(Note: All that you read now is transcribed from the ancient Kingdeniom tongue of old, and our grasp of the lost literary is not yet profound. Mistranslations and misunderstandings may be present.)
( ps: arts below can be found here: https://www.pixiv.net/artworks/106390471 , https://www.pixiv.net/artworks/106390499 )
Verse V
《Za Kaiken Lieg》
Song of the first man king, Kai
Kai was not expecting visitors, but the call of news of coming foreign folk did shook this boy, young lead of his clan, that he nearly dropped his fluorescent hand-crafted flute. News of three folk cometh to their prospering village, nearly a town, and of lo three folk, a white chad, a never before seen loli hugging a baby maul beast, and last but not least, Lima sun-strider herself. Of mention the name, it rippled a gasp through straw hut after hut, every aged boy and girl whispering the name once or twice. The name so familiar, so brave, a name that stood for many things, many memories this Lima and the children pack have had, yet unfounded in the sun-strider’s grave vigilant gaze. But those memories were unlost to them dwellers of the new land, and undoubtedly still clear as the day before to Kai, who so had dreamed and prayed for Lima’s return that had come true at last. Hope swept the rising village, as a warm sunlit breeze.
“ Come, Tricia! Harken!” Kai hurried to his fellow subject and close confidant, the girl of silent wisdom’s hut to report the great news.
“ Lima hast returned! Our prayers have been heard! A hearty welcome we must prepare!” And a hearty welcome they did prepare, with much feast and pump, girls cooked the crops with the morsels of seagulls, and the bros fried the fishes, while Treize the loyal aide of Kai squeezed the berries freshly picked ere morn and brew juice with caring big hands, wooing the girls many. But not Lima nor Nia.
“ You should wash your hands before you do that.” Nia the young star suggested candidly.
“ Sister Feira would surely scald such behavior.”
Lo, at the mention of Feira, many a teenaged boy and girl gasped in shocking remembrance, realizing the young loli’s bond to them was deeper than they so imagined her origins to be.
Kai was awed by the unexpected revelation.
“ You know Feira?” Kai the village lead asked with good will and Nia spoke thus.
“ I am Nia, of the clan over the mount, child of Neliya so my clansfolk and sensei Wolfstar so call. And sister Feira raised me like I was her own. And this is Nehru, child of a Maul beast, now my sibling. Don’t touch him, he bites.”
Hearing so the young loli’s introduction, silence shrouded the merry welcoming feast with mouths agape at made no sound. Eyes so wide yet see not of the present, but onto the past, at the ones that were but gone in the now.
Kai shed a tear as others wept in silence, to old memories, to old friends they wept with a joyous smile, knowing their legacy was remembered by this one child of the future.
This child of beloved Neliya.
Kai then turned to the white dude sitting next to Lima as all eyes slowly panned at the mysterious charming chad in wonder.
“ And you are…?” Kai asked for his village folk.
“ I am who they call White Dragon— Hakuryu.” Hakuryu replied cooly. “ Lima was my savior Light, so I am here, in gratitude and in help, and also on a secret case…I mean Mission.”
“ A Mission?” Kai and the villagers bobbed their heads curiously. “ What Mission ails thee?”
But Hakuryu declined to share his motives.
“ It would be no secret mission if I told too many ears. But need not worry, I mean goodwill, and my actions are to restore peace and harmony across the lands.” And Hakuryu cut a coconut with a single chop of his bare ivory-white hand and made juice out of it for them all to show his chad and unknowingly wooing many village girls in return. Trieze chuckled and hid to the back, knowing there is now a bigger chad in town, while Nia scalded Hakuryu to wash his hands before making juice and food.
“ You know this guy?” Kai whispered suspiciously to his advisor Tricia’s ear who drank the soup calmly with a shake of her head, but smiled assuringly, addressing to Kai that this white dude meant no harm. So did Kai believe.
Kai then turned to Lima, to address the elephant in the room, the guiding Sunlight to the future survival of their village and folk, bringing a toast and chatting of goodwill.
“ Long have we prayed for your return, Lima Sun-strider.” Kai praised with earnest.
“ And as this White Chad had said you to be his savior, You too are ours in the years before, and again we beseech you power to help us resolve a grave predicament. Remember the times we fought Demons and revolted against the dastardly Skylord together?!”
“ No.” Lima calmly, candidly replied, looking at them all with her vigilant gaze that returned no reminiscence.
The merry feast came to an abrupt halt.
“ No, I do not. I don’t remember any fighting or lords you have said. I don’t know him, I don’t know her, and I don’t know anyone in this tent. So mayhap, you have sought the wrong Lima that is not I, but someone far away outhere.”
Everyone looked up to her once with bright admiration, with great hope all from the memories in themselves, now gazes of sorrow and disbelief.
The Lima they hoped to see, to welcome, to reminiscent of old, is not her anymore. She is but a wandering traveller of Sun, who never had helped any being, or shared any bond with others.
Kai, at a loss, slowly realized the Lima he knew, was long gone. A piece in his heart, hollowed cold.
Tricia seemed not too taken aback, for she already knew at first glance the moment Lima arrived.
“ Know or not know, remember or naught, is this not a good time to Reamember, no?”
Hakuryu stood up, a half-sliced coconut in hand.
“ Come, ye good folk, say your names, show to Lima of your qualities, ye good attributes! Let’s rebuild new Memories, of new times! For new time Remembrance! What say you??”
“ Yay!!” cried all bro and girl, showering love and affection, words of comfort and encouragement, companionship and amusements to shock and astound, bringing many colorful, bright, sincere and blissful new memories.
Nia and Nehru were awed.
Lima was touched, and slightly, finally, breaking her ice-cold expression, Lima smiled. And without her knowing, she too shed a tear. Somewhere deep within, hidden under lost darkness, Lima remembers.
Hakuryu smiled at the back, as a silent guardian would.
Not long after, the main course of the joyous meal arrived and its fragrance was one Nia had never knew existed in the lands she dwell, so rich and bringing out surprises one second after another as the dish finally landed before their eyes, as a brownish bright soup flooded over steamed rice. Nia had a taste, and her world was blown. The food she had tasted like grass compared to the creamy texture, abundant spice and savory flavors the kept on blooming and dancing above her tongue.
It was so sublime that Neliya cried.
“ Ne…never have I had such a good meal…! Never did I dream of crops and soup to be cooked as blissful as this…!!!” Nia sang, and Nehru the wild cat agreed with a delightful meow.
“ This is called Curry rice, our village’s specialty.” answered a kind teenage village girl with a single curly ponytail down the side of one shoulder, and served Nia more more curry sauce.
“ And taming corrupted beasts is my specialty by the way.” Hakuryu added to woo the fine chef maiden, but the girl’s partner, a dude appeared from behind immediately and took over the giant pot of curry from the maiden’s hand, helping her serve in her place.
“ Milly, I told you to leave the kitchen duties to me. Go rest! Did your stomach not hurt this morn again?” This caring village bro ushered his reluctant girl to rest dutifully.
Call him Davio, and his girl Milly, who they both share feelings deeply of each other.
“ Me stomach fine, Davio. No worries, no worries.” And Milly went to cook more curry in the kitchen despite Davio’s objections.
Nia observed, and indeed, a slight small bulge was present of Milly’s stomach.
And after the foodings were finally finished and the amusements done, Kai came to Lima in proposal.
“ Lima Sun-Strider, of your powers and exploits we trust and need, therefore we shall ask a favor— a venture that shall save our village from the threats of Demon kind.”
“ I alone can’t slay all of the Demons, Village lead.” Lima was hesitant if she should agree with such a tall order.
“ Nay, nay. We can’t let you slay them all alone! What we need are reinforcements. Arms and weapons to defend ourselves! And there is one place, one person that has it all that only you could reach…”
Kai’s expression turned dark as the true plight slowly came to light.
“ We wish you could seek Lucky, and ask on our behalf to grant us some supplies in her abode.”
Lucky.
Another name that rippled gravely of vague memories in Lima’s heart.
“ Lucky is an old friend, but…many things had happened to her and between us, that forced her to seek her own refuge…far, far above.”
Kai pointed at the darkening sunsetting sky,
at the flying castle above their heads far beyond the clouds.
“ She now dwells alone behind the remnants of Skyworld, where there surely are weapons and designs worthy to repel any Demon threat upon this earth. We need them, we need Lucky, and only you could reach the skies…and reach her closed Light heart.”
Lima scaled the height of the ride and was half confident that her glider could make the trip up, but her concerns were more on this Lucky person that seemed to draw fear and guilt out of all the children of the village present.
“ …What happened…to this Lucky?” Lima asked sternly.
But none replied.
Kai, however, handed Lima a sealed scroll of parchment.
“ Let Lucky read this, and she will understand.” was all Kai would explain.
“ We are all in your debt, Lima.”
Kai, and Tricia also, bowed low in thanks to the dumbfounded Sun Strider.
In silence, Lima took the letter and was ready to rest so as to set off at the break of dawn the morning after.
Yet, time was always either too soon, or too late.
That night, while Lima and Nia rested in their guest tent, a scream, a long scream of pain broke the night and shook the village like thunder. All were woke, rushing to where, to who the scream was from, to the one hut of dread.
“ It’s from Davio and Milly’s tent!!” Treize hollered as Kai led his loyal folk to help.
Lima, Nia, and Hakuryu followed in hurry.
“ Oh no…” Nia whimpered in horror, remembering Milly’s stomach ache Davio had mentioned earlier that evening.
“ Can it be Milly…?! Is it—”
“ Everything will be fine.” Lima whispered tersely, holding Nia’s hand tightly in hers.
Both grips, trembling.
As the troop arrived, Davio dashed out to the door, ashen and bleak, exhausted and horrified.
“ Kai!! Treize!! Help…Help Milly!!! Help us!!” Davio cried in sheer terror. But How?! They all thought in fearful confusion and distraught as Kai investigated the dire emergency, the whole village followed with.
Milly was in bed and screaming in pain so deep. Her belly bulged larger than before, as if something was kicking, ripping her apart from within.
“ Milly!!” Milly’s sister and Treize’s partner, Molly wailed and rushed to her sister’s side, frantic but at a loss like all present.
“ Treize…Kai…!! We must do something!! Milly is going to perish!!”
Davio have had enough.
Rushing forth with his kitchen knife, Davio decided to save his wife at all costs.
“ Step aside, Molly!!” Davio roared with chaotic resolve.
“ I shall cut this Demon out of my Milly’s stomach!!!!!” Lo, lo, LO!!! Davio raised his weapon high, about to commit the utter deed.
“ Mateh, Bro!!!” Hakuryu a dash, catching the blade-holding arm just in time before it punctured Milly’s stomach, stopping tragedies a brew.
“ Tis no Demon! Tis Light!!” Hakuryu cried in explanation, but it fell to deaf ears.
“ Nay Light! DEMON SPAWN!!!” Davio shouted and made to thrust Hakuryu but the white chad bested the frenzied boy with a twist of his arm and a slight kick at Davio’s ankle, sending the boy with knife to the side of the room.
“ Listen to me, and listen well!” Hakuryu spake to all the bewildered boys and girls courageously.
“ This is no Demon, but coming of New Light. It pains, but with the right care, a New Light shall be born!”
“ But what of Milly?!?! What about her?!?!” Everyone hollered in terror.
“ She is now in grave state. I’ll fetch some help!” And Hakuryu ran off under all witnessing eyes.
Nia really thought Hakuryu was not coming back, but nay, Hakuryu returned in seconds and Hakuryu strikes.
“ These are herbs near the mount at the back of the village.” Hakuryu showed to them all quickly before crushing the herbs in his tight grip and brew from the grassy essence a small dew of green that Hakuryu dipped into Milly’s lips.
And lo, to Davio and the whole village’s utter surprise, Milly fell sound asleep in but ten seconds.
“ Gods! Such herb!!!” Kai and folk cried but immediately strained their voices lest they wake Milly up once again.
“ Such curing, very healing!”
But Hakuryu was not at all in celebrating feel but sternly staring at Milly’s belly, contemplating gravely.
“ What is it, brother Hakuryu??” Nia sensed the white dude’s unease.
“ My herbs are not a cure of this ailment, but a sleeping herb.” Hakuryu admitted.
“ It bought us time to prepare. But the Light inside of Milly, it grows still. And it eventually has to be born. But…”
“ But…?!” Davio turned, fearing what he was about to hear but still bravely asked.
“ This new Light born…the old Light, shall fade.”
“ Fade?!?!” The folks all cried in sorrow and defeat. Davio crumbled to his knees, tears streaming.
Hakuryu nodded grievously.
“ Many missions I have upon me, and one of them is this— to seek a way to keep both motherly and newborn Light safe. Yet…I still am not worthy enough to find a way…!” Hakuryu admitted defeat, and apologized to all. Davio, whose anger now brew once again, proving to cloud his judgement, sprang up once more in seek of ways to save his love, to be stopped by Kai’s calming command.
“ Harken, my folk!!” Kai bade to his people.
“ This is time of hardship, but not time of wailing! Sir Hakuryu bought us time! And we shall do all we can in this grave time of essence! For Milly!!”
“ FOR MILLY!!!” Agreed all, spreading out to the village to find herbs and ways to cure Milly’s illness.
Lima, however, had another plan on her own.
“ That thing at the back.” Lima pointed at a huge rusted bulk at the abandoned corner of the village.
“ Does it work?”
Kai led Lima to the hulking object she so seeked.
“ This is the very escape jet we rode after escaping Skyworld and finding a place where we could settle.” Kai explained thoroughly.
“ But it works no more, the engines flicker no more of excellence, and its turbines destroyed by airborne demons. It’ll need various rare parts to bring it back to shape.”
“ I got parts.” Lima brought her kit and unleashed the carrier of her glider, to reveal tons of spare parts Lima had scavenged out of sunken airships and scrapped jets. And quickly, Lima went to work, fixing the large escape jet as fixing her own glider.
And lo, behold! Lima, with her practiced knowledge and skills earned through her traveling days, brought the old jet back to life as the engines roared in heralding of its elden triumph. Without hesitation, Lima set off, the sun strider riding her glider, while Kai, Treize, and Hakuryu boarding the escape jet and following behind Lima as they ascended full speed in haste, up the dawning skies, breaking the thick clouds, heading along a clear path towards the City floating in the sky.
The Skyworld from where they fled in fear in the past, now is their destination, their hope, the uncharted territory of supplies to save their loved ones.
Davio looked up at the skies, close by Milly’s bedside taking care of his love, and praying.
Praying that he need not use the knife he placed right by his side.
.
.
Little did anyone notice in the flurry, that Nia and Nehru had secretly sneaked up the escape jet, and followed the troops up to the Skies, in for a shocking perilous adventure waiting for her in store.
.
.
.
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…
………
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As they neared, lightning began to strike across the torn city skylines. Thunder roared, and the air froze cold around the floating isle. Rocks and debris hovering in a paused state left and right, scattered as if trapped in time of the fall of the Skylord’s empire.
They proceeded, evading all obstacles, lightning and wreckage until they passed the last dark cloud in their pass.
Lo, lightning bolts stopped, debris vanished, and all was silent, eerily silent in unsettling serenity as the grand city loomed to view.
Skyworld glimmered under the sun rays, its cracked dented walls reflecting past glory, buildings and skyscrapers shattered leaving but frameworks, skeletons of old.
Nia gazed in awe from out of the side window, her mind traveling far and lost in the ruins of the forbidden palace in the Sky before her, an ancient mystery groping her curiosity deeper and deeper to its tarnished majesty.
As all eyes watched, either cautiously as Lima and Hakuryu, or in fear and trepidation as Kai and Treize,
or in insane anticipation, watching in her own shadow,
at those approaching her new reign.
.
.
.
Verse VI
Vars Saga
《Ordeo Balad》
Song of Ordeus, Son of Autheus, Beyonder of Vars
[......sneak peak to the next chapter…]
[......to be continued, in the near future…]
