Hikariryūshi Ogunosuke
My family has always served the throne of Garyudōra; we're known as the light that shines the brightest. It is so beautiful that it can pierce the toughest hides.
Our clan of shine dragons were proud of our heritage and are regaled as the masters of the Ida sword; and my father, the clan chief, was no exception. He was the finest knight in the Royal Guard, serving as Lord Chronos' brightest sword.
Being the first-born son of a dragon knight clan has its fair share of responsibilities; I'm expected to continue the tradition of serving the throne of Garyudōra, as the next emperor's sword. But to be honest, I have other plans; ever since I became a student at Caliburn, and I saw the first princess of Garyudōra, Princess Minerva, I knew I wanted nothing more than to be the light that shines and cause the deepest shadows for her to thrive.
I had always considered myself courageous and confident, but detailing my affection to my father, was like a Vorpal Rat facing a giant Ursadrake. He was the most skilled warrior in all of Garyudōra and despite the lack of wars, he's known as a strategic genius. I told him that I wanted to serve Princess Minerva directly and I would follow her to the ends of hTraé.
There were always rumors that I had affections toward the princess, and I was here confirming those suspicions to my father, the clan chief.
"I see no flaw in your choice," my father said sternly. He went on to tell me that since the princess was born in Garyudōra, then the responsibility of the next clan chief was to continue the service, even if that means a member of the royal family leaves Garyudōra.
Much to the clan elders protesting the thought of the next clan chief leaving Garyudōra, my father had an ingenious idea. "The responsibility of my son is to serve the royal family, not the throne of Garyudōra. As clan chief, I support the decision of Ogunosuke being the light for Princess Minerva's shadows".
"You must speak to Lord Chronos, the only way we as Elders can accept this decision, is if the young master is betrothed to the princess," Elder DeeGee exclaimed, furrowing her brow.
"Consider it done," my father stated with steel in his voice. I hadn't thought that my attraction for the princess would cause such a commotion amongst the clan, but my father was determined to support my decision.
The air in the throne room was thick when we were scheduled to meet with Lord Chronos. "My Lord, I, along with my son, request an audience with you," my father began. He bowed his head in reverence to the emperor. "My heir wishes to serve the first princess, and I request that he be betrothed to Princess Minerva," the room was silent, followed by slight chuckle from our ruler.
A smile creeped on Lord Chronos' face, "Hikariryūshi Ogugee, what brings this up? Does your boy have feelings towards my daughter," he asked my father.
"Boy, bow your head before his majesty," my father scolded. I quickly did as request, feeling the weight of the emperor's gaze upon me.
"Emperor Garyūshi Olodunosuke, as your faithful sword, I request that my son take the hand of the princess," his voice trembled as he spoke, beads of sweat rushing down his face.
Upon hearing his true name, the emperor's aura shifted, and the already thick air in the room seemed to be suffocating. Though I still had my head down, the gaze the emperor gave me pierced my soul.
"This must be serious, you used my true name," Lord Chronos, rather Emperor Garyūshi's voice was laced with mana, as his face harden and grew stale. Prior to our audience with the emperor, my father had advised me that our king was a being that possessed two names, a name that he uses casually, and his true name. The true name was not widely known amongst the people of the land, only to the servants and their families were privy to this information.
"Boy," the Emperor's words were heavy, "how old are you, and do you fancy my daughter?"
The question was clearly a trap, so I answered accordingly. "I'm forty-eight," I stuttered, "Your excellency, though it is my responsibility as a Hikariryūshi to serve the royal throne, and it well known that Lady Minerva is to be take residence in Miryudōra. As future clan chief of the Hikariryūshi clan, I wish nothing more than to be the light that casts the deepest shadows for the princess to thrive."
A smile crept on the emperor's face, "You didn't answer my question, you're quick witted," the tension was cut by the emperor's sudden laughter.
Immediately the air lightened as my father gasped for a much-needed breath. The emperor got up from his throne and approached me with a large toothy smile, "I deem you worthy of my daughter's hand, and with this betrothal, there shall be a new clan formed, The Miryūshi Clan; Ogugee, you raised a fine young man," the emperor's voice boomed in the room. "I'll have a royal messenger make their way to Miryudōra now to let the princess know of this news".
After the audience, and my father and I were outside in there clear, my father passed out from the intense pressure from the king. He was a very stoic man, but he was visibly shaken when around our ruler.
Some nearby guards helped my father to his feet and aided us outside into the main palace courtyard. It had been at least three years since I've seen her, and upon meeting, I'll be her newest fiancé. The thought of serving the princess was like a dream come true, marrying her was something I never imagined.
I had already started my knight's apprenticeship with Lady Meera, but the transfer request didn't seem to bother her. In fact, she was more thrilled at the opportunity to train a new line of royal knights for another nation.
"Congratulations, my little man is growing up," Lady Meera teased as she tussled my hair. I learned that she like my father served the royal family as a knight; but unlike my father, she was more versed in using a spear to fight opposed to an Ida sword.
The training would more or less be the same as before, waking up at the ass crack of dawn to do morning exercises followed by out scheduled sessions with both the Ida sword and spear. The only difference would be our sudden change in location.
I'd grown so accustomed to the rocky, yet green mountain of Garyudōra, and I never would imagine myself living in the snowcapped mountains of Miryudōra. Adding to the fact that, once the marriage is officiated, I, along with Princess Minerva, will be the leaders of a new dragon clan, the Miryūshi Clan.
My father and the other clan elders prepared me for this new transition, much to the ladder's dismay. Long ago, before the nation had split, the clan had served the royal family with their lives, and when discussions of a new nation, a sister nation was to be formed, the clan elders deemed it blasphemous to split the clan. However, with my father's intervention, along with the emperor's approval, they had no choice but to concede.
"The people of Miryudōra are too contradictory, they're both docile and conservative. The nation is completely backwards!" Elder DeeGee exclaimed. She was the eldest elder from our clan and her opinion was usually the determining factor when it came down to important clan decisions.
"Elder DeeGee, I'm sure the people of Miryudōra are similar enough to us in Garyudōra," I chimed, doing my absolute best to remember my etiquette. "Besides, would you really want the princess to leave Garyudōra without a clan member with her," I asked with genuine concern in my voice.
"Oh, hush up, boy, I know already," she snapped as she motioned me to come closer. She asked me to prepare her a pipe of Dracobis, and I obliged. The herb had an earthy musk to it, and although it was only permitted to the adults and elders of the clan, every blue moon, I was given the privilege to partake with Elder DeeGee. Spending time with the elder was one of my favorite things to do, she would tell me stories of when she and the other elders served the second emperor, The Diamond Dragon Emperor, Lord Samael.
The elder took an extended drag from her pipe, "Ogunosuke, tell me, my boy, did you come up with decision on your own, or was this something your father came up with"? I was taken aback by her question.
I took a moment before answering, to some, it looked like a moment of hesitation, but our clan seldomly hesitates, so she understood that I was taking my time to answer her.
"Honestly, Elder DeeGee, I would say, a mixture of the two. I understand I'm young, but I, like the rest of the clan, understand my role is to protect the royal family and the throne, my attraction towards the princess, is just fuel to the fire," I answered.
When I looked up at Elder DeeGee, she wore a proud and accomplished expression on her face, "I see, taking that in consideration, and the orders given by our Lord, I give you my blessing to follow the princess. Just make sure this isn't a task that proves itself to be more than you can handle". A gentle smile spread across her face, "though it pains me to see the former heir of the Hikariryūshi clan depart, I must say, I am surely looking forward to the growth of our official sister clan".
Upon arriving to the snowy country, rather, I'd expected it to be a snowy country, but to my surprise, the mountains were as green as the mountains in Garyudōra. There were dragonmen out in the fields farming and a few in the caves mining coal for the winter. It wasn't as big of a culture shock as I was led to believe; the nation looked like and even felt like home.
"Are you nervous," Lady Meera inquired.
"N-no, I mean, maybe a little, it's been a few years since I've seen the princess, I'm not too sure she'll even remember me," I responded. Whenever I think about the princess, all my nerves go ballistic, and I find it hard to keep my composure. This time was no exception, the entire ride there, I'd been a sweaty mess.
Lady Meera would often have to use her magic to create a makeshift fan to help regular my temperature. "If you keep sweating like before even seeing her, I'm afraid what'll happen once you see her face to face," Sir Daisuke teased.
"No one asked for your opinion, Daisuke," Lady Meera scolded. I didn't blame him for teasing me, all throughout my training, I remained vigilant and steadfast, but the mere mention of Princess Minerva's name was enough to cause me to turn into a bumbling fool.
"It's alright," I remarked, "I don't think I'll have an issue, seeing as I got engaged well before you, Sir Daisuke". The carriage was dead silent, until Lady Meera erupted with the most intense laughter.
"Spoken like a true Hikariryūshi ! He definitely got you to shut up Daisuke," Lady Meera's words extinguished the fire in Daisuke's belly, and until we reached the courtyard, he'd remained silent. I hope I didn't offend him, I thought.
As we approached the entrance of the palace, and I saw the princess for the first time in years, my heart began to beat uncontrollably. However, Lady Meera gave me a reassuring smile and pat on the back, "It's normal, to be nervous," she said. Lady Meera glared at Sir Daisuke while motioning her head toward me.
"Right! You're still growing, so I'm sure your nerves will pass in due time," Sir Daisuke replied with a calm voice. The carriage had suddenly stopped, and every passing moment felt like an eternity.
"I'm ready. I'll be the light to cast her shadows," I unknowingly spoke aloud. The door opened, and I exited the carriage; once my eyes had a chance to adjust to the light, I saw her. She stood in the courtyard wearing a modest black and purple kimono; her rich reddish dark brown skin glistening, no it was more like the light was dancing on her skin. She wore her hair in two massive puffballs, and each puff was adorned with the finest jewelry I'd ever seen. Simply put, she was beautiful, the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.
She approached me with a toothy smile; it had reminded me of the same grin her father gave me. She smells nice, I thought. I knew, then and there that I was ready to spend the rest of my life with her.
Minerva Cosmina Wyllt
Once all the knights and their apprentices had got settled in, I had time to read the letter from my father. It had detailed how there will be a new dragon clan would be formed in Miryudōra and that I was betrothed to Ogunosuke Hikariryūshi . And once the wedding is officiated, the Miryūshi clan will become the new sister clan of the Hikariryūshi clan. Furthermore, I, along with Ogunosuke, were to become the new clan heads.
The letter went on to further elaborate on this new clan. Essentially, the men born in this new clan will serve as the daytime reconnaissance and espionage unit. The women of the clan would assume responsibility of running the clan political affairs, serving as ministers and other officials titles.
This development would usually be something that I was opposed to, but I've grown so accustomed to this new life, I was ultimately relieved to see a familiar face. Adding the betrothal to this was expected, I was a royal, after all.
I sat on one of the couches in my bed chambers, reading the letter, and there was a knock at the door. I'm not sure why, but I was nervous. I opened the door and to my surprise, it was Ogunosuke. He had changed his clothes and wore a white kimono that had golden embroidery. His hair was cut short in a fade with a double part along the side. My heart had nearly skipped a beat when our eyes met.
Although he was darker skinned, there was no hiding his blood read cheeks and the hundreds of beads of sweat rushing down his face.
"Ogy, I wasn't expecting to see you," I spoke with a slight nervous quiver in my voice. Ogy took a deep breath before speaking, "Princess Minerva-".
I shot him a glare, "Ogy!"
"R-right, Lady Mini, I'm sure you are aware of the engagement," he began. He took another deep breath and by doing this, he seemed to be a bit more relaxed.
We sat in my room in total silence, I had to admit, aside from spending time with my brothers, I hadn't actually been alone in a room with a boy. So, it was a bit awkward, that was quickly cut short by the sound of both of us speaking over each other, "so Ogy-".
"Young Mistress-," he began with resolve in his voice. "I don't expect you to be completely on board with this-". I cut him off "it was expected, and to be honest, you actually beat me to it," I said matter of factly. "I'd be a fool to think otherwise".
The was a pause before the two of burst in laughter, "I don't want to go through with this unless you're okay with it," Ogy stated. I could tell that he cared about how I felt about the situation.
"You're so sweet," I told him, flashing him a quaint smile. He stood to his feet and immediately dropped down to one knee, "You don't have to give me your answer now, but when you're ready, please, will you consider my hand in marriage?" This conversation was oddly mature for two preteens to have, but I wasn't the average preteen, and something told me that Ogy had just as much autonomy as I had.
I glanced over at my interface, which had appeared soon after Ogy made his proposal. There were several text boxes stacked on top of each other, and the first had read, "New Event: Miryūshi Betrothal; Upon accepting Hikariryūshi Ogunosuke's proposal, the event Miryūshi Betrothal will begin. This is a preliminary event that will need be completed before progressing to the next event, 'Miryūshi Clan Formation'". Underneath the information, there were two options, somewhat like buttons, both labeled 'Yes' and 'No'.
Without a second thought, I stood up and curtsied before Ogunosuke, "I humbly accept," I said delicately. The interface acknowledged my answer and the 'Yes' option highlighted, followed by the text box vanishing and it had been replaced by the text box behind it.
The new text box read, "Congratulations, you've officially accepted the new event 'Miryūshi Betrothal'. You may now establish a connection of consummation between you and the individual known as Hikariryūshi Ogunosuke in order gain the Epitaph 'Miryūshi Clan Head'. Perform or delay this task?" There were two more options, 'Perform' and 'Delay'.
I'd read the text box several times with my accelerated thinking, and I knew exactly what the interface meant by connection of consummation. My ears grew hot, and although my skin had a red undertone, I didn't need a mirror to tell me that I was blushing.
"Is there something wrong, Mini?" Ogunosuke asked as he grasped my hands. It took me a moment to realize what happened next, but as soon as Ogy grabbed my hands, I instinctively pushed him away and yelled "DELAY"!
The interface acknowledged my answer and highlighted the 'delay' option, which minimized the box into a folder icon that had a blue bubble marked the number "1". Another text box appeared and that read "Event Blocked; user is not yet qualified for this event".
I looked over to Ogy, who was speechless by my visceral response. "My apologies, Ogy, I do accept your proposal, and I look forward to forming this clan with you". He smiled before standing up, "thank you, I shall not disappoint you," he said before leaving my room.
Meera Dracoventis
Several days had passed since me and the other Royal Knights were sent to train the apprentice knights and I had to say, we were quite impressed. Both Daisuke and Laith had taken a liking to the change of scenery, especially Daisuke who'd taken a liking to a few of the palace maids.
"This place is like a dream come true," Daisuke said with a twinkle in his eye. Unlike Laith and myself, Daisuke was a newer member of the guard and hadn't yet established himself within our ranks. However, that wasn't to say Sir Daisuke wasn't immensely strong.
Sir Daisuke was of the Yokai race from Jigoku, meaning he had received training from the Jigois Warriors. These battle-mages were the best the continent of Jigoku had to offer, and when Lord Chronos made the announcement that he was forming an elite royal guard for Garyudōra, the demon continent was one of the first places he went looking.
I, on the other hand, had been sent to Garyudōra as a diplomatic exchange between The Ryudō and West Sidhe. We, like all the other nations of our world, have a non-aggression pact that prevents any senseless wars or violence, and the trade I had participated in was a part of that pact; however, there's a bit more to the story.
The people that live in Sidhe, specifically West Sidhe, all are descendants of the union of fairies and humans referred to as 'Hyuman'. We're basically long-lived humans that can use magic at the capacity as heteromorphic races and other mana adept beings. I come from a noble household in
Sidhe called The House of Dracoventis, and although we're Hyuman who were born and raised in Sidhe, our household in particular, has draconic ancestry along with fairy ancestry, hence the name 'Dracoventis'. Our family holds the dragon race in a high regard and even though the dragon blood that runs in our veins is minuscule, it's still enough for us to be revered as one of the strongest noble houses in all of Sidhe. That being said, my contemporaries were equally, if not stronger than I am.
Sir Laith worked with his apprentices that had an affinity with a lance, which coincidentally was his preferred weapon. The Hour of Wind was originally from Dartaania, however his family migrated to the Elphdaema Woods where they served the lord of the region, Druid Dante Elphdaema. Despite the pronunciation of the region, the population aren't actually elves, they're a society of rare elven sub species called Forest Ogres. Sir Laith had told us that there was a divide between the elves and forest ogres that caused them to flee the continent as a whole. The dragon emperor at the time, Emperor Samael, allowed the refugees to take residence in ShanGriLa; the Balasit Tribe were among the few elven tribes to assist with the migration and actually sided with the forest ogres.
"Forward LUNGE!" Sir Laith commanded his students, "No, no, no, your form is incorrect! Your back must be straight, and your right knee must be angled at exactly 90 degrees, with the left ankle angled at precisely 30 degrees. You're angled at 115 degrees and your ankles are bent at an impossible 5 degrees! Do it again!" His voice boomed and the student scuffled back to his starting position. The boy lunged forward, sweat beading down his face, "BETTER! Now, do it AGAIN!" Sir Laith was intensely drilling the technique in his apprentice's being. His approach is a bit harsh, but I'm sure they'll appreciate it.
I looked over at my own students, along with Ogunosuke, I had three other students, Ayanitokosei
Ogunkoya, Ololadeseijin Akinyemi, and Idowuokurestu Olufemi. Similarly to Ogunosuke, these three also come from noble families, but they don't necessarily let their backgrounds dictate who they are and their goals and purposes.
Akinyemi was a young, petite dragonman that wore her hair, pulled back in a single silver ponytail that cascaded down her back. Her skin was a vibrant golden brown and had striking red eyes. She had a poised personality, that often made her seem more snobbish and arrogant. Deep down, however, she was shy, sheltered to be more exact. Her family, like most noble families, focus on cultivating battle-ready mages, with their training being extremely secretive. Akinyemi was no exception, she had a Hell Fire signature that gave her the ability to manipulate and control the intensity of flames. Her level head acted as somewhat of a counter to her signature, and it ultimately worked out in her advantage.
Olufemi was a boyish young forest ogre girl that was of average height. Unlike Akinyemi, Olufemi had her hair shaved down to a fade with a swirled part at the corner of her hairline. She also made it a point to, in lack of better words, stay "active," unless she'll get ambushed by her many imaginary enemies; her battle prowess is top notch, despite her active imagination. The young forest ogre possessed a standard Earth signature, and she was quite versatile with the element. The
Idowuokurestu family was known to be the linking noble family between Garyudōra and Elphdaema. As such, most of, if not all Idowuokurestu members are shipped to the Western Dragon Empire, however this would be the first time one of them would be transferred to Miryudōra.
Lastly, there was Ayanitokosei Ogunkoya, a stoic young dragon man with dark ebony skin vibrant light green eyes. He fashioned his hair in neatly twisted blonde locs that was pulled back into a short hanging ponytail. The Ayanitokosei family wasn't a traditionally recognized family in Garyudōra, as a matter of fact, this family was among some of the scant few families that were given nobility by the emperor. Similar to Akinyemi's family breeding battle ready mages, the Ayanitokosei family does the same thing except they focus on training physical attack warriors opposed to mages. Ogunkoya was a natural genius when it came to both physical attacks and magic attacks.
My four students held themselves in high regard and were some of the most skilled and intelligent fighters that I've had the pleasure of teaching. They each had qualities that were complementary to each other, and where one lacked, the others were able to compensate. My method of teaching usually consisted of pairing them up and having them spare, testing out techniques from our lectures. Instead of my usual routine, today Sir Daisuke and I agreed to organize a mock ranking tournament between all three groups. There was a total of twelve transfers, and even though us three instructors had mastery over certain weapons, each of them was well versed with a specific weapon and signature combination. This tournament was not only a mock ranking, but it was also something that I suggested to the Young Mistress; it was imperative that she knew Ogunosuke's level of skill before she'd accepting the betrothal. Which she agreed and mentioned that it'll be a great way for her to also gauge the skill of the other transfers, so that she can delegate them; accordingly, logic that I simply couldn't disagree with.
When the day of the tournament came around, the Young Mistress had one of her palace maids, I think her name was Bolajiyo; she had the maid write down all the names and pull them in pairs from a bowl. Once the names were all pulled and paired, we made an announcement for the tournament to begin. The Mina Colosseum was filled to capacity with not only residents of Miryudōra but also denizens of Garyudōra as well.
The Empress' box in the colosseum had an overhead view of the arena floor and was ordained with traditional Miryudōra tapestries. The Young Mistress stepped into view of the audience, and although she was merely forty-seven years old, she had the poise of ruler beyond her years. Unlike the usual kimonos she wore, she was dressed in a deep royal purple gown that when she moved would shift colors to a metallic black color. This gown was crafted not only with silks and fabrics, but scales as well. Scales from dragon, not a dragonman, but a full-fledged dragon; there wasn't any mistaking it, Dracoventis' can usually sense when draconic relics or artifacts are around, and the same would apply for draconic beings too. However, scant few of us have been in the presence of a full-blooded dragon, let alone something as intimate as their scales. Her hair was fashioned in two full and large buns, positioned in a Mohawk. She carried a chrome scepter that matched the dazzling intensity of the crowned jewels on her head; the sight of her was breathtaking. Her family was standing behind her, each wearing their royal garments, no one daring to outshining the Young Mistress.
As the crowd cheered and chanted the Young Mistress's name, "Lady Minerva! Lady Minerva," the Young Mistress raised her hand to silence the audience. "Residents of Miryudōra, and to all visitors of ShanGriLa," her voice managed to carry the same weight as her father's. "It is with great honor to hold this small mock ranking tournament, here in the country of Miryudōra," the crowd roared in celebration; she raised her hand again and was met with the same sudden silence.
"Today, we will take witness of twelve extraordinary and exceptional mage knights, and based on the outcome of the event, I shall delegate roles as I see fit for the participants," she said. "Without further ado, please meet our competitors," the crowd flew into a celebratory frenzy as each of our students stepped into the arena floor.
There was a magical projection device that was able to capture the students in real time during the event, so those that weren't able to come to view the event. Once all the players were in the arena, the projection device screen switched to a screen displaying a match tree along with the pictures and names of the students. Each of my apprentices were matched up with someone from a different group, which is good. If they had been paired with each other, I'd be afraid they'd treat it more like a training exercise than a match. "Our first match is set, and the combatants may make their way to the battlefield," Minerva announced, "may the match between the tank, Idowuokurestu Olufemi and the berserker, Gonzalo Tigeress!" The crowd burst in a roar of applause as the two made their way to the field. It was now time to see how far my students have come.
Idowuokurestu Olufemi
As I walked into the arena's battleground, and the crowd cheered, I felt as though I was representing my entire dynasty. I raised my shield and mace and gave the audience a hearty grin, "For
ELPHDAEMA!" I shouted. The crowd, in response, burst with cheer. My opponent, Gonzalo, was it; he did the same and was met with a similar reaction.
I was the physically strongest out of our group and I intended to end the match rather quickly, the only thing that I couldn't get over was the fact that I'd never faced off against a berserker before. Gonzalo was of a large stature with tan skin marked with tiger stripes along his arms and face. He wore heavy armor as his bottoms and opted to wear nothing to cover his torso, except for two war axes tethered to his back. Extremely naive, I thought. The two of us stood and awaited the match horn to sound, and when it did, my body instinctively lunged forward to attack.