A hooded young man walked alone on the streets of Vindyr, his hands resting in his pockets. His footsteps seemed to echo quietly as he stumbled forward, as if he no longer wished to keep going.
"You'll make your mother proud, won't you?"
The words of his mother reverberated through his head as he stood before the footsteps of the home he left years ago.
He shook his head on impulse, trying to rid himself of any memories that would stir up any intense feelings within.
"Are you ready, Master?"
A long, black snake was wrapped around the young man's neck and hissed in a rather intelligent and human-like manner.
After taking a deep breath, the man placed his hand on the doorknob.
"Yeah. I'm ready."
Bracing himself for the worst, he opened the door and took a step inside the place he once called home. It looked the same as ever.
After reminiscing about the past and his childhood for a couple minutes, it was time for the moment of truth.
Considering the absolute lack of people in this section of the city, he was already sure what was going to appear before his eyes once he went upstairs.
His mother would be in that frozen, dreamlike state of being, never to wake up again.
There was no point in thinking about it. He simply had to open the door before him and confirm his suspicious firsthand.
He took another deep breath and quickly opened the door.
As expected, there lay his dear mother, sleeping peacefully in the comfort of her bed.
The young man sighed and pulled over a chair from a nearby desk to sit by his mother's side.
"I... wanted to make you proud. So I went and trained to become a mage, and even tamed a beast of Ferdoa."
He looked at his companion, the majestic black snake, who knew to remain silent in this situation.
"When I received your message to come back home, I tried my hardest to do just that. I... really did. I never thought something like this could happen."
Months before, he received a letter from the Adventurer's Guild from his younger sister, stating that their mother had fallen ill and her health was rapidly declining. She wanted to see her son before she would inevitably pass, but fell victim to the Cataclysm, a sudden factor that had nothing to do with her previous illness.
"I wish I could have shown you how much I've grown. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."
Tears began to stream down the man's face and onto the backs of his hands that laid clenched against his lap. There was so much more he wanted to say, so much more. But all he could muster was an endless repetition of apologies, over and over.
He had trained so hard and gone on a long journey for the sole purpose of earning his mother's praise and admiration, but she wasn't even here anymore to see the fruits of his labor.
If only he hadn't pursued such foolish ambitions, maybe he could have stayed with his mother until her final moments. That time spent with her would have been worth a million times more than superficial things like magic, which ultimately did nothing for him in the end.
"There's nothing left for me to do but continue on this path I've already set myself on... all to never be satisfied with whatever I manage to accomplish."
The young man wiped his tears and stood up, giving his resting mother one last look filled with a thousand unspoken words.
"I'll never feel fulfilled. Never. Because I... made the wrong decision."
His mother's illness and the Cataclysm were both factors completely out of his control, but his irrational thoughts forced him to think otherwise. He simply should have made the right choice. To the young man who wept before his dead mother, that was the only thing that ran through his mind. Regret.
The broken man, reduced to the mental state of a child, stumbled down the steps as if he were in a drunken stupor.
"Master, are you okay?"
The snake that had watched this event unfold decided now was a good time to speak.
"Yes... I'm fine, Prada. I'm going to look for my sister, Alisha. Since she's not here, I figure she must be somewhere within the city..."
The snake, given the name Prada, knew that his master was simply coping with the situation before him. Despite this, there was nothing he could do to cheer up his master besides waiting for time to heal his wounds.
"I understand."
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The young man and his snake companion continued to traverse the remnants of Vindyr, eventually reaching the heart of the city after a couple days.
Apparently, the one named Nephelin Enseraph would be finally appearing before the survivors of the Cataclysm to speak of their current predicament and future plans. This was all spread through rumors and word of mouth, but the man had thought there was no harm in checking it out regardless.
This speech was to be held at the very center of Vindyr where the government and other high-ups resided. This area had been rendered off-limits due to the Cataclysm, along with avoiding any potential protests from angered citizens.
At the city plaza, a crowd of people quickly formed and looked upwards towards the balcony of the city hall, which was where the so-called "Lucid" would be making her first official appearance before the people. As the people gossiped amongst themselves, the young man noticed a rather peculiar pair of individuals enter the plaza shortly after he did.
It was a young woman with sharp red eyes dressed in what the man thought was theatre clothing, and a little girl with white hair who looked like she had no idea where she was, but clung onto the dress of the young woman as if she were her mother.
He began to feel pity towards the two girls, as the older one had her dress in tatters, and the younger one had bloodstains on her clothes.
Such was the state of affairs that the survivors of the Cataclysm found themselves in, thought the diligent young man to himself. In an effort to show empathy, he approached the girls with the intent of making small talk.
"Hello ther—"
The older woman had immediately stepped back in a defensive manner, like a bear protecting its cub.
"Ah... Don't worry about this snake here. I tamed him from Ferdoa; his name is Prada, and he's rather gentle. Come, give him a pet or two."
The red-eyed woman glanced back and forth between the snake and the young man who spoke with a certain air of prestige around him.
She let out a sigh, and let her guard down.
"Well, it's not the weirdest thing I've seen, considering all the shit that's been going on."
She slowly approached the snake, who had remained docile and gentle throughout the entire encounter, as it was used to being seen as something to be feared.
The woman nonchalantly pet the snake and rubbed its head repeatedly as if she had not jumped away from it moments earlier.
"That's cool... I guess. Wanna touch him too, Arien?"
The curious little girl nodded her head and shyly walked forwards, whilst the man bent down on one knee to allow the girl to get a better look at the snake resting upon his shoulders.
She gently poked the snake's skin, feeling its scaly exterior, a unique feeling that resembled nothing else she had known.
The young girl then quickly stepped backwards multiple times, as if she expected the snake to bite her hand off.
"Not so bad, was it?"
Prada hissed and teased the two girls, as they both freaked out once more in response to learning that the snake could talk.
The young man gave a hearty laugh after seeing the reactions of these two seemingly innocent souls, as if they were a small symbol of hope in this dreary state of affairs.
"The name's Invictas. What about you two?"
The man, now known as Invictas, extended his hand towards the young woman, and gazed into her eyes with his soft, green eyes.
"Ah... It's Helsyn. Hel for short, if you want."
Helsyn was still unaccustomed to small talk and other forms of natural human interaction, so she didn't know how to react to the arm extended before her.
She simply grabbed Invictas' hand awkwardly and shook it stiffly, before quickly backing away from the uncomfortable situation.
Invictas seemed to be left in awe, as this small exchange said all he needed to know about the peculiar woman he had just met. He simply smiled and continued to appear kind and courteous.
"Nice to meet you both, Helsyn and Arien. Are you here to see Nephelin?"
Helsyn crossed her arms and sighed, a clear sign that she no longer wanted to speak and wished to be anywhere but in a crowd of people.
"Something like that. Just looking for a safe place for the girl to stay."
Invictas looked at the little girl who couldn't be older than ten years old. She was still clinging on to Helsyn's dress, and given how attached she was, he knew that simply leaving her someplace else would not be a very effective solution.
"I came here to look for my parents originally, but I got sidetracked by this little charade going on. Doesn't hurt to see whatever this is about."
Invictas noticed a rather brutish and direct way of speaking from Helsyn, which heavily contrasted the elegance of the entire outfit she had on. The intelligent man took advantage of every small detail he could, making sure to learn as much as possible about these two and their demeanors. It was something Invictas had picked up while learning and training as a mage, and it served him well in terms of building friendships and understanding others.
"I... see. I wouldn't mind helping you with that, if you'd like."
The notion of looking for ones parents was one that Invictas understood all too well. He had undergone the same situation only a few days prior, and whilst it was a heart-wrenching confirmation, he still appreciated having closure. Out of sympathy for another who may be in the same shoes as him, he offered to help without thinking twice.
"Uh... sure...? I suppose that would be nice."
Helsyn didn't know how to properly respond to someone offering aid to her, at least not without some kind of cost. She also didn't know how to feel about being around even more people, as having this little girl cling onto her all day was already more than enough for this once reclusive girl.
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xxx
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Suddenly, the sound of the crowd roaring in excitement interrupted her thoughts.
"A-Ahem!"
Looking upwards, a young woman who appeared to be around the same age as Helsyn emerged from the balcony of the city hall and into the sunlight, allowing everyone in the plaza to get a good look at her.
She certainly possessed a noble look about her, as she had blonde, golden hair done in a fancy braid, along with a flowing red cape and light armor that a beginning adventurer would wear. She also had gentle purple eyes, a color that suited a person of her status.
The crowd went wild at the simple fact that Nephelin showed up in the first place. Many doubted if she even existed at all. Of course, there were bound to be a few survivors who would have known of her before the Cataclysm.
The blonde-haired girl seemed to be anxious, standing in front of all these people, especially in a position of authority and power. But at the same time, she carried herself with a certain charm that captivated the audience.
"I... I know that recent times have been difficult for us, the people of Vindyr. I too, was a victim of the Cataclysm, and experienced a horror I never wish to feel again. But... me being here now, along with all of you, is surely a sign of human perseverance. We are the symbols of hope; the ones who can rebuild and recover the damage that has been done to our home."
The crowd of townspeople now stood silently, listening attentively to their assumed leader. Soft mutters could be heard vaguely amongst the people, but the reception seemed to be relatively positive.
"I understand that you have all lost loved ones. My parents were both victims as well. For the sake of those who were subject to such a horrible fate, it is our duty to do what is right and continue living and fighting in their stead."
Nephelin had said all the right things that the people wanted to hear, but they still wanted answers. They wanted actual plans and solutions, not just a simple morale boost. After all, this was not a situation that could simply be overcome with a lackluster speech.
"And that's why..."
She stammered and paused briefly, leaving the audience confused as they awaited her decisive words.
"That is why... we will... declare war on the other nations of Severis."
What...?
The entire crowd erupted in outrage and confusion. Helsyn, Arien, and Invictas looked around themselves as chaos unfolded.
"Hey, this is... getting a bit much for me...!"
Helsyn had just about enough with this crowd, and struggled to leave whilst making sure Arien was safe and with her.
Invictas also shared that same sentiment, as he disliked being in the middle of such intense situations and preferred watching on the sidelines.
"To make up for the lack of productivity and resources due to the severe decline in our population... we must make up for it by taking these resources from other nations."
The crowd came to an eerie silence once more, as everyone wanted to listen to what Nephelin had to say.
"Ask yourselves... why is it that the other nations have not offered any help to us, despite being aware of our circumstances? Why have the three nations of Caelestis, Infre, and Dreath not extended their hands to us, despite being more powerful nations?"
The people began murmuring amongst themselves once more, as everything she was saying was true. It had been nearly 2 weeks since the Cataclysm occurred. News of the disaster must have already spread across the five realms. And yet, no one has came to Vindyr except for bandits and pillagers.
"I'm sure you all know what I'm getting at. This... is not something I wish to do, truly. But it is something that I am forced to do, as we are left no other choice. We must fight, or die. That is the decision given to us by those who ignored our suffering."
The people resurged once more, this time in support of Nephelin rather than outrage. They raised their fists as they had found a scapegoat to take out their anger on. The surrounding nations would all pay for their inaction, taking direct responsibility for the Cataclysm.
"I will not force you to fight. But... consider what impact the result of your inaction will have on those you love. Regardless if you decide to follow me or not, I will fight on my own, if need be. ...That is all."
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xxx
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As Nephelin gracefully turned her back on the people before her, the audience finally broke apart as if they were released from confinement. There were multiple groups of people talking amongst themselves, some excited, some worried, and some indifferent to it all.
Helsyn, Arien, and Invictas stood together in the shadows of an alleyway to avoid the presence of others.
"Well... that was a shitshow. But I can't say I expected that, especially from such an innocent looking girl. Who would have thought a sheltered noble would have the courage to declare war on the other three nations?"
Helsyn commented on the situation with her own thoughts, despite wanting to remain indifferent. She found the whole thing to be quite interesting as it was certainly not how she thought things would play out.
"It could be she was forced to make this decision by someone behind the scenes. You know... the Enseraph family essentially holds the strings behind Vindyr now."
Invictas also proposed a valid claim, but Helsyn was quick to dismiss it.
"No... I get the feeling that isn't the case. It's not something I can explain, but... I know something is up with that girl."
Helsyn thought of the incident that had occurred shortly after she became a Lucid, and recalled the claim that Nephelin herself was also a Lucid. It was only a hunch, but it was one to be wary of.
"I'm... going to talk to that girl myself. I've got questions for her."
Helsyn turned and was ready to set out on what she claimed she was going to do, only to be stopped.
"W-Wait! What about your parents? Don't you—"
Invictas was quickly interrupted.
"No, no, that can come later. You see, I've got things to do, and you can go and do whatever you like. Come on, Arien."
The quiet girl simply nodded her head and swiftly obliged in following Helsyn like a lost puppy. Before he knew it, the two had already walked a significant amount towards the city hall where Nephelin was.
"Huh... how strange."
Invictas scratched his head in confusion as he watched the pair move onwards towards their next goal.
"They certainly move fast, don't they?"
Prada was curious about Helsyn's strange demeanor and the way she would make such swift decisions on a whim. Invictas also pondered this, and attributed it to simply a secret that she was hiding from everyone.
He then let out a stressed sigh, and began aimlessly wandering the streets of Vindyr.
"Well, the fact my sister wasn't at the city plaza earlier is worrying. I assumed most survivors of the Cataclysm would show up there, but she must have gotten caught up in something else entirely. I'm... quite worried, to say the least."
Invictas looked down at the ground at the thought of imagining yet another family member dying before he could at least speak to them one more time.
"It's possible she may have been outside of Vindyr at the moment of the Cataclysm."
Prada, the ever-caring snake, proposed an optimistic outcome for Alisha, Invictas' sister, all to help him calm down and feel better.
"I really hope so..."
Despite Prada's attempt at cheering up his master, he was swept with feelings of guilt nonetheless. Invictas would always feel plagued by his regrets, as if his life was nothing more than a failure.