Chapter XLIX: Catalyst

            Two millennia ago, an event known ‘Cataclysm’ took place and the Earth was broken to pieces inside-out. It is said that a weapon of mass destruction blew up through the Earth’s crust and exposed the inner core, starting a chain reaction of disasters happening until the cracks broke the planet into fragments. Most pieces burned up and crashed as they approached the field of nearby planets, but some retained its revolution around the sun’s orbit, creating a sort of asteroid belt between Mars and Venus. The Known Regions, the biggest piece that was retained, also kept the moon revolving around it.

 

            Somehow the environment and the rate of rotation and revolution around the sun seemed to have insignificant change, making it possible for life to thrive again. Of course all this seems impossible, that’s why people from the old days used to say that it’s God’s way of saying he still loves Mankind. It’s interesting to note that there are a lot of mutations that happened over the years, hence the birth of two new races: Elementals and Elves, not to mention countless new species of flora and fauna.

 

            In the early stages of rebuilding, all three races lived together in harmony in a place they once called Canaan, now known as The Upper Kingdom.

 

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            After the death of his father, Jehoahaz, King Daelin succeeded him when he was 25 years old. As of now, he’s been ruling The Upper Kingdom for 3 years, and due to inexperience, the kingdom continued to plummet from all the anarchy and corruption.

 

            He’s been struggling to keep it all intact, but it seemed impossible to unite the people, especially after his father gave consent to evacuate all his soldiers on guard at Origami Canyon, leaving 44 elite soldiers to their doom, The Fallen Forty-Four.

 

            But a few days ago, he received an anonymous report about a few young children claiming to be Elementals, and he had this idea of releasing himself of his father’s mistakes. He just needed the cooperation of the other regions.

 

            “This is quite a spectacle...”

 

            King Dagon had just arrived from the road to Stone Haven with a surprised remark. There at the round cobblestone table of Stone Haven, 8 seats were gathered about the circumference, 4 of which were already occupied.

 

            Earlier, as he went up the stairs leading to Stone Haven, 4 pairs of soldiers were by the entrance excluding his own. It must have been their entourage. He came up here by himself because it is stated that no one else must hear about this meeting.

 

            “Everyone’s here, it seems. Please, have a seat, King Dagon”, King Daelin says as he invites him to have a seat.

 

            “Quite so”, King Dagon replies as he sits. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else. I believe this is my first time meeting all of you in person.”

 

            “Not to worry. We’re all strangers here, and with that, let me properly introduce myself...”

 

            King Daelin rises from his seat with a fake smile plastered on his face. Apart from his crown, his clothes were simple for a king: A blue fur robe, a black vest, a pair of trousers, and a pair of worn out boots that once belonged to his father.

 

            “King Daelin, son of King Jehoahaz, descendant of Sirach”, he says with a small bow then takes his seat. “The leaders of each region are gathered here...

 

            “King Basilio Selmo of The Lower Kingdom.”

 

            King Daelin presents a man to the left from where King Dagon was facing. The man looked as if he were in his late fifties judging from the wrinkles and dark spots on his face. He had a dusty gray robe with him and a gold ring on each finger.

 

            “Emperor Kazami of Draconia.”

 

            The next one he presents is a man with eyes that could make a guilty man commit seppuku in an instant. His attire though... It looks like the default outfit from Monster Hunter Portable 3^rd but without the hat. In fact, he looks more like a soldier than a leader with that armor.

 

            “King Dagon of Berial Magus.”

 

            He presents King Dagon, although you probably already know that he looks like he could have a midlife crisis at the age of 32 years old.

 

            “And finally, participating in her brother’s stead, High Priestess Salome.”

 

            He’s referring to the woman sitting directly opposite King Dagon. She had a cloak with a hood on, and as she was introduced, she brought the hood down revealing her long straight blue hair, the same color as Credo’s... Damn, this girl is really young. She has pair of enormous melons and I almost made a mistake of getting turned on by this woman. From the adorable look on her face, she’s probably not older than 18... But seriously though, that rack is huge! How the hell did she get those D-cups at such a young age? It’s irksome to me, and the way those pointy elf ears are twitching like a cat’s ears isn’t helping at all. I can’t even-

 

            That’s a pretty long paragraph there.

 

            But it’s a woman we’re talking about here!

 

            Just because she has a huge rack doesn’t mean she gets more attention. Small breasts are pretty good too, you know? Unless you acknowledge the beauty of petite n*****s as well, I’m afraid I can’t let you continue.

 

            Alright, fine. Moving on...

 

            “First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming here”, King Daelin starts off. “I would have put it off for a later day if not for King Dagon’s insistence.”

 

            “I have a few year’s worth of responsibility to bear. My time, as you can imagine, isn’t very flexible”, King Dagon retorts.

 

            “I see... And what exactly is keeping you busy, King Dagon?”

 

            “Recovering from irresponsible self-induced medication for anti-depressants, but I’m guessing that’s not the answer you want. Rather, the problem I’m facing now is related to the message you sent, concerning these Demons running rampant across the Regions.”

 

            “Yes, that’s right. And regarding this matter, I assume you are all familiar with the one leading them, correct?”

 

            The Priestess raises her hand and speaks. “That would be King Orion Gremorie.”

 

            King Daelin nods his head to her answer. “Now, as you all know, King Orion Gremorie died roughly a century ago. According to the reports I’ve heard, he seems to have come back from Hell itself, along with his army, by means of using the Equilibrium Gate at the center of Novaliches, capital of Anion. Along with his return, some sort of flame came up and swallowed the entire nation of Elementals, resulting in the extinction of the entire race-“

 

            “What’s your point? I didn’t come here to hear your pointless history”, Emperor Kazami speaks up with a low curt tone.

 

            “Oh, pardon me. I was just getting to that, Emperor”, King Daelin replies.

 

            “I have a fair idea what you’re “getting to” so allow me to summarize: There are a few Elementals that are still alive and you want the Regions to unite so they can breach through the Plaguelands and fulfill the book, Binomial Nomenclature. I’ve heard it a thousand times over, but I’ve never heard of any survivors turning up.”

 

            “That’s-“

 

            “That’s where you’re wrong.”

 

            King Daelin was about to offer a rebuttal, but someone suddenly spoke up as he climbed up the steps to Stone Haven. It was a guy with a long-a*s beard and deep-set eyes. It’s funny how he almost looks like [1] Medivh. He had a black hooded cloak and a chainmail to match the set of steel armor he was wearing. The sheathe strapped to his waist is supposedly for a rapier, but the weapon wasn’t there.

 

            “Was it really necessary to steal my thunder? You seem to come and go wherever you please”, King Daelin says.

 

            “You accuse me of stealing your thunder? That information was mine to begin with, oaf!”

 

            Damn, this guy sounds like [2] Gandalf.

 

            “I know I’m practically wasting my time by asking...”, Emperor Kazami voices out. “Who exactly are you?”

 

            The guy starts stroking his beard in amusement and replies.

 

            “[3] There are some who call me... Tim”, the guy replies. “I’m part of an organization that serves as an asset for The Upper Kingdom.”

 

            “Tim?” King Dagon questions.

 

            “Yes, my name is Tim. Why does everyone make a big deal about my name?” He walks up to the cobblestone table and stands on top, right at the center like an eccentric old man. Everyone’s attention was with him except for King Basilio who has been quiet all this time. “Now, from what I understood in this little meeting of yours... To be honest, I understood none of it. Clearly none of you trust each other enough for this to be any sort of ‘joint agreement’.

 

            “That said, I’m the one who suggested that the leaders of each Region to secretly gather in hopes to persuade all of you to join the fight. As for the surviving Elementals, my ‘organization’ has been tracking down their movements since the Demons halted their advance for reasons unknown, specifically 3 years ago. These Elementals started to gather about 3 weeks ago, and as we speak, all eight of them are probably in Bania by now.”

 

            “How do you know all this?”, Emperor Kazami interjects.

 

            “I am simply-“

 

            “No, let me rephrase my question. How do you expect me to believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?”

 

            “I have proof”, Tim answers with a snap of his fingers. “King Daelin, if you would be so kind.”

 

            From his cloak, King Daelin produced a brown envelope containing 8 folders with a bunch of documents. He dramatically slaps it on the table as the papers slid from the container. “Each folder contains all we know about each Elemental.”

 

            King Dagon and Priestess Salome scanned each document containing information on the surviving Elementals. With each document, candid pictures of each Elemental demonstrating their powers can be seen. The events back at Xenovia, Quinholm, as well as Naiya’s sudden Awakening at Berial Magus and Yvaine’s run from Crisostomo, clearly showcase each of their abilities. Emperor Kazami kept his hands to himself with a stubborn look on his face while King Basilio remained perfectly quiet in his seat.

 

            “I’ll discuss with all of you each one.

 

            “Let’s begin with the young petite girl with blonde hair. Her name is Naiya, Void Elemental. We’re not entirely sure what her powers are, but we believe that she is incredibly destructive and can control most of the Elements. Three years ago, her home at Fortuna’s Citadel was overrun by Demons. Being the only survivor, she was taken at the heart of the Plaguelands as a prisoner. She recently escaped by herself which was made easy with her ability to meld and become invisible.

 

            “The woman wearing a long red coat is-“

 

            “Osiris Yvaine”, King Dagon interrupts. “The woman’s a Lightning Elemental, I believe.”

 

            “Correct”, Tim continues. “She is also the daughter of the infamous Osiris Luno, a.k.a. Azure Bladesman. Her name is registered in the Thieves Guild and she has committed numerous small time [4] “Sweep Jobs” in Berial Magus.

 

            “Now, the next two consecutive folders that have the same white color are for the twin sisters, Therese and Sierra, Earth Elemental and Wind Elemental, respectively. The pictures taken there are 3 years younger than their present age. The reason for this is because of the sudden presence of a Demon in Origami Canyon, which is also the place they are currently living in. The Demon probably set up a nest there and we couldn’t get inside. As you can see, Sierra, the one with the bowgun, has the Hunting Guild uniform, whereas Therese, the one with the labcoat, seems to be wielding some sort of Switchaxe, a device that switches into two different weapons.

 

            “The next folder is our profile on Christine Anna Lavoisier, foster child of Mayor Lavoisier of Xenovia. She’s a Fire Elemental who wields a bow, but instead of arrows, she makes her own flame arrows out of her mana. Compared to the other Elementals, she seems to be the only one with the grasp on formal education curricula although she was home-schooled.

 

            “The guy with red and blue eyes is known as Credo, a.k.a. antidisestablishmentarianism.”

 

            “Credo?”, the Priestess whispers to herself. She takes one of his pictures on the table and scans it. She looks a little too focused though... Damn, I’ve seen that look before! That’s the same look Mea had when she first saw Solis again at the volcaninc belt!

 

            “Something wrong, Priestess?”, Tim asks her.

 

            “Oh, it’s nothing”, she says snapping back to reality. “Please continue.”

 

            “Right... Well, from what we’ve gathered, the guy’s a powerhouse with his weapon, the prototype gunblade known as Whiteout. He’s a Frost Elemental and a bounty hunter who kills Demons for any price. He has an impressive reputation, especially after he single-handedly defeated the Impaler, one of King Orion Gremorie’s top dogs.

 

            “Now, for the next one, Emperor Kazami”, Tim calls out.

 

            “Nanda, kisama?”

 

            “I believe you know about the Tearju Assassins.”

 

            “You mean those hypocrites who think murdering my officials is justice? Of course I do.”

 

            “Well, the Darkness Elemental, Megumi Raya, under the alias ‘Eve’, used to be part of the Tearju Assassins as you can see from her attire, although as of late she’s been excommunicated accordingly for charges against her disobedience. Whatever order she disobeyed is unclear, but it may have something to do with her sudden pursuit in gathering the Elementals. You see, she’s the one who opted to gather the others three weeks ago, although, as I’ve said, we’re not quite sure why.

 

            “Lastly, we have the Solar Elemental, Solis. He’s the one with the brown coat of the Hunting Guild. We don’t know much about this individual apart from his constant contact with the Wind Elemental from the Hunting Guild while she was under our observation. We’ve only just discovered this eighth Elemental when the Darkness Elemental invited him for the gathering. It seems he knows nothing of his powers and is only practicing it now.

 

            “Each one of these Elementals have these tiny cat-like creatures with them called Anima. Ancient texts about the first generation of Elementals that appeared after the Cataclysm stated that these ancient Elementals also had Anima. The next generation, however, had none.

 

            “These individuals are doing their part and my organization has been supporting them from the shadows, but the job can’t possibly done without your cooperation. That Solar Elemental could have died at Quinholm if we hadn’t arrived the scene at the last moment. These eight are our top priority, and as an inhabitant of this world, I oblige you all to cooperate. It’s been a long time since King Gremorie tried to pull off a full-scale assault, and by the time he tries to do it again, there won’t be any more elite soldiers to hold him back. Instead of waiting for that to happen, I’d rather push my luck on these Elementals.”

 

            Tim hops off the table and takes the seat between King Daelin and Priestess Salome.

 

            “Is that enough to persuade you, Emperor Kazami?” King Daelin asks him.

 

            “Well, from what I understood, there are indeed survivors of the Elemental Incident, one for each Primal Element. But that doesn’t convince me to follow some book that is conveniently placed in our lap to follow its instructions. I am not about to mobilize my army for someone’s make-belief fantasy of extinguishing these Demons. King Gremorie has his hands on the entire Region of Anion, not to mention an army of millions of dead men, and you expect my people to weather the Plaguelands surrounding the Region in hopes to banish them? Even with our combined forces, one can’t simply charge in there, therefore, my people and I will not be helping you in this feeble attempt to unite the Regions.”

 

            “I see...” King Daelin then faces the Priestess. “What about your opinion, Priestess Salome?”

 

            “It does not matter for me whether or not we can defeat these Demons by following the book, but if it is in your earnest sentiment to unite the Regions, I’d gladly join your endeavor. Still, I must discuss this with my brother. The decision is not mine to make, but I’ll make sure to convince him to let our people join this union.”

 

            “King Dagon?”

 

            “I’ll accept. I’ve seen what these Demons have done to my people, and I will not stand by idly while they suffer.”

 

            “King Basilio?”

 

            The king of The Lower Kingdom doesn’t open his mouth nor make any expression. He simply looks up and nods at King Daelin.

 

            “Bakabakashi...” Emperor Kazami palms his face as he rises from his chair. “I’ll be going first. You fools can continue to dawdle in your union for all I care.”

 

            Emperor Kazami takes his leave down the steps and heads back to Draconia.

 

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            As Emperor Kazami was travelling by carriage, he slowly sank into a deep sleep throughout the ride. The carriage was empty when he was still awake, but after a few hours, when the sun had already set, he sensed the presence of something else in the carriage. Feeling uneasy, he snapped open his eyes.

 

            From the seat opposite him, he is once again able to meet the woman of his dreams. Her face was adorned with bright eyes that was staring back at him. Those cherry red lips perked up his appetite for a smooch as she smiled at him like an angel from heaven. She was wearing a white sleeve-less dress that was slightly open from where her voluptuous chest was swelling. The woman had her legs crossed, revealing her white ankles that led to her bare feet with one flexed toward him.

 

            “Ki-te’...Kazami-heika...”, she whispers with a soft voice.

 

            In response, Emperor Kazami drops to his knees in front of her with an overbearing smile on his face as if he’d come to worship a goddess.

 

            You’ve probably seen this woman before, dear reader. She’s the same woman that gave Mea all those scars...

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1. From Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos by Blizzard Entertainment

2. Character from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movie directed by Peter Jackson based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel of the same title

3. Quoted by Tim the Enchanter (John Cleese) from the movie 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones

4. Radiant Quest for the Thieves Guild from The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Reviews

[❀Subaru_Nyaa!
..]

"leaving 44 elite soldiers to their doom, The Fallen Forty-Four."

I feel like leaving out the Fallen Forty-Four out would be better since people who go this far will know what the narrator meant when the number 44 was dropped. The removal of this is optional since it is mostly based of an opinion.

"guilty man go seppuku"
the right way to put it "guilty man commit seppuku".

"Tennoheika-sama”
I am assuming you are saying that he is the Majesty of heaven, if so, it should be "Ten no heika". A sama in the end would be like saying "Kariya-sensei-chan" since Heika is already a way to call a king or someone in a higher position than the speaker.


Also I am expecting to see how the first part connects to the next chapter. (Unless it also connecting to the previous chapters and I am just stupid to not notice). It is a nice expository chapter.

[Oran]

Much appreciated. I changed the 'tennoheika-sama' to Kazami-heika so that it makes more sense