***

Arameth

I rub my groggy eyes as I regain consciousness, slowly welcoming the bright light of the sun. Every single part of my body stung like being poked with thousands of tiny needles.

As I opened my eyes I was greeted with Victoria talking to some blonde girl and a black-haired boy.

"Do you think I killed him?" Victoria asked them worried.

"Probably." The blonde one said.

"Lilith!" The black-haired one said, smacking the blonde on the back of their head.

"It hasn't even been thirty minutes he is probably fine."  The black-haired one said.

As they were talking I tried to sit myself up. However, as I try a burning pain erupts in my chest causing me to fall back down.

"Argh..." I grown.

Noticing this, Victoria hurries to me.

"Oh, by the gods. I'm so so so sorry. I first planned to have it only grace you but when you lifted your sword I thought you were going to block it. I'm sorry." She apologized.

"It's fine. It's not that bad." I say.

"Yeah, probably because your nerves must be burnt off." The blonde girl they called Lilith said with a grin.

"Are you okay? I didn't cut too deep I hoped." I asked concerned about my last attack.

"Oh, this?" Victoria asked, pointing to her newly bandaged torso.

"It wasn’t much so I’m fine." Victoria said.

"You get hit by lighting and the first thing you say is 'it's not that bad'? Oh, what has Miranda done to you." Auntie Madaline said with a laugh.

Madeline then helped me up to a sitting position, before gently hugging me.

"I heard what happened. Thank the gods you are alright." She whispered.

"Have you heard anything from them? My parents I mean." I ask.

"No. The last thing they sent me was a message that explained what had happened and that you were on your way here, and that message only arrived a week ago." Madaline told me.

"Oh..." I said.

"What has something happened?" Victoria asked.

"He is from Berkton and they were attacked by Uranos about six months back." Madaline explained.

A look of surprise was plastered on the onlookers and murmurs about Uranos suddenly attacking Berkton scattered among them.

However, Madaline gave them a scary look and made them go back to what they were previously doing.

"Shit... Sorry I-" Victoria starts.

"It's okay you didn't know." I cut her off.

The black-haired boy then kneels down to me and hands me a water pouch.

"Here take some." he said.

I take the pouch and start to drink from it. The water tastes wonderful. My throat had dried up from the fight and it hadn't got better after being struck by lightning.

"My name is Kasper and that over there is Lilith." Kasper said as he pointed to the blond-haired girl.

"So, I wanted to ask is it what Miss Madaline said was true, are you the son of the bogeyman?" Kasper asked, probably hoping to change the subject.

"Bogeyman?" I asked, confused.

"You know Miranda Lark the bogeyman, a feared flame dancer that could cause nations to shiver." Kasper said, a hint of awe in his eyes.

I look towards Madaline for some sort of help.

"Your mother is... infamous. She is known as the bogeyman or the hellish knight or Miranda Impaler of men." Madaline told me.

"She was known for being horrifying even for other flame dancers." Johan told me.

A flame dancer? Like those spear welding fighters that are said to be wilder than fire. I mean the way she always used spears like weapons at home and her fierce way of training does sound like them. Maybe Mother was a flame dancer?

"It's said that she could impale her enemies in an instant only to split them in two in the next." he continued.  

"I remember my elder once told me that the utter of her name could cause armies to tense up." Kasper said.

"I heard she once fought against an army of 300 all by herself." Victoria jumped in.

All these facts about my own mother shocked me.

This wasn't the mother I knew. The mother I had grown up with. The kind woman who just wanted the best for me. Is this really who she was?

I looked over to Madaline for reassurance. This had been a misunderstanding. This couldn't be my mother they were talking about.

However, Madaline gave me a small nod.

They were right.

"Look, Miranda probably had her reasons to keep this hidden and I understand but, you couldn't be shielded from it forever." Madaline said.

With a sigh, Madaline told me of who my mother was and of the story Victoria mentioned.

"Your mother was... different. She has an extraordinary tolerance for pain and could run for hours on end. While others would fear death, she was driven by it. Even though we shared everything that was the one thing I never got to know. Why did your mother do what she did? But why would I? I was the same. We all were."

"The two of us were, part of a group called the brotherhood of broken metal. We started off hunting beasts but soon after we started to get dragged into battles between kingdoms or just feuds between different nobles. We Became something like mercenaries. Our group consisted of me, your mother, a magus named Amadeus, a masked individual known as Null and  Henry." She explained.

"Wait. Henry? Like the old toy maker from Berkton?" I asked.

Madaline gave me a nod.

"Despite his age, he used to do espionage and assassinations in the past. Though with us, he mainly stuck to spying and scouting." Madaline told me.

"And what Victoria said was true." She said.

"I remember the day clearly. While in a forest we had gotten separated. According to her, she wound up in a plain of grass where she got ambushed. They ran at her from all sides. But she kept on. When I found her days later, she was wounded and barely conscious. But she had done it. She had gone against a small army of 300 and won. She had fought day in and day out for four days and nights." Madaline told me.

I sit in silence processing everything I've just learned about my mother. Even though it feels hard to understand. Looking back, I start to remember things that Mother did that I thought seemed a bit unusual.

Her way of training me. How she sometimes became very animalistic when it came to hunting. I guess I just saw it as something normal.

The deafening silence then gets interrupted by Johan.

"I think I've seen enough. Arameth, see me here tomorrow after the second bell chimes and when the sun stands high." he said to me as he walked away.

"Rest up now or do whatever you want."

Walking off the side where a rope ladder hung.

We could have just climbed down?

Then he disappeared up into the islands above, I got up holding onto Madaline for support.

Thinking of what to do now Victoria asks me something.

"Why don’t we show you around? As an apology for hitting you with lighting."

"Eh.. sure." I said accepting her offer since I had nothing else to do.

After getting some help up the rope ladder, Kasper hands me the coat he was wearing.

"To cover up that hole in your shirt." He said, pointing at the giant burnt hole in my tunic.

We walk past some more training grounds before going down an alley that leads to a giant open space with festive music, bars, markets, jesters, storytellers and more.

"Is there a festival going on?" I asked.

"No, that's just how it is at this place. All year around they drink, feast and celebrate. For no apparent reason than just to have fun." Victoria said.

"It's a fun place to visit after long days of training." Victoria said.

"But before anything else, I would like to introduce myself to you properly."

"I am Victoria Damaris. I have walked 14 years in this realm, and I wish to explore every secret this world has to offer." Victoria introduced with a grin.

With a similarly happy grin, Kasper joined in.

"I am Kasper Durand, I am 13 years old and I'm a warrior of the Loup Clan. I strive to be the strongest warrior there could be." Kasper said.

The two looked at Lilith wanting her to join in. With a sigh Lilith spoke.

"I'm Lilith and I am the strongest Witch there is." She said with a proud smile.

"not." Kasper said.

"What was that, Chimera?" Lilith asked rudely.

"You forgot to say 'I am not the strongest witch'. And stop calling me Chimera!" Kasper taunted.

"Then stop looking like one twerp!" Lilith taunted back.

"A witch?" I asked.

"Apparently, there are ranks with spell casters. Starting with Magus, then Conjurer, then Poet and then Witch." Victoria told me.

"Well, I am Arameth Zalaar. I'm 13, I'm a colossal and... eh... I know it might sound childish, but I want to find the throne of thrones. I want to be king of the world." I say a bit embarrassed.

I expected at least a giggle but no. they didn't laugh. I didn't fully know why I thought they would laugh. Maybe because my dream seemed so childish and impossible? maybe.

"Well then future king of kings it's a pleasure to meet you." Victoria joked and bowed.

Kasper joined in with her.

I feel my face grow red in embarrassment.

"I'm joking, It's nice to meet you. Now why don't we have some fun!" Victoria said.

She grabbed my hand and before I knew it, I was holding hand-to-hand with Kasper and Victoria as we followed the chain of people dancing around a big bonfire.

We danced, played games, ate and listened to the locals play their songs. It was fun. It was the most fun I've had since the end of the year festival back in Berkton.

We talked and got to learn much about each other. Apparently Kasper had only gotten to the falling city some weeks ago whilst Lilith and Victoria arrived around six months ago. All for their own reasons.

"The elders of my clan suggested that I should follow a group of my brothers and journey here to grow stronger." Kasper said.

"I simply wished to study at Fardum. Meeting Victoria was the one plus with this journey." Lilith told me.

"I had jumped on a caravan and followed them here." Victoria told me.

"By the way Victoria I wanted to ask. That sword of yours is it a burst sword?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah. It took some time to find a blacksmith skilled enough to craft burst weapons but eventually, I found one and so Enigma was born." Victoria told me.

"What about yours? I can’t feel any Arcana around it so it must be a plain blade, but you don’t find many plain blades that look like that." Victoria asked.

"Yeah, it was a gift from my grandfather. He was an old explorer. He found this on his last expedition and gave it to me when I got old enough." I explained.

"Wait if your mother is Miranda Lark, then your grandfather is... Archibald Lark! The record-breaking explorer." Lilith pops in.

"Yeah." I confirm.

So, we discussed. Talking, dancing and eating. The evening quickly turned to night, and we parted ways for the day. They told me we would most likely meet tomorrow.

As I walked down the streets of the falling city it felt like for the first time in a while, I could feel safe again.

I marched to the inn where I had my stuff and went to bed.