There’s only an hour left till the new year, and four of them had gathered in the living room of an apartment somewhere in Reas. They had planned to celebrate the new year together but unfortunately; they were still missing two other guests for today’s events.
“Those two are quite late, it’s going to be new year by the time they come. I wonder what’s taking so long?”
The shortest guy in room spoke as he looks out the window of his apartment, gazing at the number of other windows that were lit under this starlit night sky. But don’t be fooled by his childlike appearance as he is the second eldest among them and as he sat by the dining table set right beside the window, a plate of desserts was being served.
“Don’t be like that now. They must have been quite busy since yesterday night.”
The eldest in room added on, he was somewhat of a guardian to the guy having a bite of the desserts served and as he turns to look across the table, where the two others had made themselves at home, had been tinted red, blushing and awkwardly looking away from one another. As the gentleman and the lady that sat there, have been dating for quite time and understood what he meant earlier. While on the other hand, the guy who sat across was unable to comprehend the event that unfolded before him.
Since today’s events also included, the two running late guests, celebration of their engagement to one another.
Then finally the long-awaited knocks came…
“This is a tale, a tale of the forgotten history of Reas.”
Spoke a child voice coming from the spark in the empty space.
“This is the tale, the tale of the forgotten myth of Animus.”
Another voice came, a much more mature one, from a passing spark that floated from the blank space beyond.
“This is our tale, the tale of the fated stars.”
The two voices spoke in unison as they circle by one another.
A number of footsteps could be heard running through the forest, brushing and rustling through the leaves as they scatter about.
“Stop them! Don’t let them get away!”
Commanded the man leading the group of Astrum knights as they chase after the fugitive Evrard and his daughter, Eladi. They have been on the run since daybreak as Evrard was only wearing a coat over his nightwear while he carried Eladi in one of his arms, who was still in her nightgown. Unbecoming of a noble in Astrum but they had little choice at the time.
“Get them, Echo!”
And as the knight utters those words, mana around him swirled briefly and from it leaped out a grey wolf that was already on Evrard’s heels, leaping once more at the opportunity it was given.
“Wish!”
Another voice came from the hooded figure that suddenly came into Evrard’s view as a pilar of water peered from the ground behind him, whipping at the grey wolf, repelling its attack.
“You know how the saying goes, Evrard. ‘The hero always arrives late.’”
Putting his hood down, revealing his face, Severin greets the two and considering the situation they are in, he greeted them with an out of place bright smile.
“Severin, now’s not the time for antics…”
Evrard gave a short sigh afterwards and brought Eladi closer to him.
“Ela, never forget. The stars are always with you.”
Gentle brushing Eladi’s cheeks before he passes her to Severin, “Take her.”
“Evrard?”
“Father…?”
The two were puzzled, looking back at Evrard till Severin spoke, “I understand.” As he caught a glimpse of the grim shadow looming beyond Evrard. Turning back around with Eladi in his arms, he started running back to the direction he came from, where his ship laid waiting for them, not too far from where they were.
“Father!? Father!”
Eladi called out as she stretches out her right arm covered in bandages with runes written all over them, binding the mana that laid beneath, flickering with each breath she took, quivering as she called out for her father once more. While the mana around them, resonating with hers, wailing along with her, calling along with her.
“Sleep, Eladi…”
Severin places his hand by her, with his mana gentle passing around her, wrapping the quivering runes, silencing them and as she whispers for her father once more, her arm flops and dangles behind him.
“May the stars guide you, Eladi.”
As he brings the dangling arm from behind him, back to her side, placing her in a more comfortable position.
“Stop where you are and surrender!”
Declared a knight that seem to have gotten pass Evrard and to them with a few other knights tagging along but they mattered little to Severin as he briefly turned to them with the out of place smile.
“Wish.”
And not a moment later, mist filled the space around him and soon turned into a deep fog covering his tracks as he continues along leaving the knights behind.
“A Caligo!”
That knight again, stated as they knew exactly what a Caligo could do and soon gave up on their march for them, retreating back from the deep fog that covered them, re-joining the other knight back at where Evrard was. But as they arrived, they knew something was not right as the outnumbering number of familiars were in bounds by an ice-cold chain seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
“Break free of your chains, Gleipnir!”
Evrard declared and no sooner, the chains that binds the familiars were tightening their grip and shattering themselves along with the familiars they held, sending them back to where they came.
And as if winter was upon them, the air around has turned frigid as a mist was storming by Evrard and with a tremendous howl, dispelling the mist and announcing his arrival. A towering figure now stood by Evrard, a snow-white wolf bearing the name Gleipnir with broken chains floating all around him.
“So, it was you after all. Still holding onto those foolish dreams, I see.”
A nobility dressed man steps out from behind the trees as a gust of wind came from where the looming shadow was and as the gust fades, another was blowing, unveiling the grim shadow as the dragon makes its landing by the noble man, towering by him.
“I’m sure this dragon isn’t yours. So, I wonder which house was so gracious to lent theirs, Count Crenet.”
Evrard commented on the dragon towering before him while Count Crenet gave a smirk and added, “You mean this.? This is the gift from Tower, to you and your precious daughter.”
Bewildered, Evrard utters in shock, “Ashen chaos!” and so were the other knights as each of them had come to a standstill, staring at the towering dragon as it sheds its skin, revealing its ashen and decaying underneath.
“What’s the meaning of this, Count Crenet!”
Who seems to be the captain of the knights, stepped forward and demanded answers as they were here on the orders to arrest or subdue Duke Aecor and his daughter for suspect coup d'etat but witnessing an ashen chaos under Count Crenets will, brought up questions to their orders as they are loyal knights of Astrum, upholding their oaths.
“This is trea–!”
The dragon snaps its jaws shut, smashing the captain’s head in one go while Count Crenet brushes off any specks of dust that fell onto him as the lifeless captain body fell onto the ground.
“Who gave this commoner the right to speak?”
Count Crenet spoke, uninterested in the lifeless body that laid by him and it was then when the other knights learn of the grave situation that they are currently in. But before they could even think of fleeing, one after the other, they fell by their own fellow knights, slayed by the ashen chaos they called for.
As the ashen chaos being’s appearance suggest, they are familiars of Animus or at least former familiars but now they are nothing but chaos incarnate, consuming everything in sight with only the fate of death awaiting them, a curse to simply turn to ash and then fade. Even though they are mythical beings of Animus, give or take, immortal beings.
“How foolish of you all but you have failed, the star has left.”
Evrard proclaim with Gleipnir by his side as they were slowly being surrounded by the ashen chaos. But Count Crenet, instead started to laugh and stopping himself soon after, “You’re right Duke Aecor– I mean Evrard. But she’s not the only target we have.” Gleefully smiling as he briefly gazed at the towering snow-white wolf.
“Like, I’ll let you have him. Gleipnir!”
Evrard declared once more as it began to snow, a snow made of mana while Gleipnir, towering by him, let loose another tremendous howl, baring its fangs at the dragon and the other ashen chaos. As Evrard himself, brandish his pure white ice sword to Count Crenet.
Meanwhile, back on the ship, Wish, they have safely boarded and had sailed off, heading for where the Caligo would call home. Eladi is sound asleep below deck, in one of the rooms they had prepared, with countless of glittering gems resonating with the runes, flickering along with them.
And from the distance, Severin, who’s on deck, could still see iceberg upon icebergs forming at the battlefield where Evrard is, facing against that grim shadow he saw early.
“May the stars be with you, Evrard.”
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