One cannot gain anything without sacrificing something else in return. At some point we all come to a point where sacrifices must be made for either oneself or another. Even the most selfish individuals try to go their entire lives preserving and staying reclusive to change.
So, when is that we must be ready to sacrifice everything?
And what does one give when they've got nothing to lose.
I've come face with this strange man in this strange new world. One I was told which wouldn't be the same as the last. Not facing immediate persecution because of a misunderstanding or error. The man called himself Xander, he had pink hair and yellow eyes. It was treated well with a shallow smile and a single angels wing on his back.
He reached out my hand as he declared himself to be a grace candidate. Reluctantly, I took it knowing I'd be stuck with him for the duration of my stay in Yuzuriana. I turned to him as I started to see his singular wing starting to move gradually.
"I was informed of your arrival Ariella, I'll teach all there is to know about your grace and the others out there. We are the same you see—.."
"Ehh— before we go any further.. I've just gotta ask something." Brazenly from me, I needed to know some crucial information from him.
"Oh? Well ask away, I'll answer any question you ask of me." He said this profoundly and honestly. I couldn't feel even a hint of deceit, it was almost the opposite of talking to Uriel who constantly reeked of bullshit.
"By any chance you going to exploit, manipulate, torture and humiliate me for your ulterior motives or petty gain. Will you force your friends/associates to persecute me along with the entire nation that you are loyal to or may be plotting to overthrow. And will I be forced to kill somebody I've grown extremely cl—.." I thought back to Zel at that last moment and didn't know how to feel. I wanted to feel like she was okay, that maybe Luci was doing fine.
When I said that his eyes gradually grew wide and he burst out into laughter at my profound and bizarre question.
"PFFTT—!.. Ariella you really are a riot you know? Man, what the heck kind of question is that? Phew.. no. Those are all really messed up things to do, if anything the worst we'll do is fast for a few days so you can train on yourself. I'm here as a friend, my only goal is hone your grace and make you into a proper candidate."
"That's.. honestly a relief."
I said this while exhaling deeply. I held my breath prior almost trying to anticipate reality crashing down on me. After living in Astaren I've grown jaded to people and how I should act around them.
"Now we're going to take a small tour through the peaceful planetary realm known as Yuzuriana." He nodded towards me before grabbing ahold of me.
I nodded in response before he started to take flight but then I remembered I can fly myself. Before he could fully take off I noticed my chordatta, strength and magic weren't at the level or efficiency they previously were. To some extent I just couldn't use it.
"My chordatta.. my Power? It's not..— it's a bit jarring, what's going on.."
He looked at me a bit confused then realized what was going on.
"Ah.. I'm sure you're confused on why the abilities you've probably had in your other world aren't working, well you see a significant amount of time has probably passed since you've last been there and not only that Yuzuriana has its own special set of laws and diction so the useage of other prowess won't work so easily here, much less work at all. So I'm a bit surprised you were able to push yourself that much. If you really want to use your other abilities you'll need to learn how to use oath vice."
"The fuck.. man. Just carry me, I don't even know if my sacred arts works here.." I tried crouching down before giving in to my own futility before trying to deconstruct the ground, but a faint crackle encompassed the ground slightly and about as much as my palm in surface area was deconstructed and reconstructed into stone. I was a bit shocked that my sacred arts leviathan still worked but not chordatta or magic?
"Oh my.. what was that? Is it your grace ability Ariella?" Xander asked this out of curiosity before I crouched up in surprise.
"No.. not exactly, but I can definitely use it better than my grace currently." I said this while looking at my hand in awe.
"I see, I'm glad there's something that remains. Now, that tour.. I'll be explaining this world and the basic things you'll need to know." He said this with a smile on his face and his hand out.
I took his hand before nodding to his request. Upon doing this I was slowly taken into the air along with him. Majestically he started flapping his singular wing but the sheer force of it caused us to take off almost instantly. He hair blew beautifully as we traversed the sky. I looked down to my amazement as it was a series of just floating islands with other beast flying and traveling through the sky with us. Waterfalls and other bodies of water were present in the sky casually. In the distance I saw a volcano erupting but it was also just a floating island. Below us was a blue void which faded into darkness.
"Yuzuriana is a planetary realm, it all but implies we're not exactly a planet or sphere but a large plane which eventually expands into space slowly leading you into the next realm. If you fall into the void you'll loop around and eventually find yourself back on the ground unscathed as the distance and time are warped. And a minor piece of information, know the natives to Yuzuriana like myself are known as Zurichs and are characterized with the singular wing on their backs enabling them flight."
I chuckled a bit as I began to notice more humanoid creatures appearing in the air. My excitement at the time didn't stem from flight but knowing a race of humans evolved to flying.
I looked towards Xander with a little bit of wonder and a tad bit of skepticism, I completely expected him to drop me while we were in the sky but I really didn't have a way to save myself.
"So—.. can you explain what this oath vice thing is or..?" I asked this only because I'd probably need it if I ever did fall, plus it might be the only thing I can use to save myself if I really did fall.
"Oath vice..? Well, the simple way to say is that it's a metaphysical manifestation of your willpower. The way it manifests has a lot of different variation and changes often. It's all dependent on the user and the oath vice in question."
"I'm thinking I could have a stand by the end of this training session with you..—" muttered subtly by myself. I thought about it for a minute and kind of realized it's a form binding vows to strengthen a person or just mind power amplified.
"All the Zurich's like myself gain a vice at the age of 7 and can choose another if they please at the adult age of 16–17.."
I continued to listen and figured he must have like 2 or 3 given his position as a Grace candidate. I'd have as many as I could given the possibilities I'd have at my disposal but maybe this just me being greedy and power hungry. Xander continued to talk about Yuzuriana while I was tuned out. A lot of the information he was giving generally went in one ear and came out the other. Of course I listened but not as well as I should've but oh well.
"Regardless of the grand magic grace solomons deeds, what is important that you know what a Vice is..—" He said this to me rather seriously, I figured he must've realized I wasn't really listening to his rant on some other grace candidate dude.
"Well.. Not exactly, I'm gonna need a refresher just to see if you know. Get me?.." Off the top of my head I didn't know but I couldn't seem stupid in front of him like that. I stuttered a bit at his response due to my own unpreparedness.
He sighed before resuming. "Well, to start things off a Vice is usually a particular form of depravity, a fault, shortcoming, immoral or evil habbit in practice. Now the function of the Oath Vice will be to counteract, seal, or channel these abnormalities within us. Our great founder Yuzuria created Oath Vices as special sacraments to allow all of the Zurichs to defend themselves from the outside world, grace candidates, the four horsemen and the deadly sins. There was a number of other things the sacraments were intended for but they've either long gone away or simply sleep.." he said this calmly while carrying me.
His singular wing flapped galantly as we peered over the blue abyss which we continued to fly over. I listened carefully as I realized it might be a way for me to attain the powers I had practiced so damn hard to have and lost.
"And you say through these.. I can gain back my Chordatta and Magic?.. They were a staple to my moveset and with them gone I'm basically not much stronger than the average olympian or strongman." I uttered calmly, Xander then spoke up.
"Well, isn't that strong?.. as far as I'm concerned as long as you've got wit you can defend yourself just fine. Just joking.. I will say that as I peer into your strength currently you're a sitting duck if we were to fight anyone in Yuzuriana.. and most of us are pacifist at heart." He replied rather nonchalantly.
"Pacifist huh.. and wait.. what's that over there.." retorted by me.
I make notice of a floating island archipelago which seemed to have a swarm of people and flying entities going in and out. It radiated the smell of adventure which I craved since arriving in this realm. Xander then noticed my slight excitement.
"Well that my dear, is the trade center. Otherworlders come and go to bargain their goods, make imports, exports. Therefore it's turned into a grocery or marketplace for many who wish to get things they need. Or want." Xander noted per my general fidgeting and excitement.
Looking around I came to see it was nothing like the RPG's I played where the mystical tree face was staring at me or goku was cursing at me in spanish. It was way better in my completely honest opinion. Dragons and all sorts of beast roamed around, booths with grand abnormalities sticking or fuming out were around. Swordsmen and the like dueled in select areas while people watched to see if there was anything interesting. Lot's of interesting characters were definitely abound, ruggidly handsome men who's jawlines were comparable to most math angles. The smell of adventure was in the air along with the many aphrodiasics being sold for shamefully expensive prices.
Xander chuckled at my once again childlike wonder at the scenes that surrounded me, the boobs that bounced everywhere and the man ass that just profoundly in the air. I could stare at it all for ages but Xander dragged me away.
"Ari.. we're just here for groceries, we're going to depart for training the literal minute or two I'm done.." Xander exclaimed, he knew that they had little time to spare on mindless fanatics.
"Ehhh.. if we're gonna be here for a while entertain me at the very least oh jester." I sighed given the disappointment he dumped right away.
" A queen are we now? if you so wish my lord.. I shall tell you tales of my childhood." Pestered Xander.
"Exsquisite fufufu~ go on." Uttered by myself. Xander then cleared his throat upon this request.
"Well upon the age of 4 I was revealed to be the grace candidate of Scale. The Elder Zurichs had revered me as a promised one who would bring a new ordinance of glory to our holy lands. While the elders revered me.. my lessers, my peers and even my parents feared me. To be chosen as a grace candidate was the title those could only imagine in the grandest of dreams, clearly it meant one was destined for greatness. Though I was one of the rare few destined for truly great deeds and accomplishments, I still paid my respects to those who have come before me. The only thing that bugged me was that no one ever tried to look at the bigger picture of things.." Xander uttered this with a rather candid look on his face, to of which I replied.
"The bigger picture being..?" I questioned this he seemed to have been trying to lead into something or a important topic.
"That we're all just puppets in a dream we can't escape, that we can't wake from. The ever approaching factoid we're all going to die or cease to exist sooner or later." Calmly said by him with a slight smile on his face.
"Dark for someone whose balls haven't dropped yet but true.." I uttered this at the expense of realizing how he grew up. He continued his monologue on his childhood.
"Some scorned me for being so special while others relied on me so much they began trying to manipulate me. Eventually going mad at the realization of their own inadequacacy. Though after that period of time no one as seen them eveer again." Xander smiled and tried to brush off the topic.
Just going off a hunch I assume he did something to him but I'd rather not ask what he did given my own fair share of eliminating my opposers and well.. failing. But through this conversing I didn't notice it but slowly we accumulated all the groceries we needed. But almost as if it was planned, as if some preordained plot laid it in front of us. A band of ugly looking goons was in front of us and looked like they wanted to rob us.
Looking at the big picture here, everyone has their delusions that they want to live by. Xander on his assumption he's special, me with my vendetta against the world and the kirkland brand Ginyu force in front of us.