The raging inferno of fire behind Storm and Caim crackled and steamed as an enormous monster rose out of the lava. A pale skull layered in burning lava with vicious, gleaming eyes fixed on Caim and Storm.
“This is it, Caim,” Storm said. “I’m going all out. It’s weird though. I’ve always been a bit scared of just completely letting loose. Like I never let myself go beyond ninety percent. Feels strange to say it. Like if I saw my own limit, I might be disappointed by what I found. But I just realized that doesn’t matter. I’ve been foolish. It’s only by rising and meeting your own greatest limitation that lets you glimpse what’s beyond it.”
“I guess we’ll finally get to see who’s stronger then,” smirked Caim.
“I think we already know the answer to that,” said Storm.
All around them, the colossal creatures of fire and death rose out of the inferno and moved towards them as if they were being summoned. Waves of lava shook the quickly melting block of ice upon which Storm and Caim stood, and hot wisps of steam burned their eyes as it rose to the clouds above.
“One minute is all that remains!” Ronin shouted. “Stay and fall or rise and fight! Come! Come and we shall see who prevails!”
Caim and Storm watched as the titan behind raised its colossal hand from the lava. Fire swirled around its fingers as it paused for a single moment, hovering over the two boys, who stood completely still. And then, roaring mightily with unrivaled speed and power, the fiery hand came down, engulfing the entire floating island they stood upon … and just before it struck them, all slowed down … they felt everything, from the rays of the moon to the seemingly endless power of Ronin … to the individual life forces of the immense creatures … the air, the clouds, the stars, all was known and understood … until the smoldering hand came down upon them.
Waves of tidal fire rushed out in all directions. The boys had not dodged. They had not moved. They had merely permitted their own deaths. A solemn look came over Ronin’s face just as strange ardent lights, one blue and one green, glowed from under the creature’s hand. Twisting and turning, the lights lanced upwards as if racing one another towards the moon; and with a final burst of energy, the two entwining auras forced the titan’s hand upwards, revealing the glowing bodies of Caim and Storm. The combined power of their auras had halted the creature’s attack at the last moment and was pushing up against it. Their bodies were gleaming against the raging torrent of energy surrounding them. The world around them seemed to fade into particles of energy that were summoned towards the two brothers as if they had become the center of all. And then, as Ronin’s eyes met theirs, he felt their powers, and with a sudden burst of godly speed, the two shot upwards in the sky toward him.
“Yes … YES!” cried Ronin, pointing his blade toward them. “Come! Show me your conviction! Show me that the blood, tears and sweat over the last 500 rings have not been in vain! Prove to me that you do not fear Death!!!”
Blazing with fury, the two brothers twisted around each other, both brightened by their own exploding auras, and it was mere milliseconds before they clashed into Ronin’s blade. One after another, their thunderous blows struck Ronin’s silver as the world below caved in and fell. Far below, the volcanic creatures of lava were pulled towards the core of the planet as one final explosion began screaming upwards.
With each blow, Ronin was forced higher and higher into the sky, until the three had passed the last barriers of the raging tempest. Coming up fast, the exploding energy of the world rose like the flames of the Sun, screaming as if racing them to the stars. Their blades struck Ronin’s faster and harder, each time growing closer and closer to synchrony, but the bells jingled just out of reach each time. The explosion beneath was rising, they could feel the fire beneath them, and they could no longer hear past the clashing of their cracking blades, which grew more and more thunderous, until almost no sound could be heard between them.
And then the two brothers screamed like never before, releasing the last of their energy just as the planet’s annihilation accelerated their final strike, and in this one moment, they disappeared from Ronin’s sight.
A jingle of bells was all that could be heard.
Ronin felt himself falling into flame. Wearily he opened his eyes to find the glow of the full moon bright and luminous.
Standing before it were two silhouettes …
In each of their hands was a bell …
And in the blink of an eye they vanished.
As Ronin took his last breath, his eyes focused on the depths of the night sky and the glow of the blue moon raining down upon him. He fell towards a burning world. As he stared up he gasped aloud at the wonder before him: The two crystal halves of the once broken moon had been fused, bringing forth the touch of soothing light upon his face.
III – The Three Sisters
The world of Soria consists of two floating continents in the sky, the Western and Eastern Wings, or better known as Risia and Falia. For Caim and Storm who were born on Falia, Risia was a place of legend, a land of mystery and untold adventure, yet also a forbidden world locked away from them. No native-born Falians were allowed onto Risia, for it was the wing of Soria where the Highborn lived, or otherwise known as the Land of Nobility. The only thing their grandfather had ever told them of Risia is that they were never to go there, ever, for any reason whatsoever. And even though Caim and Storm wanted to adventure upon Risia, it was impossible, for the only thing that connected the two floating continents was a colossal bridge that was kept heavily guarded at all times.
Across the massive bridge that separated the two wings of land lay a beautiful white kingdom of stone, surrounded by seemingly endless forests, lakes and rivers. The castle of the white kingdom was encircled by two curtain walls that stretched around it like towering rings protruding from the ground; monolithic statues of dragons cast their stony gaze from the top of the walls as if threatening any who dared come within it. Residing in the center of the walls, the mythic white castle looked as if it was drawn from a fairy tale; the glow of its diamond craftsmanship shimmered with all the colors of the world outside. Four sky-piercing towers stood within the barrier of statuesque dragons, and from the towers, massive black chains extended like branches, all of which converged upon and connected to the center tower, a structure so high that no Sorian could catch sight of its tip. It was here that the Empress of Soria made her home.
Deep within the walls of the white castle lay a tiny courtyard of dancing flowers and luscious green grass. In the courtyard was a single silver stone, easily bigger than a boulder, and just beyond that, a vividly colored tree with an amber trunk and leaves that sung of scarlet dawn. Beneath this tree sat three sisters, orphaned yet not by birth; the adopted daughters of the Empress.
One of the sisters always seemed to stand out the most, especially at the most inopportune of times. This was the middle sister, Baelie.
Baelie was the chubbiest of the three, and the most ambitious. Auburn hair fell down to the tops of her shoulders where a high rising collar of silver armor wrapped around the back of her neck. A glittering gold necklace with thin links hung from her neck, and a gem that sparkled like frozen lightning was held in place. Baelie always wore full silver armor from head to toe, as if she were constantly prepared for battle, and sported a long black cape that fluttered out behind her. Her face was plump and round, and being only 14 cycles young, much of her pudgy childish features had yet to diminish. Her eyes, however, were sharp and blue, possessing a certain courage that didn’t seem to match the rest of her appearance. In her right hand she held what was intended to be a spear, but in all reality was merely a large branch plucked from a tree.
Baelie stared down fearlessly at the horde of menacing enemies that gathered before her. They rose from the ground like towers of the castle, wearing bright green armor and donning different colored petals for helmets. A trickle of sweat fell from her lip. For a mom
ent, she glanced down at the VC marking that was etched with utmost precision into the breastplate of her armor, and she felt a surge of pride rush through her. Grasping her spear even tighter than before, she rushed into the midst of battle slashing and piercing about wildly. After a few moments she stopped short of breath, and screamed out loudly.
“I am Baelie, Vice Captain of the Force Corps!”
Dozens of flowers fell to the ground, vanquished mercilessly.
“I had no idea the great Vice Captain of the Force hunted such vicious creatures,” said a sarcastic voice.
Baelie turned quickly, pointing her tree branch at her oldest sister. “Stupid Remington!” she said. “No one cares what you think!”
“How many times … do I have to tell you not to call me Remington!?” cried Remi. She blew her blonde hair out of her eyes and glared at her sister.
“How about Smellington?” muttered Baelie.
“What was that?”
“What was what?” countered Baelie.
As the two sisters continued arguing, a shadow that had been watching them scurried quickly behind the amber trunk of the tree. Remi’s eyes glanced from her chubby younger sister and turned to see the tip of a tiny leather boot poking out from the base of the trunk, hiding behind an upraised coil of darkened roots. She could hear whispering and wondered if her youngest sister was talking to herself again.
Remi sighed as she turned back to her romance novel. She lay on a patch of green grass with one leg crossed over the other. Around her neck she wore a bright chain, not unlike her sister’s, which grasped a silvery sapphire at its base. She was by far the most beautiful of the three—and accompanied by a sharp tongue and a short temper. Upon her shoulders was a faded leather jacket with the sleeves rolled up, and beneath it was a tight white shirt with the bottom tied together, revealing the perfectly toned skin of her stomach. A short white skirt fell from her waist, matching the tone of her shirt. Shrouding her feet were tall leather boots with black lace strung up the middle.
“You know, Baelie,” Remi said, flipping the pages of her novel, “you’re never going to find a boyfriend if you act like one all the time. Girls are supposed to be cute and pretty, not playing with sticks and –“
“NO ONE’S LOOKING FOR A BOYFRIEND EXCEPT YOU, LOVER GIRL!” Baelie yelled.
Remi rolled her eyes. “I’m not looking, Baelie,” she said confidently. She suddenly felt a flutter of her heart as she imagined her long lost true love. “I’ve already found him, yet lost him too soon… . We will be reunited again.“ Her eyes sparkled as she clutched her book to her chest.
CRAAACK! Baelie smacked Remi in the back of the head with her stick spear. “No one wants to hear about your stuuupid love story, Remi!”
“Bae … lie!” said Remi, slowly turning to face her chubby younger sister. Her eyes spelled disaster.
“Eeeek!” shrieked Baelie, turning to run. The instant she turned, her foot caught her other and down she went. Lifting her eyes and wincing, she caught the slightest glance of her youngest sister, Maile, who had been hiding behind the tree the whole time.
Maile stood very slightly out to the side of the tree trunk, just enough to peek out. She had brown hair with red ribbons dangling from her ponytail, and wore a helmet that she never forgot to secure. Like her older sisters she wore a shimmering gold chain necklace, yet upon hers was a vine-laced marble gem in the shape of a square; all were gifts from the Empress. A long white blouse with buttons trailing down the middle hung over her torso, and clad over her elbows and knees were pads, as if she were constantly afraid of falling. She whispered something inaudible under her breath.
“Maile! Reinforcements! This is your cue!” screamed Baelie, jumping from the ground with surprising agility and taking off.
The youngest sister had already disappeared behind the tree. Maile was the most fearful of the three, and much preferred to remain hidden. She closed her eyes and prayed that Baelie wouldn’t force her to play battle games again.
Baelie spoke first, her breathing heavy and blotched. “We … are … on … an … important … mission, Remi!” She spoke as if she had just run to the top of one of the towers.
Remi took her seat again and flipped to the page she was reading in her book. “No, you are on an imaginary mission, pretending you’re a member of the Force Corps again.”
“Mark my words, Remi,” said Baelie. “One day I will become the Vice Captain of the Force Corps! The most prestigious female soldier unit in all of Risia! The Guardians of the Goddess of the Life! Led by the most powerful soldier ever to grace our world with her captainship, Lady Scylla the Valiant!”
“Ugh … we know what it is,” Remi said. “You don’t have to explain it every time you tell us your dream.”
“At least I have a dream, Remi.”
Baelie paused for a second, slowly turning her head to cast a gaze down over Remi’s book. With lightning speed, the chubby sister raced over to the tree, grabbed her youngest sister who retaliated with a shriek, and ran back, coming to a sliding stop.
Kneeling down on one knee, she looked up at her youngest sister, whose helmet was not sitting on her head straight. The little one’s eyes were in a daze from being swept away from her hiding spot so fast.
Baelie grasped Maile’s little hand romantically. “Oh Remi,” she began in a mocking tone. “I’ve found you at last. You are the answer to my dreams, the twinkle to my star, and the honey to my fruit. You are … have you gained weight?”
“LIKE I HAVE!” screamed Remi, throwing her book straight at Baelie’s head.
The book bounced off Baelie’s forehead and like a perfectly stiff board, Baelie’s body collapsed to the ground, releasing a puff of air in all directions.
“Some Vice Captain you are, Baelie the Snailie,” said Remi. “Maybe your late night missions to raid the kitchens haven’t been exactly helping you in the reflex area.” She walked over and picked up her book, brushing it off.
Maile covered her mouth giggling, trying not to let Baelie overhear her. She knew full well that Baelie snuck into the kitchens at night. She made a grotesque face remembering a half-eaten honey sandwich she’d once found under Baelie’s pillow—which Baelie, upon seeing, finished eating.
Baelie rose slowly to her feet, grasping her makeshift spear and piercing it into the ground. “How many times … do I have to say … not to call me … BAILIE THE SNAILIE!” she screamed.
“But you just said it,” said Remi, lifting an eyebrow.
“AH!” Baelie clutched her breastplate and spoke to herself. “Don’t worry, you are the Vice Captain.” She reached out to grab her spear stick and missed completely.
“No, you’re not, actually,” Remi said.
“You’re the what?” said an unidentified voice.
“I said, I’m the Vice Captain,” Baelie said.
“And I answered, No, you’re not,” Remi said.
“You’re the Vice Captain, are you?” said the unidentified voice again.
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?” screamed Remi and Baelie simultaneously, spinning in the direction of the voice.
The three sisters stared up at the lady before them and froze. She wore elegant silver armor with carved lines. A thick silver breastplate with many sparkling gems lining the edges protected her well-endowed chest. Over her shoulders were vibrant pauldrons with spiked tips, and reaching down over her arms and wrists was thin leather armor that glowed with a copper tone. Her face was young, deviant and pretty, and her eyes glowed dangerously silver. Beautiful long blond hair that gleamed like the sun fell down her back, covering an enormous white-jeweled shield that was strapped in place over her shoulders. She wore a silver skirt made of paper-thin layered steel and mythril leggings that only ran down her right leg. Over her feet she wore boots of blackened silver that clinked as she moved, and dangling from her waist was a long straight
sword that almost touched the ground, sheathed by crimson steel and incrusted with tiny black gems.
“Who the hell am I?” she said with a twisting smile.
Baelie’s eyes fell upon the black number that seemed etched into her left shoulder with magic. It was the number 5.
“You – you!” Baelie stuttered as fear ran through her body. “You’re the Number Five of the Force Corps! Lady Theresa, the God’s Shield!”
Lady Theresa grinned heartily. “Damn right I am and don’t forget it.” She laughed as she ran a hand through her voluminous gold locks.
Remi narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think I like you very much,” she muttered.
“What was that?” asked Theresa with a raised eyebrow.
“I was just sayi –“ Remi started.
“Never mind, I don’t care,” said Theresa with a smile. “I cannot listen to the ugly.”
Remi felt a fire burst within her chest and threw her romance novel at Theresa’s face.
A slick grin curved along Remi’s face as she awaited impact. It would be a glorious moment as her favorite book smacked straight into this horrible girl. Ugly? How dare she call her ugly, of all things! Baelie leaned forward in slow motion screaming “Noooo” as Maile made off to hide behind the tree.
WHOOOOSH! Remi’s book split into a thousand pieces of shredded paper in an instant. The sound of metal sliding upon metal rang through the air as Theresa sheathed her sword. A tornado of ripped paper soared around her.
“Noooo!” screamed Remi, running forward and grabbing pieces of her shredded book. She stopped and turned to face Theresa, who was grinning uncontrollably.
“I’ll kill you, I’ll—“ Remi began, but Baelie clasped her hand over Remi’s mouth and bowed her eyes to Theresa.
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