I Am Legend Or Something Like That

Chapter 1 ♢ The Ethereal Ring

"Freedom is something you actively need to acquire. It's not something that is give with no strings attached. To be free means to take responsibility, and to prepare yourself of what's to come."

-Charles Beams, Eureka Seven

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"Are you sure about this?" Meilin repeated for the seventh time, securing the black wig on Lota's head.

After applying a touch of powder on his lips, the young teenage boy picked up the red tint. "I already made up my mind. Besides, I'm already recognized as the heiress, I can't just back out."

"That's not the point, Lota," Feng said as he brought out the golden Daxiushan gown. Its soft silk whipped like the waves of the ocean, complimenting the white floral designs on its large sleeves. "You're the best ninja in town, can't you just escape the normal way?"

"If I do that, they could easily catch me. But if I disguise myself as the Queen, I would be miles away before they discover who I am." Lota set down the small brush and faced the concerned black eyes of his friend. "You guys should just come with me."

"What a stupid plan," she rolled her eyes and placed another flower on the braided wig. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Once I'm the Queen, I will add you to my personal guards and together we could escape!"

Meilin hit him on the shoulder with the brush. "We may be orphans, but we have a home here. Where would we even go in a world we know nothing of?"

Lota finished painting his lips and gazed at her from the mirror. "That's the beauty of it! We could explore and go wherever we wanna go! Do you want to stay in this small village all your life, without even seeing the vast world outside? We only live once, you know."

The two remained silent as they exchanged glances and the group continued on their preparation. Passing through the old tunnels of the city, Lota arrived at the palace, crossing his fingers that the floral perfume of Meilin succeeded in repelling the odors of the sewer.

Today, he was scheduled to meet Queen Shuchun, finally passing the knowledge and secrets only the rulers knew. He hesitated to continue this crazy plan, for it would trample a huge chunk of their sacred history. But his friends would never understand. He needed that item before disappearing from this place, after all, it truly belongs to his family.

"Our village has a lot of secrets, but the rulers themselves have far more to carry." The Queen said as they sat on the palace balcony, facing the thriving village of Dundansae. Houses and commercial buildings existed side by side in the small community, providing the place with distinct and vivid colors. "You have already known that while you reign this village, you shall not commit yourself to any romantic relationship. Only giving all your time and attention for the good of our people."

Lota tipped his head while maintaining a straight posture, meeting the ruler's emerald green eyes. He felt a warm sensation coursed through his ears and tried to push down his admiration of her beauty.

I am more beautiful, certainly the most beautiful, he chanted to himself.

"The history of Dundansae dated back thousands of years ago," she continued, averting her attention to the view. "It started when our first Queen, Lady Xiao Yin, defeated the rival village of Bafungwei ruled by Zhang Wei. After that, the two villages merged under our name. That was all that is written about that time. But one of the secrets the rulers knew was that Queen Xiao Yin has a son."

The teenage boy almost spat his tea on her face. He forced the tea down his throat and swiftly brought out a piece of cloth, covering his mouth as he coughed. All his training on ventriloquism paid off, that his coughs sounded nothing like that of a man.

"The first Queen has a son?" he said when he found his voice. "But that was against the tradition."

The young Queen shook her head. "The tradition hadn't started at that time. She only found out that she was pregnant when the village started merging with Bafungwei and created the new tradition we now have. Queen Xiao Yin gave birth at secret and no one knew what happened to her son."

Before Lato could respond, a ninja emerged into the balcony and gave them a bow as a sign of respect. His face was hidden beneath a black mask with protruding fangs and Lota knew it was the leader of the Queen's spy, the infamous Yingzis.

The teenage boy's heart hammered in his chest and began chasing his breath as though his Daxiushan gown was slowly reducing in size. He maintained his posture and maintained his gaze on his cup of tea, secretly watching the spy.

The YingZi handed the Queen a scroll and leaned for a whisper. Lota tried his best to listen but to no avail. Her face shifted into a surprise, yet instantly disappearing as if nothing happened. She quickly rose from her seat, the sound of a chair scraping against the wooden floor surprised him.

"There's an urgent matter that needed my attention." Queen Shuchun said, giving him an apologetic look. "We shall continue our discussion tonight. My servants shall prepare your room as you become our valued guest tonight."

He wanted to protest, however, the Queen would surely become suspicious, so Lota nodded and gave the Queen his utmost gratitude. Behind his mind, he started forming his own plan. He could no longer wait for the coronation day, he must recover their family's heirloom tonight.

After the Queen had left, he was assisted to his own room to take some rest. But when the coast was clear, Lota began his plan. He reached the Queen's chamber with ease that it stirred great anxiety inside him. His instincts were telling him to run away for this was obviously a trap. However, if they already knew his identity, running now would only put all his efforts into waste.

He pulled the kunai in his sleeve and stepped inside the ruler's room, filling his lungs with the scent of orchids and powder. The ring of the Queen greeted him with a sparkle as it displayed itself on the stand protected by seals. It was ready for the ceremony five days from now, but that would no longer happen. His eyes traveled across the area for traps, yet there were none.

Removing the seals were easy for him. He had prepared for this scenario if his plans were to go wrong. A smile played on his lips as he caressed the small ring on his fingers, its smooth and cold surface made him wanted to wear it. This was his first time seeing the heirloom and with just his touch, he could feel the power residing on the age-old artifact.

It's obsidian ring blended well with the blue topaz on top, which has the same hue as his eyes. Golden words in the old tongues were carved around it, but before he could further examine the object, the cold touch of blade kissed his neck.

"What are you doing with the Ethereal Ring?" said by a man's muffled voice.

Lota gently raised his hands, turning to face the leader of Yangzi. He knew that reasoning was useless against him, for their loyalty only belongs to their Majesty. There was nothing he could do.

He let go of the ring and the Yangzi moved to catch it. Things happened in a blur as Lota struck with his weapon, clashing on the enemies' kunai. He kicked his mask and spun in the air, blocking his view with his fabulous gown. He pulled another kunai and tossed it on the man, only to be deflected.

He heard the ring bounced. In a split moment, he reached out to get the ring and as it fell down again, it landed perfectly on his middle finger.

Then everything turned black.

When his senses returned to normal, he was welcomed by the cold night breeze. He began to stand, hearing a slight ringing in his head. His eyes adjusted as he observed his surroundings, seeing tall buildings much bigger than their palace. Lota spun and backed away as he shielded his eyes from the bright light. He looked at the fancy sign plastered on the store's roof, reading the words 'Cupcakes de Paris'.

Where was this place and how did he get here?

He suddenly flinched from a burning sensation on his finger and turned to see the Ethereal Ring faintly glowing in gold. The longer he stared at the ring, the more the crease between his brows deepened. The teenage boy had no idea how he didn't notice it before, the golden carvings around the ring were not in old tongues.

It was his name.    

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