris. The nobleman cut his eyes toward Zane’s group, and then quickly cut his eyes in another direction. A cook had just begun plating his food; however, the nobleman snapped his fingers and one of the knights threw the food to the ground and took him away. His pleas, and his heartfelt screams of pure terror could be heard from outside the confines of the kitchen. Zane, and Dyne could only look toward the doors that the young cook was dragged through while Molina kept her gaze on the calculating nobleman. Her smile seemed like a distant fantasy of another reality, for it was now replaced with a possessed the look of a cold, emotionless being. She did not gawk like the others, for she knew what this was. She had seen it before.

“This is real; he is going to die,” Zane thought to himself. He heard Molina’s story, he had come to terms with the possibility of death, but to see this up close was almost too much. To Zane, it was only food; he had no idea how anyone could destroy the lives of others over something seemingly so trivial. Why would anyone go through all of this just to kill people?

“It’s a game, an unwinnable game,” Molina said without looking at Zane. It was almost as if she could read his thoughts, and speak to his mind. At that moment, the nobleman stepped aside after making sure the remaining chefs were completely finished. He bowed toward the closed doors of the kitchen which immediately opened afterwards. A finger pointed in the direction toward Zane, and a knight immediately ran toward his direction.

“That dish…is a disgrace, I need not even taste what thine eyes have judged…”
Zane’s eyes widened as he completely froze. “I really don’t want to die…” Zane thought to himself; however, his inner voice would silence itself as the knight ran past Zane’s group and grabbed the cook behind them. It was now his turn to be dragged beyond the “gate of death” to never return. King Loris had arrived.

In just a few seconds of King Loris’ arrival, two people were presumably dead, and if these recent events were any indication of the future, then everyone who took part in King Loris’ game was in grave danger. Zane could only look upon King Loris with disdain, and confusion. Zane was a simple person. He was not the smartest, the bravest, or even the nicest; however, he did not need any of the aforementioned attributes to detest the presence of a man who killed because he could.

“Now let us see. Who shall we judge first,” The nobleman said while moving his hand in a very deliberate manner as if to manipulate the drama the situation created. Although it was the nobleman who spoke, it felt as if the words fell from the lips of King Loris himself. Everyone looked upon the underwhelming presence of King Loris; nevertheless, they could all feel the evil, almost suffocating, aura emitting from his very being. Suddenly, a sinister gleam appeared in the nobleman’s eye as he reached a final decision, and that very gleam would fade away as quickly as it appeared, for someone stepped forward to nullify whatever decision he had made.

“Zane, what are you doing,” Molina asked in a loud whisper, but Zane simply continued to walk in the direction of King Loris. It would be a misunderstanding to believe this was an act of bravery, or an inclination of justice. Simply put, Zane’s uncontrollable fear made him react even before the nobleman made his decision. As strange as it might seem, Zane’s fear produced the illusion that he was the chosen one, in a manner of speaking. The fear was so deafening that he could not even hear Molina, but to those who were not near him, it would appear as if this was an act of brave defiance. An act to take control of one’s own destiny. To the onlookers, Zane looked like a hero.

“I don’t believe I chose you,” The nobleman scoffed.

“…Huh? Oh this is um, this is Molina’s cake! Yes, that is what it’s called.”

“I don’t believe I asked you what it was either.”

Abruptly, King Loris walked over to Zane and eyed the cake slice that he was holding. He then looked over toward Dyne and Molina in order to view the actual entirety of the cake. “What is this, exactly?”

Suddenly, Zane’s demeanor completely changed. He stopped shaking, and the fear that deafened his ears were silenced by the ring of King Loris’ words. Only King Loris and the nobleman could see the shock and anger Zane had displayed in that instant. Not even Zane realized what had taken control of his heart in that moment.

“You don’t remember what this is? If you don’t know what this is, then you probably don’t remember who made it either-” Everyone who had a heart in that room felt it skip a beat as King Loris slapped Zane across the face, and spat on him. Even now, Zane’s expression had not changed. Even when the knight drew his sword, fear never took rest in his heart.

“Foolish commoner, who do you think you are addressing? I did not ask to converse with you. In fact, the only reason you’re still alive is because that fearful look of yours was quite enjoyable. Now bow down, and lick the floor like the dog you are. I might give you the chance to live.” Just as King Loris had finished speaking, several loud sounds could be heard outside of the kitchen. Many assumed it to be a large item falling to the ground; however, those with battle experience knew this was the sound of a fight, but one could only wonder why a battle was taking place within the castle. King Loris, the nobleman, and the knight all turned toward the direction that the noise came from. Zane, however, did not look toward the noise as the others did, for just as his ears were deafened by fear, one could say that his ears were now deafened by anger and determination. Unfazed by King Loris’ strike, he turned toward the group that seemingly ignored his existence in this moment.

“If I’m going to die anyway,” Zane said while grasping the large slice of cake with his bare hand. “Then you’re going to remember me dammit!”

“What are you prattling about now-“ King Loris exclaimed as he began to turn toward Zane. In an instant, he was suddenly struck in the face and sent to the ground. This immediately drew gasps, from the onlookers, while others were to shocked to do anything. King Loris, who was completely stunned, placed his quivering hands on his cake covered face. The sinister nobleman stepped back as if looking at a strange animal while the knight turned around and gasped. The next thing the knight saw were the kitchen doors being flung open as he tried to help up an enraged King Loris.

“WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE! CATCH THAT PEASANT OR I WILL SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!”

“B-but your majesty, my brother has not returned after escorting one of the cooks outside. If I leave now, you and the noble will be left alone with the cooks, and no disrespect my lord, but I do not think they are very fond of you…” The knight said this while trying to wipe the cake off of the King’s face.

King Loris snatched the rag from the knight as he began to throw another one of his trademarked fits. “I tire of your excuses! Chase him down and I’ll follow. It bothers me not what these dumb cooks do on their own! Catch that loathsome being so I can rip out his intestines!”

“(But you never do the dirty work) Yes sir, follow me.”

While King Loris followed the knight out of the same door Zane bolted out of, the nobleman ran in another direction to alert various guards. It did not matter If they were knights from St. Rose, or knights from Rohanis, the nobleman pleaded for them to find the one who disgraced his King. One could tell King Loris and his men have never experienced any direct conflict. Like their King, they were thrown into a great panic by Zane’s unprecedented actions. It was a panic so great that they even left a room full of commoners unattended. All of the exchanged glances with each other, and some even had the nerve to tempt fate and laugh. Molina looked at Dyne, but she was not smiling. Dyne closed his eyes and turned away out of the shame he felt for not being able to comfort his daughter. He wanted to tell Molina that Zane would be fine, however, not even his great laugh could ease this situation. As if they heard each other’s thoughts, they ran out the door to find Zane while the other chefs celebrated their freedom by looting the expensive kitchen.

“Oh gods, what have I done?! I should have stuck to being a coward, and now I will be wanted once I escape. I’ll have to live off the land, and-“ Zane looked back to see a single knight chasing him. Of course, this made him nervous, but due to the gravity of his current situation, this did not bother him as much as it normally would have. “Well, the armor should be slowing him down. I’ll just outrun him-“ Zane looked back again only to see what seemed to be an army of knights from Xelania. His ever faithful fear returned to him, and aided in the swift movement of his feet as he scurried through the halls at a blazing pace. “IT CAN’T GET WORSE! WAIT I DIDN’T MEAN THAT! PLEASE, I TAKE THAT BACK! GODS HELP ME! PLEASE, I’LL PRAY TO WHICHEVER GOD GETS ME OUT ALIVE!”

That’s when Zane opened his eyes and gazed upon a knight standing in front of a closed door. It would be an understatement to say Zane nearly died of a heart attack at that very moment, but the ultimate power known as self-preservation willed him to enter what might have been his tenth gear. He had no idea where he was going, nor did he care. He decided beforehand that he would not stop running no matter the obstacles. This could only be described as the bravery of a coward.

Two giant doors eventually appeared before him. They seemed to command respect and reverence; however, this too, was nullified by Zane’s fear as he burst through the doors and into the audience hall. He had never stopped running, but it felt as if he was frozen in time. King Wyvern was sitting on the high throne. He did not seem worried, or shocked at Zane’s intrusion. Knights were aligned all around the balcony; their arrows were all pointed in the same direction. Zane followed the path the arrows had layed to notice a mysterious room with an even more mysterious blade. A young woman turned around just as her hands were about the grasp its handle. It was Aurora; the ceremony was well underway. Phoenix leapt from his chair and drew his sword while every knight who was present simultaneously turned their arrows toward Zane.

“An intruder? How did he manage to get all the way here,” King Wyvern calmly asked himself.

“Of all the places to end up,” Zane thought to himself as he ran forward. That’s when he looked toward Aurora yet again. “That’s where the arrows were pointed,” Zane said to himself under his breath. Her eyes met his, yet they did not contain any fear. She was surprised, and confused; however, there was also a sadness that was displayed. Zane wondered what her purpose was, but he quickly placed his focus elsewhere. Failing to find any escape route, Zane dashed for the sword in a desperate attempt to prolong his life. In this moment he could not hear Phoenix’s orders to stop, nor did not notice the congregation of soldiers that burst through the audience hall and closed the gap on his position. Their chase, ordered by King Loris, forced King Wyvern to halt the order to fire at Zane for fear of impaling his own soldiers. Even still, King Wyvern looked more determined than worried. He calmly raised his hand in the direction of Zane when a glowing red figure appeared before him. Cain leapt from the comfort of King Loris’ mob and dashed toward King Wyvern with his blade drawn. All of the knights on the balcony were too concerned with Zane and the mob to notice that Cain was targeting their King. Phoenix noticed Cain’s strange movements just as he was bearing down upon them, but due to his concern for Aurora, his presence was nullified long enough for Cain to reach the throne. King Wyvern’s eyes darted toward Cain. His expression was still the same as it was before, and he did not even attempt to move.

“All hail King Wyvern,” Cain said with a smile as he swung his sword and beheaded the great King of St. Rose.

Meanwhile, Zane reached out toward the Sword of Destruction while simultaneously pushing Aurora out of the path of the mob. A Rohanian knight from the mob of soldiers reached out toward Zane. He was only inches away from grabbing him and bringing him to justice, and as his hands inched closer and closer a blinding light abruptly illuminated the entire room. Aurora was on the ground screaming as she reached toward Zane.

“No more pointless death please! I can’t watch anymore people sacrifice themselves for the world!”

Zane’s eyes turned red as he looked upon his own crumbling hands. “Why? It wasn’t supposed to end like this…”
Zane began to cry when he saw the doors burst open yet again. This time it was Molina and Dyne who took their turn to intrude upon the royal audience hall. Molina placed her hands over her mouth as she gasped in horror. Zane’s reached out to him with his remaining crumbling hand and eventually his entire body was naught but ash. Zane was dead.

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END
As always feedback, comments, are appreciated
I'm always happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks for reading!

Theme Song

To the hungry populace who were wondering what that cake looked like. xD
Molina's Cake

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Nonomi

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I only read the current chapter you just posted and it's already going deep.
One can really feel Zane his feelings.
Also the two different view-point of Cains & Zane is explained well.
Even while not having read the previous chapters it already catches the interest.
You are really good.
Thank you for giving such wonderful writing.
I'm going to read the others.
 
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