Stars shone brightly in the cloudless sky. A single distant thunder rumbled in the middle of the night, as the tragedy took place. One of the imposing Aeternum castle doors creaked as it was pushed open slowly by a trembling arm. . The castle’s advisor hurried to call over guards to assist the queen as blood pooled beneath her feet. The little girl in the queen’s arms wailed at the hole where her mother’s heart used to be.
“Your Majesty! What happened?!” the advisor screamed.
“Pro… Promise me something, Damian,” the queen said, her strength fading as blood dribbled down her chin. “Look after my girl.”
Damian was frozen in place; a shiver ran up his spine. But something within him told him what he had to do. He couldn’t reject her petition. This girl was his niece, after all. He wouldn’t turn his back on her.
“I promise, I’ll do all I can.” Damian didn’t want to accept it, but he had no choice: “Rest in peace, Your Majesty.”
Damian hugged the girl, while their tears collided with the tiles. The queen let out her last breath. She was losing control of her body; her breathing slipping away, barely there at all. With the last of her strength, she held the girl’s hand and looked at her, a mix of sorrow and happiness in her eyes.
You’re so lovely… I’m sorry, my dear Rosset. I would’ve liked to see you grow big and strong like me; don’t hurry to come visit me. Those were the last words to cross the queen’s mind before her eyes finally closed and her arm fell to the ground with a dull thud.
The years that followed the tragedy flew by more quickly than people expected. The kingdom’s security grew stronger after that night, but the king never moved on.
A pair of leather boots echo in the hallway; light steps, getting faster every second. The princess runs at full speed through the hallway connecting her chambers with one of the internal castle courtyards, where her instructor awaits. From her forehead, united to her short hair, sprouts a pink braid, just above her right eyebrow. It bounces against her light armor, made out of fabric and leather to secure essential protection without restricting her mobility. Rossett kicks the courtyard doors open, startling her instructor, who was sat down enjoying the sun.
“I’m here!” the princess announces with a big smile.
“Your Majesty! What a surprise that you would want to train despite the occasion. Hard-working as always.”
The instructor stands up from her seat. All around her an aura made of pure white energy emerges. Rossett runs her hand over the weapon rack. With an indecisive gesture, she feels a few spears, until she chooses to take one. The hilt is uncomfortable and the size isn’t ideal, but it should do. What kind of warrior would I be if I couldn’t adapt to whatever weapon was in front of me? At least, that’s what she thinks.
She holds the spear with both hands and does a head gesture toward her instructor, who clicks her fingers delicately. Her aura grows even bigger. Humanoid wooden structures start to come out of the floor. On each one a red circle, where its face should be, indicates the best spot to hit.
Rossett takes a deep breath and focuses her stare on the objectives that appear in front of her. She remains still, waiting for the signal. The instructor creates a sand clock on her hand, which slowly turns on its head, and in the same second that the first grain of sand starts to fall, the princess stomps her feet and starts destroying the manikins with strength and elegance.
On her other hand, the instructor creates a holographic tablet with a number. 5. The number increases at a steady pace as Rossett destroys her targets. 8, 12, 16. Two minutes fly by, and the final score appears on the tablet, a clear 57. Rossett celebrates with her fist and a confident grin.
“Finally! New record!”
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. Your previous record was 49. You’ve been training hard, haven’t you?” the instructor says, with a proud expression.
“It’s true, these weeks I’ve been giving it my all, but I still feel like I’m far behind my mother’s level, aren’t I?” Despite all her efforts, her mother seems like a mountain too high to climb.
“Well…” The instructor hesitates for a moment on whether to tell her the truth; she doesn’t want to hurt the princess, especially on such a special day. “The Queen’s record is 450 points…”
Rossett smiles, frustrated, and looks down at the floor. She knew that already; not the specific amount, but she knows her mother was a monster. Regardless, she doesn’t lose hope.
The instructor keeps staring at the princess, slightly worried. Everyone at the castle worries about her. Her dreams are as big as the queen’s had been; she had been feared, but respected; a daring warrior, yet fair in her judgments. The castle servants have always found it odd that the princess is so calm in comparison.
The instructor is about to say something when Rossett gets startled. She places her spear on the rack and adjusts her armor.
“I’m sorry, Lana, I have to go.”
“Huh? That’s odd. Is someone else expecting you?”
“Yes, I promised him I’d see him at the library, I can’t leave him hanging. Besides, he told me he had something interesting to tell me; curiosity is killing me!”
This seemed to have lifted the princess’s spirits. Lana decides it’s best to let her leave; a warrior’s mental state is important for their training, especially when it comes to this girl.
Rossett runs throughout the castle at full speed, once again. She remembers oh so clearly when she used to do so as a kid; her father would always complain about Damian letting her run through the hallways, and more than once did she crash against the royal messenger. She can’t help a giggle as she recalls the first time she charged at Hermes’s leg. The princess swiftly dodges the guards walking through the hallway, until she arrives at the library entrance.
The doors open without a sound; the advisor loves the silence of the library and made sure that someone put a seal of silence on the doors, as they used to creak all the time. Rossett’s steps echo all over the room; she knows how to walk without making a sound, but she wants to check if he’s there already. An annoyed grunt can be heard from the other side of one of the bookshelves.
“Do you have to make so much noise when you walk?” Damian emerges from the other side of the shelf. His hair is completely grayed out and his glasses reflect what little light enters through the curtains. He’s holding a heavy history book. “Happy birthday, princess.”
“Thanks, unc’!” Rossett gives him a big, strong hug. He taps her back three times in quick succession. The princess lets him go and Damian regains his breath. “Oops, sorry; got too excited."
Both of them sit down at one of the tables, where the advisor already has a coffee at hand.
They chat about mundane things for a while. Damian still can’t believe that the princess has turned twenty-one; it’s a very important age for most, but it doesn’t seem to hold much weight for her. After laughing for a while, Rossett musters the courage to ask:
“Then, what’s the important matter you wanted to tell me about?”
“Listen here, miss, this is something your father has forbid me to tell you about, but I consider it necessary that you know of it.” Damian is being serious; he adjusts his glasses to get a clear look of the princess’ face. “Until today, the existence of divinities has remained hidden to you. Your father took this decision out of desperation and concern after Cherry’s death. I don’t want you to blame him for that, but it’s urgent that you learn of their existence. Could you give me your hand?”
Rossett offers him her hand and looks at him with a spark in her eyes. She’s always had a thing for mysteries, although she’s a bit mad that they’ve hid it from her for this long. Damian takes her hand and closes his eyes; a black aura forms around him. His hands glow with dark intensity. Little by little, his aura fades away and Damian opens his eyes again.
Before the advisor could open his mouth, someone else enters the library. Both of their gazes turn toward the entrance. A tall man carrying a bag full of letters leans against the doorframe.
“Hermes!” Without losing a beat, the princess stands up and rushes to give the young messenger a tight hug. Despite his height, the princess almost meets his eyes, which makes sense since the queen and king were also tall.
“Your Majesty, I’ve got in-cre-di-ble news.” His cheerful voice echoes through the library; it isn’t uncommon for him, but it is more apparent than usual. “I got a letter from a place you’ll never be able to guess, and it’s only for you.”
“Provecta? No, somewhere even more incredible… The blacksmiths’ village?! No, that can’t be, they don’t communicate through letters… The abyss??!!”
Both Hermes and Damian are confused, the princess is letting her imagination run free once again.
“Ehhm, no, it’s not from the abyss, Your Majesty. But it does come directly from the prophet’s mountain. I’m gonna show off to everyone that the prophet sent his very first letter to me!”
Neither the princess nor the advisor can believe the news. The prophet of the mountain doesn’t communicate with anyone unless it is urgent; it is said that not only can he see the future, but he’s also capable of affecting the result, although no one truly knows the limit of his abilities.
The trio sit down at the table and, very carefully, open the sealed letter. For some reason, the letter smells faintly of cooked meat, even though it’s not really a secret that the prophet loves mutton. The eyes of all three caress each word softly, written with magic ink that only the prophet uses. Carefully drawn lines for an elegant presentation, with a delicacy unique to him. There’s no doubt that the letter is his. After reading it, the three end up completely dumbfounded. As Damian and Hermes’s brains try to process the letter, the princess stands up from her seat, letter in hand, and breaks into a sprint.
“Wait! You still need to know about your… technique…” Damian wasn’t able to convince the girl to stay.
The excitement that governs Rossett’s actions is too strong. In her head, she won’t stop repeating the last words from that letter, which she grips tight, as she runs through the hallway. With her mind elsewhere, she isn’t able to look where she’s going. Just like when she was a little girl, she crashes at full speed against the first person that crosses her path.
“Ahhg, what’s the matter with… Wait… Rose, how many times have I told you not to run through the hallways?!”
King Julien holds his head in his hands as he scolds his child, who can’t help laughing at the situation.
“I’m old already. If you keep doing that, I’m going to break something someday…” Julien pauses when he notices the letter in his daughter’s hands. With too swift a movement for her to react on time, Julien takes the letter from her.
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“Wait!”
Julien reads it carefully. His eyes widen increasingly.
Heiress to the eternal kingdom, your story has just begun. You have matured enough. At the center of the darkness, trapped in her cocoon, the governess will rise again. When she recovers, the balance will be out of equilibrium. With your new Valor in hand you are to look for the future to save the present. It is time the wheel of your destiny starts to spin.
Rossett looks at her father with watery eyes, not out of sadness, but excitement. She has always dreamed of going on adventures like the ones her mother told her about, but she didn’t expect that her destiny is to save the world from the abyss.
Her father doesn’t have the heart to tell her no; but, even so, his concern overtakes him completely. His little girl is going to be under constant danger and she doesn’t have a divinity to protect herself.
“I’m sorry, Rose… but…” As if destiny herself had asked for it, the emergency horn booms throughout the whole castle.
The two of them turn brusquely at the sound of it. It’s something more urgent than their conversation could ever be. A guard, agitated, runs toward them while trying to breathe properly.
“What happened?” Julien asks, worried.
“Sir, there’s a monster attacking the city! I couldn’t see much from my post, but it seems to be a dragon!”
Julien blanches when he hears the kind of beast they’re up against. It isn’t the first time they have seen a dragon, but it is the first time his beloved Cherry isn’t here to take care of it.
“Alright, keep it busy, I’ll take–” Julien is interrupted by his daughter, who is smiling ferociously.
“This time, I will take care of this. Keep him where he is and evacuate any civilians there.” Rossett takes off running as soon as she finishes speaking.
Julien nods so the guard takes charge for a moment and runs after his girl. It seems that destiny has gone to her head.
“Rose, what do you think you’re going to do against a dragon?” Julien scolds Rossett, but she answers him with a cocky look.
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m gonna kick his ass.” The princess opens the doors leading into the trophy room. Rows and rows of valuable objects are found in that room. Right at the center, resting over two steel bars carefully forged to be as flat as possible, lies a massive spear. The hard hilt, made out of a rocky material; the bifurcated head, a slightly pink metal; both connected by a crystal that glows demurely, twinkling a pink light.
I’m finally worthy, aren’t I, mother? I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life, I can’t believe it’s come… Rossett thinks to herself, as she gets closer to the spear.
“Father, this is my moment; the prophet said it himself, ‘With your new valor in hand.’ Mother’s spear name…”
“…Valor…” Julien adds. “I understand, Rose. I know this is the destiny the prophet gave you… but wouldn’t it be better if you stayed here? In the safety of your home…”
“I’m sorry, father, you know I love you with my whole heart, but I can’t live trapped in this place forever; it’s time I go out into the real world.”
Rossett tightens her fist with a sense of longing, as she thinks about everything she’s been missing until today. She finally has the chance to make her dreams come true. The princess doesn’t hesitate before grabbing Valor’s handle, which she’s never been able to lift before. The moment she touches it, they’re blinded by an overpowering brightness. Both of them close their eyes and, when they open them up again, it seems nothing has changed.
Seriously? I thought I was going to undergo some transformation or something, the princess thinks, slightly disappointed. Even then, she remains invigorated. The spear is in her hand now.
“That’s weird, it doesn’t weigh a thing.” Rossett lifts and lowers Valor as if it were a twig while her father looks at her with concern.
“Could you stop playing with your mother’s weapon?”
“You’re right. I have to go for a bit! Don’t miss this new heroine’s debut on the battlefield!”
The princess takes off running once again. What is it with this girl running off everywhere? Julien thinks, even though he knows she’s been this way ever since she was a child. As he runs after an excited Rossett, the king starts to mull over something that has him worried. It’s odd, that letter is too straightforward to be from the prophet. That old geezer is good at giving vague and useless information only. Julien recalls the last time they met; his right arm was still recovering and his legs weren’t working that well yet, but the prophet (who was already an old man back then) went to visit him. The only thing he told the king at that moment was “The fruits of your existence will be sweeter than a drop of ambrosia, but as they rot they will be consumed by the flames of hell”. The king still has no idea what he was talking about.
The two royals arrive at a small balcony, the same place where the guard blew the horn.
“That… is not a dragon,” Rossett clarified, confused. “That looks like… a horse?”
“It has three heads and spits fire; it can’t be a horse.” Julien has never seen a beast such as this one, but he also doesn’t know about any horses that are over four meters tall, have three heads or can disintegrate buildings as if they were made out of paper. “You really shouldn’t go…”
“It’s dangerous, but it doesn’t matter; I’m this kingdom’s princess. What kind of warrior would I be if I couldn’t defend my people?” This time, Rossett doesn’t just think it, but says so.
Without waiting a second more, the princess jumps out of the balcony. She falls ten meters to the ground and in the process smashes the tiles beneath her. It’s weird, nothing changed when I grabbed the spear, but I feel stronger. Maybe a little more agile, too. She can’t get stuck inside her head. Rossett grabs her spear from the hilt and hurries to face the enormous horse.
Guards try to hold back the beast, to trap it using ice-infused ropes. But the creature is stronger and easily breaks up any attempts at confining him. Guards are sent off flying after just one charge from the monster, until one strong presence makes him turn to the person in front of him.
“I’m sorry, big guy, but no one is destroying my city without my permission.” Rossett grins mockingly, Valor posed on her shoulder. Her first challenge; it’s not something she can miss. The princess approaches the monster fast, who uses one of his heads to throw a giant fireball toward her. With incredible reaction speed, Rossett jumps over the attack by using her spear as an olympic javelin.
She really… does resemble her mother, Julien thinks, slightly nostalgic; he can’t help remembering his dead wife.
The princess dodges fireball after fireball until she is close enough. She uses her spear to protect herself from a headbutt and counterattacks with a hit to one of his heads. The impact disperses over the monster’s hard skin; in fact, he looks as if he hasn’t been hit at all.
“Oh.” A headbutt against her side, and the princess is sent flying.
She crashes against a nearby stable and ends up completely covered in hay. There, she gets to think.
That monster… doesn’t look as aggressive as I thought he would… He seems… scared. Rossett knows she won’t be able to talk to him, yet something deep within her tells her to try. She stands up slowly, feeling her back. She hasn’t suffered as much damage as it seems on the outside, but there’s hay even under her clothes. Hay… Hay! That word echoes inside her as if her mind were a cave. It’s the first time that she gets in a real fight and it’s the first time she’ll put one of her ideas to the test.
“Guards, bring me one… no, three wagons full of hay as fast as possible!” She exits the stables and looks at the horse once again; his six eyes shine an overpowering red, but his pupils nervously dart around. The princess keeps dodging the fireballs the beast throws at her. Each time she does so more easily; she’s managed to discover the monster’s rate of fire. It seems he has to wait four seconds before throwing another, and they get smaller and weaker if he shoots constantly. A fireball as small as a coconut approaches the princess. Using Valor she deflects it with a strong hit.
The guards bring over the three wagons full of hay that the princess asked for. Rossett waits for the moment the monster has to recharge his attack and jams her spear into the ground.
“Listen, I know you’re scared. You don’t know how you got here and just want to eat something, right?”
The monster doesn’t seem to calm down at all, his eyes only give off fear and distrust toward the princess. She brings over one of the hay wagons and presents it to him.
“See? This is food, and it’s all for you.” The beast doesn’t seem to relax at that. Slowly, he charges one of his fireballs inside his mouth, so the princess quickly intervenes. “Wait, wait, let me show you.”
Rossett grabs a handful of hay, looks at it with clear hesitation, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and takes a bite out of it. She swallows down the hay and smiles at the horse as she tries not to spit out the dry grass. Slowly, the beast approaches the wagon and eats a little. Rossett celebrates with her fist and brings the other wagons closer to his other heads, which seemed jealous of the middle one.
Finally, the princess steps closer calmly and rests her hand on his muzzle. The slight heat from the monster’s flames warms up her hand affectionately. Rossett smiles and looks at her father, gives him a thumbs-up to signal everything’s in order.
Hours pass as everything returns to normal. Damian and Julien are sitting on the outskirts of the castle.
“She worries me, she really does. Especially if the seal is still in place.” Julien is slightly crestfallen, but Damian pats his back with a smile.
“I told you that seal was a stupid idea, but if the prophet said so…”
“It’s true… Once she goes out, I’ll go talk to that old geezer.”
“You’re gonna try to climb that mountain all by yourself?” Damian seems to find that idea pretty funny.
“I just want to ask him some questions, that’s all. I can’t believe my little girl is actually leaving.”
“Look on the bright side, she has a great mount… literally.”
Meanwhile, Rossett is preparing a harness for her new giant horse, Balrog. It’s an improvised harness she’s made last minute with fabric and leather, but it should allow her to travel comfortably. The horse seems happy to be at the princess’s side.
“That girl is truly special. Like father, like daughter. But she seems so different from Cherry,” he keeps thinking aloud, “or at least she doesn’t seem to have that subtle evilness that Cherry had.”
Julien hits Damian’s shoulder gently and Damian chuckles in response.
“Don’t lie to me; she may have righted herself near the end, but she was still a ruthless killer. When I found out that you had been sent to fight her, I thought I’d have to prepare your funeral.”
“You make it sound like you had no faith in your brother to beat her,” Julien says with a hint of pride.
“But… you lost, utterly so; you couldn’t move for a whole week after she kicked your ass.” Damian couldn’t help cackling.
The princess walks up to them and hugs them both. The brothers smile at her with tears in their eyes.
“Thank you, Father, unc’, I love you both with my whole heart and I promise to write as soon as I arrive at Provecta.”
“Take care, dear daughter. You’re strong and I know you’ll succeed in your objective.”
“Good luck on your journey, Your Majesty. I hope you meet some good companions; they always come in handy.”
The two bid her farewell. The princess adjusts her saddlebags, full of food, water and some priced objects, in case they’re necessary. She stores Valor into one of the saddlebags and gets onto the saddle. Encouraged by her patting his side, Balrog starts to trot toward the southern forest. Her journey has just started.
We’ll be setting out for Provecta… I wonder what that place is like. I don’t actually know if it’s my real objective, but the prophet told me to go toward the future, and Provecta is called the city of the future for a reason, right? It is very hard for Rossett to contain her excitement; she’s never felt like this before, and she feels prepared for anything.
Winds blow strongly near the mountaintop. If a normal person tried to climb it, they’d have to take the long way around it through the path left by the people who used to live there hundreds of years ago.
Green claws dig into the side of the mountain, and with a solid propulsion, Damian is launched into the entrance of the prophet’s cave.
“Ouch, you didn’t have to be so harsh.”
Two sets of energy claws hold onto the edge of the mountain and after jumping, Julien lands at the entrance.
“I might be old, but my technique helps me feel younger.” Julien turns off his green aura and his claws disappear.
The strange smell emanating from the cave makes each wrinkle their nose.
“What’s going on? Did the prophet forget to cook his meat?” Damian says so casually, without any weight to it, but once they enter the cave, the two freeze.
A scorched body lies on the floor, and the cave is completely wrecked. The nauseating odor and the smell of burnt meat, they both come from the former prophet’s corpse.
