Zephyr Chapter 2

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Kismet Productions Presents...2

Soft Whisper "The morning is coming when a messenger of dreams..."3

An Eternal Angels Project...4

Voice "The heart has its reasons, for which reasons cannot know..."5

Sponsored by Destined Magic, Mystik Eternity and Chaos's Love...6

Scream "...omae korosu...!"7

Zephyr...8

Chapter 2...9

There is a story of a prince from a time so long ago that it has been forever lost to those who record our history.  In this story the prince, who is the son of a dying emperor, seeks console from his most trusted friend and comrade.10

"My friend, I have discovered a terrible truth.  Beyond our beautiful empire lies not an equally beautiful sea, but a sea of blood shed by a thousand...and a dark force is gathering beyond the hills and plains; it will soon come upon us."11

His friend saw the fear in the young prince's eyes, and tried to comfort him.12

"You will be fine, my lord," he said, "for I will lay my life down to protect you, and as will hundreds of others."13

"I do not fear for myself, but for my people," the unexpected reply arrived, causing his friend to straighten up in a pleased reaction.  This was why he was willing to lay his life for him.  Not because he was nobility, for there was plenty of those greedy aristocrats about.  No, it was because of the young prince's sense of justice, and his love for his people.14

"I have decided to ride out and confront this threat that is poised towards my kingdom," the prince said with such force that his servant (and brother, for he could be no closer other than by blood) knew there was no setting his mind on a different course.15

Five days later, the young prince rode out of the bordering wall that protected his future kingdom from the outside world.  Accompanying him was his sworn brother, another two female bodyguards, and an army vaster than a whole mountain range.  One of the female bodyguards was secretly in love with the young prince.16

"Are sure you want ride with us, my lord?  Your army will fight for their families and loved ones all the same without your leading them." the sentry asked.17

"He needs not the advise of a royal guard," the prince's friend answered for him.18

She turned a flush of red and was immediately silent, but when the prince turned to look at her, she was very much relieved; his expression said, I know you mean well, and I thank you for that...but I must lead my people.19

After three days of riding, they finally came upon the demon army, and had with them the element of surprise.  The enemy was still in the process of summoning their greatest weapon; one that not only had the ability to wipe out all of man, but had done so before numerous times.20

Whenever man once again began to advance not only intellectually, but also began to grow a heart of greed that spread through everyone they touched like a disease, there would always be a war between the demons and them; the demons defending their stakes and lands, and the humans, sprouting their false justices while killing the innocent (human or others) for their personal benefits.  Then, the great entity would be summoned, and she would choose.21

She was bred for a single purpose, and that was to wipe off entire species, save for a last remaining few to start anew.  In this way, whole civilizations would be destroyed, seemingly disappear off the face of the Earth.  Sometimes, it would be only a small encampment of spawns, or a boat or plain.22

Even to this day, the great mesas with the disappearance of the natives mystify historians.  Some of the meals were left half-eaten with eating utensils clattered onto the ground, as if they were pulled away in the middle of a meal with no warning.  Where did the two hundred explorers of Roanoke Island disappear to?  Save for the word "Soakatoa" carved into a tree, there was absolutely no clue to help quench the curiosity of all who indulge in the research of this mysterious happening.23

The two armies clashed together in battle, and at first it seemed that the humans were gaining the upper hand.  Then, with a clash of black and white lighting, a new figure was birthed.  The summoning was complete.  Standing amidst the masses of scorched wastelands littered by bodies of both humans and demons alike, a being of equal contrast came into existence.  She spread her...wings?  Yes, they were wings, but one was full of blinding white feathers while the other was full of jet black ones.  She stood to be around five feet and five inches, but somehow everyone who looked at her knew she had much more in power than in height.  She was half-angel and half-demon.24

"Is this who I am meant to judge again?  The weak, greedy, and unworthy race of men?"25

But the young prince, the only one who saw not just the demon side but also the angel side of the entity, rushed to her on his horse without any intentions of hostility.26

Somehow, just making eye contact was able to make her hesitate.  It was a short few minutes for all who observed, but the entity was old, perhaps older than the ages of demon and man put together.  As they came together in the middle of the field, time for them became distorted, and everything around them seemed to slow.27

"Who are you?"  This was the first time in thousands of years since such a small, insignificant being and stood up to her without trembling and falling to their knees.28

The prince jumped off his horse before it even stopped, passing his foot through a slowly rising spray of sand, and as he did he was already answering.  "Do you ask to know my name, or do you ask to know what I am?  For if it is my name, I will tell you that I am Cetus Darrek, prince of my fathers kingdom, and heir to the Lexan bloodline.  If you ask to know what I am, I can only tell you that I am man."29

The strange being looked into the prince's eyes and saw his true courage, his unbound strength, and deep inside of him a fire that burn more brightly than those of the gods...and fell in love with him.  He was also the first creature to return her gaze with no fear or hatred, no greed or...what was it?  He looked at her as if she had a soul, as if she were an individual that should also be loved, and should have the ability to love back.30

The demon prince, spawn of the dark king that had many names (Diablo, Ashen One, Dark Lord, Sin, ...) was still smiling with unconfined glee and triumph when she banished the demon race.  The field suddenly seemed to grow brighter as every stinking corpse of the spawns disappeared.  To Cetus, she looked more like an angel now than a demon.  Privately, thoughts were traded between the two.  What is your name?.   Ayaki.31

The men, all initially too stunned and confused to register the events, began to cheer as comprehension finally dawned.  Cheers came and the prince turned towards his men and a strange gleam caught his eye.32

As all these events progressed, a silent female watcher observed with growing hatred and jealousy; she drew her bow off her shoulder.  She then swiftly pulled an arrow out of her quiver and stretched the bow taught.  She aimed the notch towards Ayaki and released her straining hand just as Cetus saw the reflection of the sun off of her obsidian arrowhead.33

The prince, through sudden intuition and reflex, embraced Ayaki in a protective hug.  The arrow pierced through his lung and straight into Ayaki's heart.34

Five thousand years later, a young man and women awoke from a strange dream.  The boy clutched his chest in receding pain; the girl, who was only a couple of rooms away, was filled with a sudden sense of dreadful guilt.  They both fell asleep again after a few moments, but this time only the boy dreamed.35

Before he opened his eyes, he already smelled the brisk fresh air and knew he was not in the bed he went to sleep in.  In fact, there was no longer a bed and he was fully dressed, standing in a strange mist that obscured everything.  Then, he began to notice things.36

The cool crisp air swirled away some of the fog, and he saw that he was standing in a field.  It was not grass that grew here, but a blinding array of flowers that stretched out in every direction.  Then his mind began to register a dull and continuous roar, and when he turned around he saw that he was standing ten feet away from a cliff and a few hundred feet past that stood a waterfall in the background, one that made Niagara Falls look like a spilt glass of milk.37

He approached the cliff and stared down in awe and wonder as he saw that there was no visible bottom; a few thousand meters down, a thick mist covered everything, so thick it looked palpable.38

"I wouldn't go down there if I were you," came a merry voice from behind him.39

He spun around and saw that he was face to face with a woman.  She wore a strange armor, yet he had seen that armor elsewhere before.  At her hip was strapped a sword with a jewel adorning the hilt.40

He didn't recognize her...no.  That wasn't completely true.  That first second he saw her face, he had felt a brief flare of recognition.  It was gone as sudden as it came.41

"You wonder where you are...you wonder why you have these dreams...you wonder why so many strange things have been happening lately, so much...enough to drive you near the brink of insanity.  But right now, you must wonder why you feel as if you should know me."42

She spoke calmly and knowingly, as if with practiced ease.  And all her words struck home.43

"Now you wish to ask me who I am, but first I must tell you who you are," she said.  For the first time since she had begun to speak, a brief flash of emotion flashed through her eyes, though her smile never faltered the whole time.44

"You have many names...but in this Cycle you are called Rannison, correct?"45

Her smile widened as if the touch of his name, though foreign, was somehow sweet to her lips.46

"Rannison Darrek, you are perhaps the most dangerous threat to all of mankind, yet you may also be the brightest hope for the survival of man.  Which of those should be used to describe you is yet to be seen; there is no way to determine any of the future anymore because you broke the Cycle."47

Still too stunned and confused to say anything, Rannison stared at her and did what he seemed to be best at.  He remained dead silent.48

Still smiling, she continued; "You do not know yet what those words mean, but that is irrelevant.  What is imperative for you to understand is your heritage...and the responsibility that comes with your blood.  It is not fair, nor is it just, but that matters not; inside your veins flows the blood of the Lexans."49

A sudden since of deja vú flooded his senses, and for the first time since he had appeared before this foreign place, he spoke.  "I know that name," he said with a whisper.50

"As you should..." she replied to his statement.  "As you should...my son."51

Her last words struck through his mind and cleared the haze of confusion that was there before.  But it can't be.  He'd seen the pictures before; she was not his mother...yet...why did he feel so unsure now...?52

"Stop that," he growled with a threatening tone.  "I don't know who you are or how much you believe you know about me, but if you think I won't hurt you for messing around with my mind, you're making a mistake...you are not my mother."53

Her smile didn't falter as she listened to his threat; instead, she threw her head back and let loose a pleasant burst of laughter.  This had the effect of deflating Rannison's short flare of anger almost immediately.54

"Of course not, you were not born from my womb!  Your essence, however, is another story."55

She paused and closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again.  They showed a deep sorrow that seemed depthless.56

"Now to your prior questions.  I am Zephera, wife and queen of King Darrek of Alexandria of the Lexans.  I once had a son named Cetus.  He stands before me again right now, after a seven thousand years of my waiting.  He was the one who broke the last Cycle, and he is the one who changed the destiny of mankind...or perhaps it was his destiny to break it?  That will never be known, nor does it matter to you now.  You should know, however, that because he changed the fate of mankind, he has started a war against the demons."57

She fixed her eyes upon Rannison's with an intensity that was unsettling for him.58

"Put quite simply and in the terms of your people, you are the reincarnation of Cetus."59

Rannison was almost swooning from trying to swallow all of this.  He had seen all of it, in his previous dream, yet...it was so hard to believe!  He was just one person, not even a grown man yet, but the responsibility has be set on his shoulders?  Did he have to carry the weight and burden of mankind's hope?60

"I...I have to know more...I still have so many questions!" Rannison said when he found his voice.  He had never experienced anything like what was happening to him now, not even in all the novels he enjoyed reading so much.61

Zephera's eyes suddenly widened, and all traces of her previous cheery demeanor was gone.  "There is so much more I would like to tell you, so much more that you need to know...but now is not the time for that.  Now you must wake up now; your first obstacle has come."62

And so said, she waved her hand before Rannison's eyes and he felt himself black out once more.  He would never see Zephera again.63

Even as he regained consciousness Rannison was already jumping on to his feet, careful to avoid Angio, and out of his room, silently running down the pitch-black hallway.  He had a habit of sleeping in his clothing for the next day, a habit for which he was now grateful for obtaining.  It was a short path and he came upon a single door in the narrow hall.64

"Miyaka!" yelled as he burst into her room, awakening Miyaka from her deep slumber.65

"W-Wha--?" was all the flustered girl managed to say before the intruding male rudely dragged her out of her bed.66

"Get dressed, quickly!  Then go wake the others and have them get ready to leave!  We don't have a lot of time, so snap out of it!" he said with great urgency, panic laced with every word.67

"Rannison, what are you babbling about!  It's...it's three o' clock in the morning!  Did you have another nightmare or something?  Look, you should just--"68

"MIYAKA!"69

She jumped in surprise.  She'd never heard Rannison raise his voice, much less yell at someone.  Now that his anger and panic was directed at her, she didn't really believe everything was alright.  Hadn't she tossed and turned through her sleep, thinking and feeling something was wrong all night?70

"Please, you have to do this for me, and for everyone's safety.  Please, Miyaka," he finished lamely, but his voice was still strained and worried.  He stared intensely into her eyes, and she knew in that instance that this wasn't just a bad dream.  This was for real.71

"Alright.  I'll be quick about it…you go ahead.  We'll be right behind you," she relented, already pacing towards the chair on which her clothes hung, ruffled.72

"Thank you, Miyaka," Rannison replied with some relief, and turned around to leave.73

"Rannison?"74

He turned back around to look at her worried face.75

"...What's going on?"76

He only paused for a moment, then replied, "I wish I knew, Miyaka."  He left to go downstairs without waking up Angio himself on a whim, wondering why he hadn't.  His question was answered by himself as he reached the bottom and turned left: the people upstairs weren't the ones in danger.77