Chapter One

Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.

From the hills of the Lucenna Empire, you could see the vastness of the city and it looked as if it spread for miles and miles without end. The trees surrounding it swayed with a knowing ease in the breeze and they stood around the palace walls like ancient guardians. The country's fortress was massive and built of strong cement. Any outsider would assume the army of this country was quite impressive, and it was. Some say, if you stretched your neck far enough, and squinted your eyes long enough, you could see the big, muscular soldiers doing their various trainings. The architecture of the city was built with stone, not a wooden house in sight. The people happily exchanged goods and services at the bartering markets. Would it surprise you to know that this Empire was raised from scratch by the hard working hands of one man? Surely it should! The tourists often marvel at this revelation.King Aeternam Ignis stood tall and proud at the grand window of his bedroom. He looked down at the prosperous city he worked so hard to build. Well, as they say, success comes by hard work, but none of this would have ever happened if it weren't for his beautiful wife, Queen Lamia Cantatrix. In the earlier stages of this country, she was his advisor and helped the country develop at a rapid rate. She was also a sorceress. As the country continued to prosper, he fell in love with her on the way and they were wedded. A few years later they had two beautiful twins. They were his pride and joy; one girl and one boy. The girl was named Flavis, and she was the bolder one of the two, the boy named Verum, being the gentler and younger one. Being twins, they had similar features. Both sported black hair, Flavis's hair being longer as it reached her mid back and Verum's own being short and spiky. Also, both had pale skin which contrasted their tanzanite colored eyes. The two played various hide and seek games and enjoyed each other's company to the fullest."Come out come out wherever you are," Flavis chanted as she looked around the dusty, dark room.
Verum was hidden underneath a big white sheet and slightly trembled under its cover. This was an obvious give away and Flavis threw up his cover.
"Tag!" she tapped him on the shoulder, "You're it!|
Verum's nervous expression was replaced by a huge grin as he ran after his twin sister.
Flavis ran into her father's bedroom and hid behind his skirt.
"Flavis," her father was a bit startled.
"Ssshhh," Flavis put her finger to her lips, silencing her father who just shook his head and chuckled. Flavis's mother also chuckled as Verum burst in and searched around the room. He looked at his mother, as if expecting her to tell him. She shook her head and smiled at him, not disclosing her daughter's whereabouts. He then looked at his father and noticed his father's robe shook. Running up to his father, he parted his robes only to reveal his giggling sister. He started to giggle as well. The giggle was shared amongst all the family. These were good times, but any wise person knew that good times never lasted.
That night, King Aeternam was plagued with a most horrifying dream. A dream that one day, his son, Verum, would be the downfall of the country he worked so hard to build, so hard to make it prosper. He opened his eyes and lay silently in his bed, careful not to stir his wife. He had to make a decision for the rest of his family and even greater, the peaceful people of his country.The next day, King Aeternam slipped poison in his son's food. He had to do it himself. No one else could and no one else would. Verum was gentle and kind and the palace workers were quite fond of him. The next few days were solemn ones as Verum laid on his death bed. His face was deathly white and his eyes held no glint. You could almost see the internal suffering he was facing. The will to live on was what kept him alive and that was but a thin string. Flavis couldn't help herself. She cried like there was no tomorrow; as if the world was ending. Her twin, her best friend, was on his death bed. She couldn't bring herself to look into his kind eyes; the eyes that were kinder than hers. As Verum drew his last breath, Flavis let out a painful cry and held her twin as if her life depended on it. Some of his vital veins became visible and Flavis finally understood that death was a thief. It always comes and selfishly steals the ones you love; the ones you care about. This was the beginning of dark days.After mourning the loss of her brother, she lost her vigor. All those who met her could almost feel the coldness choking the atmosphere around her. The next year, her mother decided it was time to teach her about magic. Along with magical lessons, her father pitched in and trained her to use the sword and hand to hand combat. As the Princess, she needed to be strong. Weakness in the Imperial family was not tolerated. This shaped Flavis. On the side, she would read through magic books, increasing her knowledge of history and miscellaneous aspects of life. From this knowledge, she started to combine different magic techniques and one day, she created the perfect technique. This technique was similar to clairvoyant magic. This caused her to be able to see the sin of her father and the tolerance of her mother. Anger and sadness battled for dominance within her. Anger was crowned king, though, but sadness was still present. They were the ones who killed Verum and that was unforgiveable.Flavis entered her parents' chambers and slaughtered them without remorse. They had nothing left to teach her and if they did, then oh well. Now the puzzle piece was put together. The thought of her brother becoming sick all of a sudden was quite absurd to her, but she had remained silent. She found the culprits. Unfortunately, the guards witnessed the assassination and decided that it was a perfect time to overthrow the young princess and get a chance to claim the thrown for themselves. The supposed utopia built by her father was eagerly waiting for his downfall; a chance to overthrow him. All this was revealed by Flavis. As she stormed out of the palace, all the soldiers and people rallied around the palace. This brought on another wave of anger. These people were so insolent towards royalty!
The group attacked the palace while she defended it. In all her grief, anger and frustration, her magoi shot out like fireworks, but this brought on the unexpected. A low, distinct rumbling was heard. It shook the ground causing the people to lose balance, Flavis included. She fell on her knees as the impossible happened. A dragon, as crazy as it sounds, landed at the scene and let out a terrible, loud roar. The people shook with fear. Never had they seen such a beast. They continued to watch the beast with wide eyes. Another unexpected turn out of events occurred. The dragon swung its tail resulting in the deaths of almost all of the attackers. A few still remained but was soon cut down by another swoop of the tail. Flavis herself shook with fear. She knew she was next. She covered her head with her hands and waited for her death.
The dragon noticed this and ducked his head low to meet her gaze. He made a peaceful sound which caused Flavis to slowly uncover her head and looked up at the magnificent beast. The dragon communicated with her easily since she was able to manipulate clairvoyance magic.
"V-V-Verum" she whispered as the dragon looked at her earnestly. She jumped up from her kneeling position and hugged his nose. Tears flooded her eyes; not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. This was so unreal to her. It was also revealed to her that she was now the Guardian of the King of Dragons, Verum. Together, they set the city on fire and watched it burn. The people were corrupt. They deserved to die.

"The two went on journeys together all over the world, discovering new things. It is said that Flavis still lives up to this day and she lost her magical powers due to her becoming a Guardian. It is also fabled that she gains a form of immortality by sacrificing lives to Verum," the story teller concluded the ancient story that was passed down for generations upon generations. Kouen had always silently listened to stories like these. Even though they weren't historically proven, it could be a case where it was waiting to be proven by a knowledgeable historian. Even as a child, his intellect raged like wild fire. The children about him asked various questions, but he sat silently contemplating on the story and the depths of its truth.

"Um, excuse me," someone interrupted his reverie, "Do you know where I can get some carrots to purchase?" Kouen had never seen this girl before. Was she here the whole time? He thought only noble children were allowed in these parts.

"How did you get up here?" he asked, looking around slowly to try and confirm where she could have possibly arrived from.

"Uhh, let's just say I had a bit of a crash landing in here," the mysterious girl scratched the back of her head and looked at the broken palace window.

Kouen's curiosity peaked but before he got a chance to question her further, the girl began walking away.

"I guess you aren't able to help me after all," she said while walking away. He didn't run after her, though. All he could think of was her extraordinary colored eyes. They resembled two tanzanite gems. He could tell she wasn't from Kou.

That was 14 years ago.

Reira looked straight ahead at the ruins of the city she once called home. The massive walls were worn down and looked like ordinary rocks. The trees that once stood tall and firm were cut down by nearby tribes. Inside resembled a wilderness. Ordinary people couldn't see the ruins, though. Flavis made it that way by contacting the best magicians. That was a long, long time ago. Pulling her brown hood over her head, she walked through the empty streets. Verum stirred with unease.

"It's alright, bro," she assured. "They can never hurt us again."

She had taken this route, for it was the most convenient route to get to the Kou Empire. Previously, she had been staying in Sindria. Now that they were out of the deserted kingdom, Reira walked with a relaxed demeanor and put her hands behind her head. They only had a little way to go to reach the dominating empire of Kou.

Verum stirred again and this notified Reira that someone was up ahead.

"You get riled up for just about everything," Reira teased as she neared the stranger. The first thing Reira noted about this person was the black ruhk that encircled him. He was of average height and his black choli gave Reira a perfect view of his muscular physique. He wore a black Indian leg dress and his feet were bare. His red eyes watched Reira. Just as Reira was assessing him, he was assessing her. Without saying a word, she passed him, hands still behind her head. She could sense his power. He could sense hers as well. To be honest, Judar knew something was off about the person who just passed him. The ruhk acted weirdly around her.

When Reira was sure she was out of sight, she and Verum took to the skies. This hadn't been the first time she had been at the Kou Empire, so she was familiar with the route she had taken on her first visit. Unlike last time, she didn't crash land, but she somehow maneuvered her way into the castle. The place was just like how it was fourteen years ago. Reira walked down the long, extravagant hallway. She remembered when she and Verum used to play and run down Lucenna's great halls.

"Oi!" someone shouted from behind. Turning around, Reira recognized it to be the same person who they had passed earlier.

'Didn't I ditch this guy?' Reira thought.

"You're not supposed to be here," Judar smirked and drew his wand. Freezing her hands behind her back, he led her away. The behavior of the ruhk around Reira interested him. He dragged her off into an unknown direction. She didn't put up a fight, which disappointed Judar; nevertheless, he felt his King's candidate should interrogate her. Kouen was much more level headed than he was. I dealing with this intruder was left up to him, he would definitely kill her, but before killing her, he wanted to quell all the suspicions he was having.

As they walked into the wide court area, Kouen and a group of soldiers, including his left and right generals, were present. Kouen looked at Judar, as if wanting an explanation.

"Can't you feel it?" Judal folded his arms, making mention of the eerie aura Reira gave off. "She somehow got into the palace." Judal wanted to know how she bypassed so many Kou guards.

Indeed, Kouen felt it and so did his generals. Seiryuu Ri, Kouen's Right General, drew his sword and pointed it at her neck.

"Who are you?" his uncovered eye was squinted.

"Well Mister, it isn't nice to point swords at helpless little women," she said with an innocent tone.

"Answer me," he allowed his sword to graze her neck.

"What? Are you afraid to slice my throat?" she taunted him by pushing her neck forward, drawing blood. All the while, Verum itched to make his presence known. Reira silenced him, though. Even though she loved to fight, this was a battle that could not be won by physical means. She was surrounded by strong people.

Kouen stepped forward and put a hand on Seiryuu's shoulder. Understanding, the Right General stepped back and allowed his King to take hold of the situation.

Reira stood before the First Prince of Kou. Everyone present could note the obvious height difference. Kouen impassively looked down at the hooded figure before him.

"What is your name?" he asked. Reira knew she didn't have to answer. This wasn't her first time dealing with nobility. She was also of nobility.

"Reira," she answered and said no more.

Kouen decided to move the matter to a better location.

The group, along with Kouha who wanted to tag along, arrived at what looked an interrogation room. All the while, Reira was being roughly handled by the guards.

"Who's that?" Kouha asked his brother Kouen. This caused Reira to smirk.

"That is what we are about to find out," Kouen simply answered.

Once seated, Kouen looked intensely at the female who stood before him. It was obvious that she wasn't taking this seriously. She poked fun at the guards who stood next to her.

"How did you get into the Kou Palace undetected?" Kouen was quite straightforward and to-the-point.

"I flew in here," Reira was also being straightforward and to-the-point.

Kouen blinked slowly before continuing. "I see."

"Are you a dungeon capturer?" he then asked.

"Nope," she simply answered.

"Then what are you?" he questioned.

"A human," she dropped her hands to her side.

Judal, who stood behind Kouen, scoffed.

"What? You don't believe me?" she smiled.

"Why have you come to Kou?" Kouen questioned.

"I don't have a reason in particular," she answered. "You know Prince Kouen, rumors have it that you're a very knowledgeable historian and you want to know more about the old world."

Despite not showing it on his facial features, the twist of the conversation interested Kouen. Everyone was silent, so Reira took this as the go ahead to continue.

"I'm sure you have heard about the ancient Lucenna Empire, am I correct?"

"Yeah, only in bed time stories," Kouha was the one to butt in. The story of the fall of the Lucenna Empire was his favorite.

"So you think it's just a fable?" Reira questioned.

"The story isn't real," Kouha denied the story's truth.

"Oh but it is," Reira countered, "And I'll be happy to share with you in depth, the full story and even tell you where its ruins are but only if you let me be your ally."

""That's crazy!" Kouha over reacted, "The story isn't true." It was as if Reira blasphemed his favorite story.

"You don't have to get so worked up. Geez," Reira scratched the back of her head. Kouha, on the other hand, grabbed his sword and swung it at her. She entered the castle uninvited, and that alone was a serious crime. The sound of flesh being severed was literally heard. Kouen was annoyed no doubt. He could have gained some knowledge right there and then, but Kouha acted on his feelings. Blood gushed forth from the fatal wound Kouha administered. Kouen rose to walk away, and so did his two generals. The guards stood in place.

"Fufufu~," Reira started to giggle as she sealed the wound up. Not bothering to wipe the blood, she turned around. The soldiers held up their spears, despite their trembling. Their eyes were wide; all except for Kouen and his generals. Even Kouha was surprised.

"So what will you choose?~" she smiled, blood spilling from her lips. "Ally or not? I mean, after all, I could always go back and join Sindria or maybe even the Reim Empire." She put a finger playfully to her lips.

"And how are we so sure you're a worthy ally?" Judal questioned. His interest in the girl peaked considerably at the feat she had just performed.

"You just saw it," Reira motioned, "You even said you felt it."

Judal smirked, but silently agreed with her.

"Now that that's settled," she smiled up at Kouen, "Do we have ourselves a deal?" Reira stretched forth her hand and waited for Kouen to take it.

"So be it," Kouen impassively said, but didn't take her hand.

Reira removed the hood from her head and looked at Kouen. He looked into her tanzanite eyes. The same tanzanite eyes he had looked into some years back. Her black hair was tied in two pig tails and it reached her calves. It made her look younger than her age. Kouen's memory worked quite well, so it was no surprise that he remembered her eyes; the eyes that captured his attention. He would never voice this, though.

"Show her where she will be staying," Kouen called on two maids. They bowed and led her away. As Reira walked down the halls, she let out a well pent up sigh. Convincing them was quite the task. She even had to reattach herself because of that little boy. The maids walked a considerable distance in front of her. Maybe it was because of the blood on her cloak.

"You guys don't have to be afraid," Reira tried to assure. The two women considerably shivered and turned around with horrified expressions. Reira understood their fear and backed off.

The exquisite dragon paintings exhilarated her. Reira was brought to a plain room. There was one window and one mirror. The bed was medium sized and without drapes. The maids handed her a change of clothes and left swiftly. This was kind of comical.

"I don't think it's a good idea for her to stay here," Koumei voiced his opinion. Kouha agreed silently with Koumei.

"Do you doubt my sense of judgment?" Kouen got straight to his work.

"N-no,-

"Well then, I plan to use her to my advantage. Not only is she knowledgeable, she seems to be quite strong," Kouen explained, not looking up at his brothers.

"So you believe her?" Kouha asked.

"It's not a matter of if I believe her or not," Kouen latched his palms together and put the under his chin, "The point is, I can use her to gain knowledge and strengthen the Subjugation Army."

Kouha and Koumei remained silent. Their brother was a hungry lion when it came to knowledge and power; the greater being knowledge.

"So what if she doesn't cooperate?" Koumei questioned, but then silenced himself again. He knew that Kouen had many ways of making people talk… many.

The next few days were boring ones, as Kouen went on a mission. Reira stayed in her room and didn't come out till she was called for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now, those stupid guards had to bow whenever she passed them for she was now an ally of Kouen's. Somehow, she liked that. Kouen's potential had captured her interest ever since she crash landed in the Kou Empire years ago. She then wondered when he would be back. In the mean time, she decided to scout out trouble. She walked down the halls and wandered about.

"Well, look what we have here," instead of finding trouble, trouble found her. "The weirdo."

Turning around, tanzanite eyes met red, mischievous eyes. She recognized this person to be the one who froze her arms. Now this was going to be interesting.

"I see the screw up magi has visited me again," Reira greeted. "If I throw a stick, would you leave?" Reira gave him an innocent closed eyed smile despite the underlying insult.

Judal just smirked. This girl was beginning to remind him of his acquaintance, Danielle. That woman could insult you and your generations to come without remorse.

"Why don't you stop smiling like the idiot you appear to be and introduce yourself like a man" Reira smirked.

"I've been called worse by better, Small Fry," Judal scoffed. "The name's Judal."

"Well, I guess some names are just not worth remembering," Reira shouted over her shoulder, already down the hallway. Judal gritted his teeth as he stared after the girl. He wondered how she did that ... and the great Judal never 'wondered'. That girl had the nerve to walk away from a conversation. Unbeknownst to him, this was one of the underhanded tricks Reira used to keep her prey coming back for more. This way, she would have company for quite a while.

That's it folks. I hope you like it so far. I'm writing this with Rika Megami, a very awesome plot writer! Remember the three musts after you read this: Review, Follow Favorite, in that order please.