Prologue (2/4)
The clattering noise made from the wheel's friction against the rocky surface, and the inconsistent shaking motion, truly, an average countryside carriage ride experience.
Slowly letting the faint light of the evening through the veils that are eyelids, a man whose name soon would be insignificant, realised the gravity of his situation.
A pair of grey eyes with not a single ounce of empathy greeted him, a wry smile, preceded by a light giggle followed by total silence. The man tried to turn, to speak, to scream, to plead; gagged and tied his cries would be unheard. Seconds after, the motion stopped, he could hear people dismounting, fading chatter from the outside.
Thoughts of struggles filled his mind, yet he dared not to act upon it, for his comrades met their end by the one before.
“Come now! Don’t be shy, my name is Talia, what’s yours!.” A cold sensation of metal touched the man’s chin, the tip of a shortsword. It slashed upward, undoing the gag.
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Day 63rd of the year 1872, the month of Qausel
As the gentle breeze embraced a man, he couldn't help but wonder about his future. Being the ninth in line to the barony meant that he would never get within reach of the title, and he didn't have any interest in the politics that came with it anyway. He was good at making art so perhaps he could do something along those lines.
The barony may have been underdeveloped, but it had a certain charm, and there was no shortage of inspiration for his art. He could draw the rolling hills and the vast fields surrounding the area, or perhaps the quaint villages that dotted the landscape. He could even try his hand at sculpting, using the natural resources available to him.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became about pursuing a career in art. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was willing to work hard and take risks to make it happen. Who knows, maybe he could even contribute by bringing some much-needed attention and development to the barony through his art.
With a solidified will and clear path pre-paved, he would indulge himself in the gentle breeze, the shimmering glow of the evening, the buzzes of harmless insects and the chirping of birds lazed on the grass field, slowly, drifting into sleep.
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The charred smell of burnt plants, even the highest of nobles can tell what it was from experience, such scent loomed, and enveloped every surface. “What the hell?!” he roared inside, perhaps even letting those words out, yet he couldn’t care enough about his estate, whilst not being a massive castle with walls but rather a wooden mansion, the place where he spent his entire life, was being in an advanced stage of burning, pieces collapsing and colliding onto themselves.
As quick as his feet would allow, he recklessly dashed towards his family’s mansion, cleaving through the air at a speed he did not know he possessed. The wind rushed past his ears, and his heart pounded in his chest.
The distance became narrower and narrower, before he tripped, stumbling forward until finally crashing onto the ground. His lip kissed the grass, and his heart sank as he realised the object that he had stumbled over.
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Day 156th of the year 1877, the month of Treldop
“I see, so you were one of the local lords, unfortunate life you led or rather, unfortunate time to be born one” Talia nodded to herself, scanning the man’s face. Dishevelled, shock and horror etched onto his face… Yet there was not a single hint of pity from the mother.
“But that is irrelevant, we do not care for the upbringing of foes nor do you care for ours.” the blade was placed firmly on the man’s neck, had the carriage been moving, it would have sunk deep in the skin. “Explain your reason behind that pathetic mockery of an ambush and your affiliations, then you may yet live.”
The man hesitated for a moment before answering, "I did what I did to prevent any potential threats from growing into something more dangerous."
“I see… I would assume that you are simply inspired by the fifth column and not part of it?” Talia posed the question, receiving a nod as an answer, she concluded. “Daring to attack my children is a grave offence.” closing her eyes, she would revert to her happy self as if a switch had been turned to the other side. “However! They have yet to learn the alternative of mercy…. So, rejoice!”
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With complicated knots and straps preventing the man from moving removed, he would rise and be guided out of the carriage. Though his hands were still tired the lady with grey eyes assured him that it would be removed once they got some distance away from the carriage.
The man looked around, trying to get his bearings. The sun had almost departed from the sky, soon all would be engulfed in darkness. He looked to the right, there were the coachmen he and his comrades fought and the sisters who stared at him but did not say anything. He peeked at Talia, she was giving reassuring smiles. He never got to ask what happened to all of his comrades, he recalled some of them surrendering and the rest knocked out or worse.
“Wondering where your friends are?” a whisper seemed to hit the nail on its head, the man was too shocked to respond, though the brief-expression on the mother’s face would further discourage him from answering.
Step, step step, the two would reach an area not too far from the carriage, surrounded by trees on all sides. He mused to himself that the distance was so far from the wagon that even if he screamed with all his might, no one there would have heard him, he turned to look at Talia, with a benign expression on her face and a shovel in hand.
“Come closer, I’ll set you free!” she said, pointing at the tied hands of the man. And with an affirmative nod, he would walk forward.
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Day 164th of 1877, the month of Treldop
The rest of the journey was uneventful despite the month being described as the ‘month of rain’ they did not encounter even a single drop, perhaps because the description only applies to areas close to the imperial capital. In approximately eight days by noon, they would reach Clementine, the capital city of Clement Ward. Upon arrival, the sisters could not help but gawk at the architecture.
The buildings, be they big or small were made of white, shining marble that glimmered in the sunlight, and the stone-paved streets were lined with tall, elegant columns and statues of deities (?) unfamiliar to the two. Being in a wagon and observing people going on about their day made Ellia feel somewhat like a noble, without Serrinian connotations, of course.
“Does big sis know something about those…?” asked Ellie admiring the view. In the party of three, it would appear that only the mother was not interested in the scenery, dozing off occasionally.
“...Not really, I’m just curious why..” she looked at a small crowd, gathering near one of the statues and that statue alone, placing offerings consumables and non-consumables alike. “...Why heretics aren’t eliminated yet.” she muttered those out coldly, startling even Ellie. “Those in the way of truefaith can not be allowed to exist in our imperial republic”
“Um… Ellia…?”
“Ellie.” two of the big sister hands find their way without resistance to the little’s cheeks before playing with them immediately after “Gotcha~ squish squish~” Though joy was undeniably real in her voice, a brief look of conviction was not something a mere jester would replicate.
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Earlier, the two feared that they would not be able to commute, though their stay in this city would be short, not being able to potentially talk their way out of a situation could be problematic, the coachmen assured that every person in the continent, even outside the Imperial Republic, can speak Commonspeech.
Eventually, the carriage halted, end of the line of their horse-propelled journey. Porters appear to help unload their luggage, mainly from the other cart. Slowly shooking their mother from sleep, they would get off and behold the full view, one of Serinn’s proud Inter-continental Rapid Transit was before them.
Contrasting the marble and stones, the station’s entrance was that of brick and concrete, the latter being the first time the two had seen in person. “Will everything in the capital be like this…?” asked Ellie. Though her big sister seemed to be captivated by it, feeling the cold sensation and the texture of the building on her skin Ellia would answer. “It’s… so different”
“Uwa… it really is different than wood…” Ellie whispered back, both hands placed firmly on the surface as if she was preventing the wall from moving towards her, earning a slight chuckle from the mother.
“Dear second and first daughter! Your mother will deal with the paperwork, you can continue holding hands with your new friend~” Talia teased, nodding at the porters and walking towards what seems like an administrative zone of the building. Somewhat embarrassed by a few people looking at their general direction, the two followed.
The administrative zone houses an extension dubbed ‘ticket booth’ about seven of them were present, but only three of them were manned. There was not a line, something which confused at least Ellia. Still, an opportunity is an opportunity, the mother picked one lane to walk into.
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“Greetings customer, welcome to Clementine’s grand station. What is your destination and desired class?” the receptionist asked in a professional tone, due to the different elevations, it was like he was looking down at them, though he tried his best not to hold himself as such.
“Three third-class tickets please~” the mother playfully replied, slipping three Quarts under the small pocket between the separation glasses. “Oh, and I wish to invoke section fourth of the imperial welfare code.”
“...” the receptionist glanced at the sisters; Ellia’s grip became slightly stronger. “Dear customer did not produce any sort of identifications, am I correct to assume it would be for your daughters?”
Upon receiving an affirmative nod, two tickets were relayed to the sister, second-class tickets alongside two glowing circular silver tokens about the size of a coin. The inscription was written in Serinnian Commons, a half-dead language whose only remnant would be the script, but even that is used in very few institutions. After a few seconds of glaring intently, Ellia managed to ascertain the inscriptions, “He who serves the state shall be rewarded”.
“-If dear customers would depart on this trip, I suggest heading to the platforms immediately, if dear customers are not in a hurry, we invite soon-to-spears of our state to rest in the provided private area first.” after a slight pause, the family made their way out of the ticket area into a nearby patch of grass.
The wind seemed oddly stagnant as if it was trying to see itself in one direction but halted by an unknown force. Still, the mother deemed something more pressing… “So, my daughters! Mother recommends getting on the train now, and you can relax lots in the capital station private area~”
Saying so, she pulled out a parchment
image [https://i.postimg.cc/WbqxhVQs/image.png]
“Since we will be seated separately, just get off at Five Institutes station, don’t get lost or your mother will be plenty sad~” With that, she hopped out of the view.
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Ellia and her younger sister walked towards the second-class cabin, admiring the intricate golden decorations adorning the walls and ceiling. The soft lighting added to the cosy ambience of the mahogany cabin. Additionally, the seating areas are separated into isolated boxes, each with a curtain, seating very much like the carriage she just rode save for more leg rooms as there was a massive table separating each side. She looked at her tickets once more, “2-CL-1” “2-CL-2” they said.
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Looking ahead, there were few people in the way, and while she could theoretically get past them, perhaps she thought it best not to make needless contact with the people around. Besides, the weird look she got makes her feel… less of a human, so to speak.
Before she could ponder on the matter, the path cleared and she saw her chance, “Come now, Ellie!”
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Opening the curtain of her isolated seat to realise the lack of other occupants, she would ponder about what to do. Generally speaking, the seats to the window are desirable. Since she and her sister came first, they could occupy both by sitting opposite of each other, however…
“You can take the window, little sis!” she said, gaining a pout from the subject matter. “...You are starting to sound like mother…” Ellie commented softly, before sitting on the couch and sliding until she reached the window. “It’s… quite spongy… big sis should try.”
“It is quite bouncy!” Ellia exclaimed softly, not wanting to interrupt other passengers though wanting to realise the full capability of her seat, like a child at a castle… This was precisely why they didn’t realise that the curtain was unclosed and a figure was outside looking inwards.
“‘Cuse me my good ladies…” a masculine, no, a princely voice reached out towards the two, like maidens sinking into the depths of the ocean, like one of those archaic fairy tales, if there is an ideal voice for one of the lead, it would certainly be close to this one.
The big sister glanced at the person, a man with blue eyes around the same age as her father. He wore a custom black suit, and a red necktie with golden finishes alongside a top hat, which he removed on entry. His frame could fit approximately five Ellia, to describe in brief, he seems severely overweight. He moved into the section with a warm smile, showing two tickets in his hand and took the seat opposite the two, occupying most of it by himself. Perhaps not wanting to take the legroom, he tugged his foot under his seat, though there wouldn’t be much need for that as second-class seats have plenty of space.
The big sister could feel a slight tug, Ellie was grabbing her by the sleeves. “Um… mister much be rich, buying two seats… are you by any chance an important person?” Ellia broke the ice, though there wasn’t any hint of hostile intent behind her words.
The man chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, waving the words away he responded with a gentle tone, “Nothing of the sort miss, I myself could not afford first class, let alone a whole second class section.” He briefly looked at the two, no more than seconds each, yet somehow, Ellia felt as though her entire life had been scanned by him.
“Attention passengers of the second class, departure will commence in five minutes, please remain seated until further announcement. Next station is Liznn, passengers heading to Faust can interchange at that station.” So said the [Loud Speakers] in a monotonic voice.
Perhaps seeing the two sisters frantically looking around, the man offered advice. “This is my ladies' first time aboard correct? This being a second class there would be little trouble, but had it been in fourth or third, it would be wise to hold on to something and brace for impact before the motion comes.”
There was a brief period of silence, Ellie turned her eyes towards the outside view, to be startled by the response of her big sister. Looking directly at the man’s eyes, she said. “...I appreciate the advice, but how do you conclude that? From our behaviour alone…?”
…There were a few seconds of silence, neither side had much change in their expressions; though the man’s warm smile remained unbroken, it was Ellia who faltered first. “A-apologies sir… I-” her voice stopped upon seeing a slowly raised hand, she recognised the sign. While people in her village rely on vocal-based communication, her mother’s shenanigans left a lasting impression.
“There is no need for that miss… it was me and my uneloquent with words.” he would have bowed politely, had Ellia not stopped the motion, but with a tired undertone, she remarked, “That wasn’t a need for that either mister…”.
Perhaps with nothing to do, the three leaned back on the chair, looking at the window, saying nothing in particular, around the time that the train departed, accelerating from the station without much shaking-motion earlier described.
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From the rural capital to the villages to the fields and to the mountains, the various beautiful scene was like a piece of art woven into tapestries of nature. While one would seek to soak in the beauty of it all, yet, that luxury was not possible at the current speed of the locomotor.
Though the view was certainly wondrous, sitting still in silence, not even able to interact with each other perhaps made the sisters unease. The man, on the other hand, was fiddling with his items, vials and notes, as if he was setting up a laboratory in front of his seats, still, he seemed to be mindful enough not to invade the two’s personal space.
There were some quick glances from Ellie before seemingly losing interest, returning to see the sights beyond the window… On the other hand, the big sister seemed to be invested in silent observation which the subject matter doesn’t seem to mind, shifting from laying out his items to reorganising them and putting them back whence they came in different order and pockets and bags. Some articles have an uncanny glow, most definitely magical in nature.
“Would you like assistance with those?” Ellia suddenly offered, the natural lights were briefly cut off as the train went through a tunnelled mountain. The little sister seemed to be invested in admiring the view and amazed at the tracks cleaving through various terrain like no trouble, truly deserving to be dubbed as one of the gems of the Imperial Republic.
The man pondered for a moment, the items left certainly weren’t in large amounts, nor would it take longer than a mere five minutes to put them back. “I appreciate your kind offer. If you will, could you take a look at this and see what you think?” he slid one bundle of clipped notes to her.
“...Are you a journalist mister?” Ellia asked, looking through the notes slowly, it wasn’t due to her illiteracy, but rather, the handwriting was difficult to read combined with challenging usage of words.
Journalists were a relatively new occupation in the imperial republic, becoming the norm shortly before the collapse of the Serinnian Empire, some academics would attribute them as one of the major reasons behind the downfall. As the power balance changed, the word became twisted, now, journalists merely refer to propagandists employed by the state.
The man chucked, and he would respond ever so kindly as before. “My occupation does share similarity with that, to broadcast knowledge to the masses that is.” He would produce two pieces of what resembled to be candies, wrapped in colourful paper packaging, handing them to the sisters.
“Um… Thank you?” Ellie said, taking both from the man’s extended hand before extending the gift to her big sister, who seemed more hesitant, though not because of weariness but rather, an abrupt realisation.
“Could you be an instructor at the Institute of War?”
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“Indeed, you are quite observant, miss Marcerath, I am a professor at the location you are heading to, however, let us drop all the pretences” While the kindness previously was still there, there was a hint of authority added to the man’s tone, as for his demeanour, it did not change much. “Do you believe that it is not uncommon for one to fail this test of mine?”
As the girl nodded, she shot a quick glance at Ellie, who seemed to be fidgeting with discomfort. Sensing her unease, the girl gave her a reassuring pat before turning to address the man, "Please excuse our lack of proper etiquette, sir. We're not used to being in the presence of such an esteemed educator."
The 'professor' simply raised an eyebrow in response ."Flattery may get you far, miss Marcerath, but only if it's executed with some finesse. Apart from my position, which has yet to be verified, you know nothing of me”
Putting the very last item into his bag, he pulled out an onyx orb, it radiated a gentle purple glow, though it was hard to determine whether it was emitting light or simply warping the surrounding air. “But a good attempt shall be rewarded, you have much to learn and so little time before you come into danger’s ways.”
Despite there being no instructions, as if tempted by something, the big sister slowly reached her hand to touch the onyx orb… though her hand seconds ago certainly touched, she couldn’t feel its smooth surface, nor could she feel her body. Panic set in as she tried to move her hands, but there was no response. It was as if her mind had been detached from reality entirely, unable to reach out to her five senses or perceive anything.
Then, in the midst of the darkness, a strange sensation coursed through her. It was not a physical sensation, not one of touch, sight, taste, smell, or hearing. It was something else, something indescribable that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
It envelops her barely conscious mind neither a harsh nor warm embrace. The sensation seemed to grow stronger by the second, almost as if it was drawing her in. And then, suddenly, everything changed. The darkness lifted, and she found herself standing in the middle of a vast, otherworldly landscape. The sky above was a swirl of colours folding into each other. It was like nothing she had ever experienced, and yet, at the same time, it felt strangely familiar.
As she took in her surroundings, the field of grass very much like that around her birthplace, a single massive tree which glowed in purple light, spanning as far as her eyes could see was not far away from her, enhancing the already otherworldly landscape.
Perhaps the tree might be bait, the only point of interest often is. Yet none could blame her in this situation for taking it, pathing slowly towards one of the roots that expanded above ground.
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As she got closer, she felt… a burning sensation, coursing from her right leg upwards to her chest, as if she had been bitten by a serpent of poisonous variation
“O, thou who art the victim of the serpent, we, thy old companions, yearn greatly to see thee once more in this realm.”
A voice spoke, no, an amalgamation of voices, before Ellia could open her mouth for any sort of response, the pain intensified, had she experienced such a feeling before? The world so vivid long ago slowly lost its glow, repainting itself to be nought than black and white.
“Forget thou not that we are thy past, thy present, and thy future. We are ever with thee, in thy thoughts, in thy deeds, and in thy life.”
Her legs did not have the power to go on any longer, collapsing to the field and kissing the grass without much elegance.
“Rest now, and rise once more, ascend to the realm thou perceivest to be home. There, in that place, may thou find solace and comfort, a sanctuary from the trials thou hast endured.”
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“W-What was that?!” Ellia looked around frantically, her hand feeling the orb. Seemingly as confused as her, the little sister would poke her gently, asking if she was okay. However, the internal monologue of Ellia would be too loud for external factors to penetrate through for the time being. “I was touching it… wasn’t I…? Did I black out? Was that a hallucination? If that’s the case…”
“How long had I been out? What is this thing really!” she shouted those words out, unhanding herself from the orb, taking distance, back against her seat.
The man gave a satisfied nod, “Simply a rite of passage, so to speak.” Perhaps sensing doubt, he gave a gentle smile “What you just went through is called Initiation Rite, which every servant of the Imperial Republic must be subjected to, especially those conscripted. I even had mine back when we still had kings and nobles.”
“Excuse me… But what benefit does one get from doing one?” asked the big sister.
“You will be allowed to practise magic.” the response was immediate, and after a few seconds of pause an elaboration would come “If you find someone else proficient in magic who is willing to teach you, perhaps you could get a head start. Though I must warn you that casting a spell is not as simple as one would fantasise, but let your instructor instil fear when the time comes.”
“...This is odd, if this ‘initiation rite’ is a common occurrence how come I have never heard of it? Why did they make it so complicated for one to learn anything about magic…” Ellia thought internally.
The Imperial Republic offers ease of access to education, no matter how remote the area, though the one the sister experienced couldn’t exactly be called ‘formal’, as it’s more akin to knowledge exchange between community members. Still, standards are applied and that standard seems to include not even a hint of how magic is actually performed.
“Is this another test…? No, the tone is slightly different, and that look… If I assume this information to be truthful then it could be that I’m really ignorant or… could it be deliberate information control from the state…? But to what end…?”
“C-Can I be… initiated too?” Ellie’s sudden voice snapped Ellia back to reality, perhaps she was surprised about her taking the initiative.
The man looked at Ellie momentarily, and slowly shook his head after so, “Apologies Miss Marcerath… I observed possible health complications…. Do not worry, in your case there aren’t any complications or lasting effects, a heart attack is the only possible adverse effect, strangely enough. Perhaps you could glean more if you elect to study arcane medical knowledge during your period of study.”
“W-We can choose what to study…?” timidly asked the younger sister with apparent surprise in her tone.
“Hm… being conscripted would naturally give off a certain image, but we offer a… non-traditional method of education. To a certain degree, you can see the contrast between traditional places like Alicia Military Academy. While I would like to indulge you more-”
Suddenly, the [Loudspeaker] would come with an announcement as the train slowly halted. “Current station, Liznn, passengers heading to Faust can interchange at this station following the green line to the left exit.” after a brief pause, not long enough for a person to blink twice, another announcement would arrive. “Next station, The Imperial Capital, the train will depart in thirty minutes.”
“...We are already at Liznn…?”
“You passed out for a very long while, big sis.” Ellie replied.
“I would approximate it to be some five hours.” said the professor, slowly rising from his seat alongside his items, despite his weight, he deftly motioned towards the exit.
Perhaps not knowing what to do, Ellia, followed by Ellie rose from their seats, only to be stopped by a wave of a hand.
“Our conversation is most fruitful, we shall meet again.” with those as his parting words, he left the scene, and almost immediately, in came a train attendant.
“We shall sanitise the seat, could dear passenger exit momentarily?” the sisters nodded synchronously, they looked at each other briefly before making their way towards the exit.
“Additionally, due to the length of the impending journey, we will deliver refreshments, followed by a meal of your choice. Please confirm selection with your signature.” a paper was handed to Ellia alongside a pen as they made their way out of their cubicle. Though, the words on it don’t mean much to the two.
“I have no idea what half of these even means…” she looked at her little sister, who gave a sympathetic nod. “Ellie doesn’t know either…. Can I just, randomly pick…? It did say ‘free of charge’ so might as well…”
The two would spend the next five minutes trying to decipher what was it they would like to order.
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