Chapter 1

The Beginning

Those who follow Him are meant to rule the world and bring order out of chaos.

Power must be attained at any costs. Trust none except for those you control.

Do not let compassion or love weaken or blind you to what must be done.

Betrayal is punished by eternal torment.

Service is rewarded with dominion.

-The Holy Scriptures: The Final Words-

            Drip.  Drip.  Drip.  The entrancing sound continued as the thunder crackled in the distance.  Raindrops danced in the night as footsteps hurried to get to their rightful homes.  Carts hurried to get to shelter.

            “Master,” the pale-faced girl whispered in the night, slightly whimpering.  “May I change back now?  We have finally arrived in this strange place.  Wherever people use wooden circles to drive wooden boxes is strange enough for me.”

            “You may,” he hesitated, “because I sense powerful magical activity in this town.  It must be filled with sorcerers.”

            The child, who was with the boy, started to laugh coldly.  “Master Ephraim, I understand.  The last thing you would want is for me to be stolen!”

            “As unlikely as that seems, Naressa, it may actually be a possibility.  When there is strong magic afoot, one must tread with caution.  Master mentioned that earlier, remember?”

“I never knew your ‘Master’, Ephraim.  The only ‘Master’ I’ve known is you, you mangy brat!

“Do not raise your voice with me, Naressa.  You are first, and foremost my companion.  Others may think of you as a slave; you may think that I think of you as a slave.  However, I do not.  You are my companion; my friend, Naressa.  I cherish loyalty above all else, for loyalty derives from respect, and respect derives from love.”

            The boy wore a silver gown adorned with small star-like spheres of gold that reflected the slightest amount of light.  Though many thought of him as king or a prince of sorts, he appealed to most thoughts as if he were a wanderer.  He wore a hooded, black gown over his silver that covered all of his body, for he was fussy about showing even the slightest amount of skin.  He wore two different gloves:  One black, the other white.  On the back of each glove, there was a symbol.  The black glove contained the sun on the back; the white one, on the back, contained a crescent moon.

            Ephraim had long, flowing silvery tendrils of hair that lengthened down to the end of his thighs, almost his knees however right above that.  He had eyes that were hard and piercing, mostly emotionless yet beautiful at the same time.  They were amber with specks of teal, making them seem as if ablaze, yet, a serenity emanated out-forth of them as if they were the sky and the sun.  His hands were always covered unless he was in battle.  However, even then, he would cover them if using sorcery in battle. 

            Naressa immediately understood that she had spoken unwisely and returned to her normal self.  “Master,” she spoke, breaking the silence, “My apologies.  I spoke—”

            “Consider yourself forgiven,” Ephraim interrupted, “And now return, so I can walk in peace, and before someone recognizes you.” 

            “Wait… I hear voices, Master.”

            An ear-splitting scream was heard not far from their present location.  They hurried towards their destination pushing the water nymphs, which were dancing, aside for they were irrelevant, and irrelevance was useless.

            They, both, walked towards the sound.  It was not that far, actually.  It was just a few buildings away.  However, that did not make up for the fact that Ephraim had not planned to fight today.  He was tired and irritated even though he knew he had to be cool and collected.  Naressa was not helping either, with her constant interruptions and negligence.  Hopefully, if he was lucky, there would be no fighting involved, and that girl would have screamed from laughter.  However, he soon found that as not possible, unfortunately.

            Once they landed on a steep road-like hill, they saw a girl covered by a round object, possibly a wheel of sorts.  Ephraim continued to walk, though slowly for he could sense much magical energies emanating from the limited place.  The closer he progressed, the more powerful it became.  Once he was about fifty yards away from the person who had screamed, he could literally feel the magic in the air.  Touching it, breathing it, tasting it, hearing it, he could do all these things.  It was literally alive! 

            Ephraim quickly passed it as a disturbance and rushed to the girl’s aid.  The air was hard and thick.  A misty substance formed in the distance taking Ephraim’s attention away from the wounded girl.  Naressa, as well, seemed worried.  A blackish dust cloud was emerging in the distance, and ‘dark dust’, as it was called by the village-folk, was a bad omen.  It meant the King, himself, had administered Martial Law.

*          *            *

            Ephraim and Naressa, both, were frightened.  The last time this had happened they had been severely wounded.  Ephraim had become soaked with his own crimson wounds and Naressa almost had been exorcized from existence.  This “King” character was quite troublesome for these two people.  His minions always seemed to lurk behind them.  Why?  He had not known at the time.  He had been following them ever since Naressa had barged into his quiet and peaceful, though boring, life.

            He had expected to have an adventurous life.  However, he did not expect to be branded with treason upon his name.  The King never did have a positive connotation upon his name, but Ephraim did not expect him to be a murderous psychopath who would kill innocents to obtain what he wanted. 

A few days after his encounter with Naressa, everything was explained to him through word of mouth.  She explained to him why he was in constant danger and why he owned her.  What he had to do to finally be free of this menacing foe, that had chosen Ephraim as his enemy, was retrieve several gems or stones with various, different powers.  However, the power held in these elliptical rocks was far from small.  The reason being because it was not magic, it was Life (or Death, rather).  Spirits resided in these gems, and Naressa was one of them. 

Ephraim had gotten Naressa from his Master.  It was a graduation present of sorts, in a way.  His master was a quite benevolent old man.  He loved Ephraim like no other.  He respected Ephraim, when no one else did.  He treated Ephraim like a person while others treated him like an animal or outcast.  Ephraim loved him just as much, if not more.

However, a tragic event occurred.  He and his master were separated for all eternity.  The King had killed him in his sleep, thinking that he was Ephraim.  Through the King’s many spies, he had found Ephraim to be a threat for he chose no side in the war between the two kingdoms present at this time.  These two kingdoms were named Solaria and Lunaria.  The present King was ‘King’ because of his victory over Lunaria.  He was therefore, the King of both kingdoms, not just Solaria.  The ‘dark dust’ showed the coming of his army, which is why it was a bad omen.

The blackish dust continued to advance, getting closer and closer every few seconds.  The silhouettes of shadowy figures formed from the cloud of darkness.  The dusty magic started to clear and Ephraim felt less oppressed by the atmosphere around him.  Naressa readied herself as Ephraim transformed his weapon.  “Scepter of Truth: Staff.”

            The scepter strapped to his back started to change dramatically as it presented itself into Ephraim’s hand.  A staff with many sockets lay on his palm.  His fingers wrapped around the glowing weapon, the ribbons adorning the staff wrapping around his fingers individually.

            The shadow-like figures were gaining quickly.  Naressa started to glow as a slightly translucent light engulfed her person.  She wore a gown of white and her sleeves were elongated at the end.  Sorcery consisted of this type of clothing.  She became much taller than her former child self.  Her eyes were closed as if she was in deep thought and her hands were clasped together.  Fans appeared in her hands, glistening with gold.  The fan, itself, provoked a heritage of royalty, it consisting of feathers.  A long string hung down from the end of the fan.  A large sphere of crystal hung at the end of the ribbon-like thread.

            The soldiers halted.

Ephraim, Naressa, and the girl next to them were surrounded. 

The black figures finally seemed formidable.  They seemed much more formidable than the formerly known ‘black dust’.  The knights held their pikes with great dignity and pride.  A person shouted a command in Solarian and they lowered their pikes so that the tips were pointing directly towards them three.  Naressa jumped holding both the girl and Ephraim.  They soared through the air as if it were a cloud. 

Naressa was an air sorceress.  A powerful air spirit, actually.  Ephraim was a summoner: one with great talent.  He had summoned Naressa the moment he had received her as a graduation present.  He was ecstatic… Naressa was depressed.  Naressa, however even with her continuous complains and grudges, still stayed with Ephraim.  She fought valiantly always, no matter how annoyed she was.  Ephraim was her master after all.

“Fans of Tranquility,” she whispered as her weapons started to glow.  “Wind Bolt!”

A gust of energy emanated from the tips of her weapons.  The wind bolts sliced through at least ten of the soldiers with ease, impaling their way through them defeating at least ten more.  Clouds of smoke started to form in each of the carcass’ places. 

Naressa sighed, “It’s up to you now, Milord,” as she then returned to her resting place: a crystal in Ephraim’s staff.  After she returned, Ephraim readied himself.  His scepter transformed into a bow and arrow.  He started chanting, the tip of his arrow pointed at his forehead.  The pike men continued to jab as Ephraim continued to dodge with trouble.  He was still tired from the long journey they had made from Paris to the remote city of Vinhara.

“From Truth comes Lies,

However from this comes Demise,

Show me your true Power,

And now Devour!

Pzah Czicn kahob Seob.

Mafodoz pzah cneb kahob Lohebo.

Bnaf ho yaiz czio Wafoz,

Uml maf Lodaiz.”

The arrow started to glow an eerie blue.  Ribbons of light erupted from the tip.  Each ribbon started to envelope around the pointed weapon.  Ephraim fastened the glowing arrow to his angelic-white bow.  He did not aim for any target, however.  He aimed directly towards the sky.

The dark clouds immediately sucked in the glowing arrow.  Fluorescent –blue lightning rained down from the low heavens.  Each never missed a target, and the dark knights vanished into black air-like puffs. 

The lightning clouds that had appeared hung in the air, acting as if they didn’t defeat all the enemies.  Ephraim huffed and puffed as his lungs strained to continue breathing.

“Naressa,” Ephraim said apprehensively, “what is wrong with my ‘Lightning Summon’?”

Naressa looked at Ephraim through her prison-sphere.  She then spoke after a few second.  “I’m not so sure, but the girl bears an aura and spiritual energy similar to mine!”

The dark clouds in the air were immediately pierced with spears of light.  Slowly, yet quickly, the clouds were fed to the light.  Each puff of “Lightning makers” was soon gone.  Nothing was left except a circular pool of light underneath the girl. 

Ironically, Ephraim had been so entranced by the lightshow he had forgotten to see where the piercing light was heading.

He turned his head slowly through arid air.  Tens of corpses stood surrounding him as he scanned the field.  The blank and empty field brought an aura of hopelessness with and within it.  Why did this feeling emanate from such a random town?

Ephraim then dared to look at the source of light.  His eyes looked directly at the girl that he had rescued just minutes before.  “Energies similar to yours,” Ephraim asked Naressa.  “Interesting.  Do you think she’s one of you, Naressa?”

“I don’t think,” she replied, “I know.”

Ephraim then started to stutter.  “W-Well, w-w-what am I-I su-supposed to do?”

Naressa sighed, right then.  “Stop stuttering, young one.  One who owns me can never stutter.  It shows fear and weakness!”

Ephraim then gathered himself together and started to contemplate the situation correctly.  “So if my calculations are correct, the spirit here is the one we’ve been searching for.”

“Exactly tha—what?”

Ephraim’s staff started to glow and the crystal he had found several months ago stumbled out of his pocket and started to float.  A shimmering luminosity enveloped the girl and a vortex opened.

The sorcerer’s bones felt as if they were going to stretch and tear the tendons holding them together as they went through the unending stitch in time.  The pain continued until Ephraim couldn’t take it anymore.  At that very second, once he thought that he fell onto something hard on the floor. 

*            *            *

The floor had a hard, chalky feeling to it.  The air was oxygen-less, however, one could still breathe.  Large craters were etched into the non-earthy ground.  Ephraim pushed himself off the ground with ease.  It also seemed as if the gravitational pull of this world was significantly less than Earth. 

The light-blue, white-like crystal was still glowing with more power with every step taken towards a shimmering light.

“I challenge thee,” a girl said pointing at Ephraim, the light slowly diminishing.  “You hold my sacred Crystal of Wisdom, and I shall not let you imprison me!”

Ephraim smirked, that was exactly what he intended to do.  “How will you stop m—”  A great ball of blue light went past him interrupting his train of thought.  He jumped away from it, flipping while in the air.  “Pézo jüss,” he whispered, flicking his staff sharply.  A great fireball snaked its way towards the girl hitting her square in the chest. 

Her eyes bulged as the pain sunk in, catching her off guard.  However, there was plenty of fight left in her; Ephraim could see that, at least.  He had to use Naressa if he wanted to capture her without difficulty. 

“You cannot use your precious ‘spirit’,” she said laughing.  She was no longer a girl; she was a woman, and a beautiful one, at that, as well.  However, her appearance was deceiving compared to her true power. 

“And why can’t I, Selena,” Ephraim asked, emphasizing Selena.  There was a reason Ephraim did that.  When a person knows a spirit’s name, they have a certain amount of power over them.  However, this did not work for guardian spirits such as Naressa and Selena.  You had to defeat them to acquire them.  Of course, they were significantly weaker in the testing area.  If they weren’t, what was the use for them?  If you wanted a strong spirit to do something for you, wouldn’t you want one stronger than you?  These were the “Elite”.  The Elite were the guardians of the Elements and Nature.  They kept the balance.  If they were to fall into the hands of some ‘Nobody’, then who-knows-what would happen!  It would be chaos!  Physics has nothing to do with it.

“This is your test,” Selena retorted, “and how do you know my name?”

“I read,” Ephraim responded simply.

Selena smiled warmly.  Of course, she did not want to be captured at any cost.  However, this boy had saved her life!  She owed him a debt of gratitude and that was Ephraim’s most powerful weapon.

“What is your name,” Selena asked mockingly as if Ephraim was a child (which he was; no doubt about that).

“My name is Ephraim,” he replied simply, “however, that is not of your concern at the moment.  Pézo jüss!”  Ephraim screamed the spell with great gusto and sent a flurry of fire-like spheres towards the woman.  The fireballs attacked their targets making smoke erupt from the all that were exposed to the onslaught.  Ephraim’s eyes kept themselves focused on the woman’s location at all time.  He then waited patiently for the smoke to clear.

Just then, a great ball of celestial energy surged through the smoke and pummeled him in the knee, making him scream in agony.  “What the hell just happened!” he asked himself in terror.  The smoke then cleared and a volley of blue arrows sped toward him, making him react through reflex. 

“Bnéösl!”

A great bubble-ball formed around him repelling the pointed sticks towards the ground, making them melt into the hard, porous rock below him.

“Use better attacks,” Selena said cockily, “you one trick pony.  You will never defeat me that way!  Of course, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Ephraim right then started to boil his blood from within.  The anger in his heart was so out of control he would have burst if it had not been for Naressa’s warning before the battle.  She specifically pointed out to Ephraim that he should not become angry or his blood will once again begin to boil from the heat within.  A deadly curse; a hereditary curse.  Such pain it had caused him in the years before.  If it were not for Naressa, he would have died so long ago from torture in the kingdom of the Sun: Solaria.  Such pain he went through.  Even for the soldiers torturing him, it was not amusing.  A child of eight, being beaten for information, and not giving in was not something they would be proud for.  The King may have been ruthless, however, the soldiers were still human, even though the King maybe was not human from his heart.  Maybe the King had no heart.  It was a possibility.  Shades gave away their hearts all the time to stop the feelings from mental infusion of spirits.  However, Summoners were different.  They did not let the spirits take over; they let the spirits host their bodies like parasites, sharing the body and feeding off each other and using each other; to each there own, I presume. 

The boiling came to a stop and Ephraim began to laugh slightly.  “If you want to not be captured, then you’re going to have to be quicker when it comes to dodging wheelbarrow wheels.  I bind you by the dirtiest trick in the book.  Since you owe me your life that is precisely what I shall take.

“B—But,” Selena stuttered know perfectly well what would happen next.  “You wouldn’t!” 

“Ehwzebam,” Ephraim said sending a string of solar light, imprisoning her on the spot.  Selena struggled mightily, breaking the chains that bound her at times.  However, the chains automatically returned.  “Luck played a great role today, my dear Selena.”

“Damn you, boy.  You and your retched cheating are all a part of this anyai:  Injustice.”

“This is nothing of the sort.  This is powerful magic.”

“Of course it is!  That is why it is still affective in this dimension of yours.”

“May you rot in Hell, you retched child!”

Confinement

With Obligation comes a Fee of Charge.

Come to me for my power is Large.

You come and see your happy siege.

I take from you what you owe to me.

Give me the life you do not own.

Come to me so you are no longer alone.

I take from you what you owe to me.

My first command be for you not to Flee.

Kámpëmóhomc

Fécn Ajsequceám kahöb u pöó áp Knüzqó.

Káho cä ho páz hy wafóz eb Dúzqo.

Yái käho úml bóö yáiz núwwy béoqö.

É cútö pzáh yäi fnüc yái afó cá hó.

Qédo hö cnó sepó yái la mäc áfm.

Káho cä ho bá yái üzo mó sämqóz úsamö.

É cútö pzáh yäi fnüc yái afó cá hó.

Hy pézbc káhhúml jö páz yái mäc ca psóö.

Power surged through Ephraim’s palm as the pure energy manifested itself in his hand.  Heat waves of power beat through the surface of the Moon making craters below him.  “This Power, Selena.  Do you know what it is?”

Selena gasped in horror as the chains wrapped around her becoming silvery-blue in hue.  “I’ve only seen it once before, boy.  When I was sealed in my prison, this same power surged through that summoner’s palm.  Vayu, that damned summoner, captured me in a spherical object that had been infused with ancient magic more powerful than Obligation.”

Ephraim then took the sphere that had dropped and summoned them here earlier.  “This object, Selena?” 

Selena’s eyes widened as she started to recognize the object before her. 

“The Sphere of Wisdom; The Containment of the Spirit of the Moon.”

“N—No!”  A white light erupted from the ball as it started to float in front of Ephraim.  The luminescence impulsively rushed toward the woman before him. 

“Ehwzebam,” Ephraim sighed heavily, snapping his fingers.  The light enveloped around Selena making her, out of instinct, fight back. 

“Selena’s Whim!” 

Spheres of sky-blue combusted on the light.  The white light, however, was Obligation, itself.  Therefore, the woman could not do anything to deflect it. 

Moon magic, Ephraim thought.  Impressive, however, it gives away the attack.  What a foolish girl.  She’s no match for my Ancient Magic…I hope.

The light came dangerously close to her soon.  However, Selena blocked with a shield. 

She’s fighting back awfully hard.  Maybe Master Vayu didn’t treat her like I treat Naressa, therefore she’s afraid of me.

The light pierced through the shield, piercing the flurry of attacks that constantly were aimed for the Light.

She is powerful.  She is very powerful.  She knows that it is inevitable, but she does not accept defeat.  That’s exactly the type of spirit I need.  She is the Moon spirit after all.  She’s higher class than Naressa even if they are the guardians. Only the Moon spirit and the Sun spirit, both, are needed to dethrone the great King.  However, all the Nature spirits (i.e. Wind, Fire, Ice, etc.) are needed to defeat the great King.  Damn.  This could be quite difficult if she continues to fight like this.

Finally, Selena had used up all her energy.  She could do nothing.  The Light impaled her heart.  Her body started to stretch into The Sphere of Wisdom.  Tentacles of her body started to vacuum into it.  Soon, she was all gone.

*            *            *

“What happened,” the King bellowed.  “You said that he is just a child!  His power is nothing compared to yours!  If he can capture the Spirit of the Moon, why couldn’t you?”

“B—But Master,” Orion stuttered, “Your Majesty, he used the Ancient Magic and trickery to capture Selena.”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Orion!  I want results!  One of the most powerful guardians of the Earth slipped through my grasp and you act as if it’s nothing much.”

“It isn’t, Your Greatness.  He’s but a child.  We can kill him whenever we wish!  Once we kill him, he’ll be gone, and we’ll have all the spirits that he has collected for the taking.  The Spheres of Air and Wisdom are his as of yet.  However, you possess one very powerful spirit, as well.  The Sphere of Gravity is in your grasp!  Sol, himself, rests within your chamber.  The Spirit of the Sun is yours, Your Highness.  He cannot defeat you without it.”

“Orion,” the King said dangerously, “if you value your life, you will bring me every guardian that boy has and every single guardian he doesn’t.  Once you do, Lunaria will be fresh for extermination.”

“Your wish, is my command, Your Illustriousness.  The Guardians shall be yours.”

(OOC: If anyone actually reads this, then please comment XD.  It's only Chapter 1, but eh.  Hope you liked it.)

Finally.  I finally post on Xanga.  I'm so busy on the comp.  I never knew Rping could make me so busy! O_o...  Either way... I finished watching the entire series of CCS and now am doing homework for the new SM RP I'm in... My cousin got me to do it in Florida.  Tee hee... I love her.  Mona and I have so much in common.  And who could forget her twin: Nina.  Funny, ne?  After watching the entire CCS series (70 eps. only T_T) I learned some Japanese!  Tee hee... Sugoi, ne? 

Ja ne!

Nimit