It was a day that Fegeko distinctly remembered, a day of mourning. His wife's best friend and personal guard, Irene Tsukumo, along with her husband, Kenjiro Tsukumo, were being brought down to the earth. The two in one coffin, for Fegeko knew how much they loved each other.
All around him were weeping souls, people who knew the two personally. Even he, a typically stoic man, shed a few tears; afterall, these two were wonderful people in his life. Ever since his wife died, Irene and Kenjiro had been helping him take care of his own daughter, and advised him in times where he felt overwhelmed being a sole ruler.
But as he looked around, he saw a sight that stunned him. Kenjiro and Irene's ten-year-old son, a son who he knew loved his parents deeply, and the same son who looked at his parents being laid down, his eyes devoid of any tears.
His face was plain, expressionless, and cold; Fegeko didn't know what was in the boy's mind as he observed him. Was he sad? Disappointed? Angry? Fegeko didn't know, but it was a sight that unnerved him to his core.
But eight years later, Fegeko stood tall over that same boy, Rapl Tsukumo. As the words of Fegeko rang inside Rapl's ears, he chuckled, "You don't have to worry about that Your Majesty," he remarked, turning to Fegeko, his cross pupils digging deep within the King's, "I knew you were busy… plus, I'll be out of your hair soon enough."
At the exact time Rapl said this, Fegeko grabbed his arm, "Boy," he said, his voice powerful; but not threatening, "Whatever the Lich had told you, do not listen to them, he is a deceiver!" He stated, sounding a bit desperate.
Yet Rapl continued to stare nonchalantly, "...He told me about his dreams to protect his people, you know those dreams don't you, your Majesty?" Rapl pointed out, his tone as casual as ever.
Fegeko's mind wavered a bit, his eyes moving from Rapl's eyes to the ground, "Yeah… I know that much," he remarked. He knew the true side of Artefus from the battles he had shared with the great Lich, his unwavering will to protect his people, a will he also shared, "But that doesn't change all the atrocities he has done towards the world."
"How about Kendro?" Rapl swiftly replied, taking Fegeko off guard, "It's not like this nation of mine is perfect isn't it?" But with Rapl saying this, a scythe quickly wrapped around his neck, and in front of him, he saw her again.
"Eight years, eight years I wanted to see you, but now you've made yourself into a fool," Princess Fekeo remarked, her voice full of venom and malice, her brows curled in pure rage.
"Fekeo!" Fegeko panickly called, grabbing the handle of her scythe incase she tries to do anything drastic, "How did you- where did you come from?" Yet even with his strength, Fekeo's grip was still resisting.
"Up the window, I've been listening in," she remarked as her eyes dug deeply into that of Rapl's, and he, stared back. Ever since they were kids, he always gave her that gaze; that same gaze, unchanging, a gaze that looked down on her, his superiority showing inside his blue, emotionless eyes, "I heard everything you said you traitor."
Yet even with her aggressive tone and actions, Rapl simply moved the scythe further away from his neck, "I see you're not using an eyepatch anymore?" He remarked in a gentle tone, reaching out a hand to touch Fekeo's face.
But quickly she slapped it, "YOU'LL RATHER JOIN THE MAN WHO KILLED YOUR PARENTS AND MY MOTHER!!! THAN TO SERVE YOUR OWN NATION?!" Fekeo yelled, something even Artefus heard behind the walls.
The Lich could not say anything, he did do those horrible things towards Rapl and Fekeo, and to many more. Both Irene and Kenjiro Tsukumo were cursed to die in the battle of Nerio. Still, their curse wasn't one Artefus remembered much, due to the fact he casually cursed them by looking and speaking towards their direction.
However, the death of Rekeo was one Artefus remembers well, for she was a high target on Artefus' list. Her intellect on the battlefield and her leadership even when Kendro was in its darkest periods was something Artefus needed to take out. So slowly he cursed her, but due to her being a high-ranking champion, he had to use more mana than normal.
"Are you sure Sir Rapl is going to choose our side, your Majesty?" A senator asked Artefus, uneasy with how things were going. Yet as a response, Artefus brushed the top of the head of the senator.
"Believe in him child," he answered, "That boy… he shares a will that only a few great warriors have, from what I've seen and heard of him, if he wants something, he will fight harder than anyone for it." Back in the room, Rapl stared deeply into Fekeo's eyes.
Everything about him exuded an aura of superiority, even though Rapl knew full well she was stronger than her, "I guess you could say that," Rapl replied, his eyes closing as he sighed. Fekeo's eyes sharpened, but that rage boiled over into a devastated look.
"H-How could you?" She asked, letting down her scythe, her face showing more hurt than rage, "AFTER EVERYTHING ZAN HAS DONE!!"
"THAT IS WHY!!!" Rapl swiftly replied, taking Fegeko and Fekeo off guard, "I will join Zan's ranks, there is no do without reason, and I will find that reason," he exclaimed with such fire in his voice, his passion radiating like a sun.
Fekeo's grip on her scythe became tighter, but to quell her anger, Fegeko stepped in, "I do confess Rapl, Kendro isn't a perfect nation, that is something I will always tell everyone including the Kendrians. But we learn from our mistakes and we walk forward no matter what," Fegeko stated, his face expressing a rare hint of vulnerability, "Yet still, Kendro's sins do not justify Zan's sins, this world is not made of perfect nations Rapl."
"I know," Rapl yet again instantly responded, as if he already knew all the questions. His blue eyes pulsed as if they had a heartbeat, and his mouth opened to utter words that would change the path of his life forever, "But I choose Zan, and that is my final decision." And with that final saying, Fegeko's heart sank, looking at the ground as he grabbed Fekeo's arm, resisting her attacking Rapl.
"...And it is a decision I will accept, you're free to go now, Rapl Tsukumo," Fegeko solemnly remarked as Rapl turned to exit. Yet a contrast towards her reserved father, Fekeo was shouting.
"YOU TRAITOR!!" She yelled with so much emotion in her words, if it wasn't for her father resisting her, she would've sliced Rapl in half, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE BETRAYING YOUR NATION!!"
But as Fekeo shouted this out, Rapl turned, his eyes almost paralyzing, "Do not forget Fekeo that I am a Kendrian third, the child of Irene and Kenjiro Tsukumo second, and Rapl Tsukumo first, I chose to be a Zanian and that is a decision none will make for me," he asserted. But as fast as that paralyzing aura came, a soft, more gentle aura emanate from Rapl, as eyes of sympathy came over him, "And as Rapl Tsukumo, I thank you, Fekeo and Lord Fegeko, as the last time I will regard you as my Princess and King, thank you for your service to Kendro."
And with that, the door closed, and Fekeo broke down in mixed emotions, meanwhile Fegeko just stood solemnly, regret eating him alive, "...I'm sorry Irene…I'm sorry Kenjiro, I couldn't save your son."
Outside, Artefus saw Rapl, his face completely gray as if it was nothing for him, "Are you alright Child?" Artefus asked Rapl. But surprisingly, a gentle smile greeted the Lich.
"Yes, my Lord," he stated, all form of a Kendrian Rapl had died in that room, and what came out, was Rapl, the heir of the Lich. Artefus smiled proudly as he laid a hand on Rapl's shoulder.
"You will stand on equal footing with me soon enough, Rapl, so I prefer you to call me Master instead," he replied. But not a moment later, from the same room Rapl exited from, Fegeko appeared again, a golden crown on his head, one that Rapl no longer submits to.
"Our discussion is finished, I thank you for your time, you and your people may leave," Fegeko declared, leading Artefus, Rapl, and the senators to bow. As Rapl was about to leave, he turned back, to see Fegeko one last time, for he knew the next time they meet, it would be on the battlefield.
Artefus opened the door, his swordsaints patiently waiting for him outside, with them were the senators and guards, their faces anxious towards Artefus. The Lich cleared his throat as he turned to the senators, "Even though we are enemies, I thank you for the civil discussion, farewell."
It had been a few hours since they entered Angelica, and Rapl could see the afternoon sun outside of the palace, but with it, he saw a statue he always set his eyes on every time he was in Angelica. It was a statue of multiple people, wearing robes, hats, and one had wings, Rapl knew it as the statue named, The Heights of Magic. But he didn't know the whole context of it.
"Master," Rapl called as Artefus turned towards him, "Since you've been alive for so long, do you recognize those people?" He pointed at the statue, which made Artefus turn towards it. Instantly Rapl saw recognition in Artefus' eyes.
"Yes I do," he remarked, quickly turning away from it as he continued to walk, "They were the strongest champions in Kendro's golden age of magic. Even five hundred years ago when everyone was weaker than they are now, those warriors could still equal the mightiest of champions in today's age." As Artefus talked, Rapl noticed that his voice shaked ever so slightly, "I still remember their names, Leonardo Taihei, The Soul Monarch. Gregori De Oel, The Cold Demise. Sekeo Igni, The Vulcan. Samael Klaw, The Wrath of Heaven. Vernise Everwood, The Dauntless. Linda Briar, The Scorching Rose. And Jakelin Est Vice, The Inferno of Curza."
Rapl was a bit taken aback by the names Artefus had just told him. Although he did not recognize most of those names, the way Artefus said them with such venom showed how he felt against them, "W-Were they strong?" Rapl blurted out.
Artefus didn't respond immediately, as if he was thinking, "Yes... plenty stronger than I was at the time," he started, but as he turned towards Rapl, his eyes spiraled with intensity, "Yet still, I stand here now in front of you, and they are nothing more than just memories and statues. Hear me well future Lich, winning doesn't mean being stronger, winning means being the one who stands at the end," he uttered, sending a chill down Rapl's spine. Yet as Rapl turned to the statues again, he realized something.
"Master," he called, "You told me seven names… So who's the eighth one?" And just like the first time they met, the room darkened, as senators and swordsaints stopped their stride, their necks not being strong enough to even face Rapl and Artefus. The young man saw his master's shoulder twitch, but most shockingly of all, his eyes. Never once has Rapl thought this emotion would appear in his master's eyes, the emotion, of fear.
But as Artefus began to breathe more steadily, he began to gain his composure back, "I have killed most of the top mages Zeroth has ever made, each battle I had with them I still remember to this day," he began, his face turned away from the statue as if he was avoiding it, "But there has only been one I could truly describe as my truest rival, one who took an oath just like me, to not die of natural causes, but to die for a reason… mine was to defend my Empire and my people for as long as I breathe… and hers… was the single-minded desire to kill me," Artefus could barely utter as an arm reached out and a hand pointed at the statue, more specifically at one person.
It was a woman made of gold like the others, but something was different from hers. She stood at the front, and with the rest doing extravagant poses, this woman just had her hand out. She wore a massive hat on top of her long hair, and armor plates light enough for a mage to wear on her body. But around her, a grimoire, a wand, an orb, and solely placed on her hand, a staff.
"A mage whose Yutro is unequaled," Artefus uttered with such malice Rapl thought was not possible, "The Lightborn, The Peak of Magic, The Bright Blue Dawn, The Angel of Zeroth, The Radiant One, The White Phoenix, The Goddess of War, The Incarnation of Temus, The One Light of All, She who is Equal to the Sun, Unrivaled Below the Heavens, A Light that Pierced the Darkest Night, The Bringer of Tommorow, and the One Chosen by Magic… the only person in that statue… who is still alive, The Lightborn, Scyka Luminux."
Rapl's eyes widened in shock and awe, the way Artefus had presented Scyka, was like how people would present Artefus. That name, Lightborn, even with his small knowledge, Rapl still recognized it, "W-Where is she?" The young man asked, worried but also curious.
Artefus, who had gotten his composure back, sighed, "My last battle with Lightborn was more than one hundred years ago, she and a few lords organized a surprise attack on me and my Grand General at the time, Grand General Boer. It was a tense fight that almost led to my death, but in the end, I sealed her away using my blood magic," he remarked, his gaze at Rapl being dead serious, "But in ten years, she will be released, and I know full well Zeroth will declare war on Zan when their Angel returns."
As Artefus said this, Rapl began to connect the pieces, "So… that's why you were finding apprentices," he replied, leading Artefus to nod.
"Correct, although Grand General Quix is very strong, he is still young, and he can not take the entire world while I fight Scyka, so I needed all of you to help… and of course, in case I die in that war, I need someone to lead my Empire for me." Artefus laid a firm hand on Rapl's shoulder, staring deep into his cross pupils, "You will battle against the world child, pain will envelop your body that will make you beg for death, and if you fall they will celebrate it. That is the weight of being a champion of Zan, so as our enemies sharpen their fangs and thicken their hide, I will do the same to you, my apprentice, the future Lich of Zan."
Rapl's entire body tensed up as Artefus said this, he knew full well the situation he had gotten himself into, he was no longer just a village boy anymore, he would become a champion of Zan, one who would do battle with other champions.
So as Rapl and Artefus made their way back home, a fleet of ships departed from Hulda, a Kingdom located in the western part of Fabarol. Thousands of men laughed and cheered as they made their way towards the Central Lands, southeast Akal, the territory of the Empire of Zan.
"We've got a ten-hour trip, don't waste our supplies!" A tall, scarred man yelled towards the ships. His skin was dark green, and fangs came out from his mouth; his hair was a long black tied into braids, "I swear those hooligans."
"Smile more Ja'Klei," a powerful voice rang out inside the boat, causing the orc to turn in order to face it, "This is our debut towards the world, soon they will know our pack as the champions that danced with the devil, a thorn towards the Lich's side." Snickers began to emanate from the room, as a human man sitting on a throne of wood and pelt grinned, his purple hair descended his shoulders, and his fist placed under his cheek in a confident stance, "And the name, Dyrin the Unbreakable Spirit, shall be known by the world."