The Arcelus

Chapter 2: Unfulfilled Consequence

Under the ethereal radiance cast by the sun upon the castle's alabaster walls, the crystal mirrors gleamed as if reflecting the unspoken promises etched in the stones three centuries past. A clandestine pact, embraced solely by the steadfast few who served the first emperor, lingered in the air a testament to the sun's fidelity to a long-forgotten vow.

In the heart of a dimly lit chamber, a lone figure stood, bathed in the soft glow emanating from a solitary pillar of light. Noon's brilliance revealed the weariness etched on his face, yet his smile held a subtle acknowledgment of the enduring bond forged by blood and oath.

The man's lucid voice cuts through the quietude. "Do you understand the significance of this oath?" he asked.

Before the echoes of his words could dissipate in the lofty space beneath the domed ceiling, her response resonated.

"I do. I accept it"

A cadence that echoed through the circular arrangement of seven stone seats, their surfaces worn by the weight of history. Six silent gazes fixated on her, capturing every nuance of her voice and movement, as the legacy of an unbroken promise unfolded in the fading light.

Amidst the circle of stoic stone seats, one remained vacant-awaiting its Captain within the solemn gathering. Her gaze lingered on the cold, untouched seat, and a smile graced her lips. Beneath the protective embrace of her cuirass, the surge of noble blood pulsed in her heart like an ancient hymn.

"I must tell you-" His words hung in the air, interrupted momentarily by her observant gaze. Undeterred, he continued, "a noble's blood truthfully is akin to a curse, a promise to our olden kings of a ruined kingdom, a vow that will see you dead before broken." The man confided his palm in the light.

In that moment, his mind wandered back six years, retracing the path of their shared history. She, a year shy of two decades, had once been his youngest officer. Through the passing seasons, he came to know more about her, and through her he came to know many more about himself. Yet, he always remained confined to the role of her general, while she blossomed beneath his leadership.

His eyes, bright yellow orbs, radiated pride as he regarded his first officer. However, within that luminous gaze, a spark flickered, a silent wish that she might have taken his hand, a forged a different path under the moonlight instead. Yet, it lingered as nothing more than a spark, drowned in the greater light of duty, like starlight overshadowed by the sun.

Seven blue flames ignited to surround them, hovering in the air as seven gazeless witnesses. Beneath six of the flames were seated the gazeful witness, then brought to light.

One sat stiff, and stern with both hands clad in iron, gripping the stone armrest. He watched over an officer who according to reports led ten against a hundred and not only survive but emerge victorious.

To his right, a sun-haired woman observed the rumored sole survivor of a recent magical calamity. She laid her hands on her lap, pondering the extent of the truth.

Past the seat yet untaken, sat a man. His cheeks rested on his fingers ringed with dazzling light. He gave one dismissive glance over the would-be captain and transfixed his attention instead on her staff.

Beside him sat a woman whose face was hidden under a dark hood. She leaned forward and rested her chin on her slender fingers. She wondered why the bearer of the "scroll's keep" blood had not yet taken its name.

Next to her, a woman sat on the edge of her stone seat with her hands clasped together near her chest. Her soothing smile glowed and her carnation eyes beamed towards her best student.

The sixth witness sat on the last stone seat, he had draped both his legs over the left armrest and laid his back on the right side. He had one eye closed and the other looked through a square formed by his fingers. He framed her as a painter would. Silently he remarked her likeness to the maiden of the mountain. Her thin, fragile lips, high cheekbones, a stone slope for her nose, and two fierce orbs for eyes were all the same. The only difference was that instead of having an azure sky for hair, she had a stream of scarlet and her eyes weren't gold but mineral grey.