Eclipsian Dynasty

CHAPTER 22. FAITHWINDER'S TRUTH

Arik's face was cold and as steadfast as stone. Sitting on the crescent-shaped throne, he watched as his daughter approached the dais. The throne room was enormous, with columns and tapestries of the Eclipse. In two rows, left and right, stood towering marble statues of the first kings, the founders of the Empire. His gaze glided over the marble figures arranged throughout the silver hall, and his eyes accidentally fell on the throne beside him, meant for Seraphina.

His cold expression faltered for the first time, but he quickly regained his composure. The entire throne room awaited his words. Elowen knelt at the very foot of the throne.

Arik, wearing a silvery mantle, rose from the throne and descended the marble steps. Tilidus, standing nearby, handed him a dark sword. Arik took the Dark Moon, as the sword was called, which had been passed down to him from the founder Alaric, and pointed it at Elowen.

The blade rested on her small, girlish shoulder.

"Elowen of the Eclipse, do you swear to serve your people faithfully, honor your ancestors, and be a true queen? Ruthless, but just."

"I swear," said Elowen.

"Do you swear to follow the paths laid down by Alaric, the founder of our Great Empire?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to serve the Moonlight and cherish the Sun?"

"I swear."

"In the name of the Founder of the Eclipsian Empire, Alaric the Vanquisher, Lord of the Moon and the Sun, Lord of the Continent, I declare you Queen, Elowen of the Eclipse. The first queen of the Eclipsian Dynasty. Rise."

He sheathed the blade, and Elowen, with gratitude in her silver eyes, smiled at her father. The royal priest placed the crown on her head. The hall erupted in applause.

Everyone hailed the first queen. She was truly happy, probably for the first time in her life.

"I am proud of you, my dear," Arik whispered. "Will you stand by me until the end, when the enemy comes to our land?"

She could not answer otherwise.

"Yes, father. Until the end."

=====

Servants bustled around the King's chambers. Cedric was standing in the center while each servant took turns putting on a separate piece of his crimson angular armor. Two men fastened a large breastplate to his chest.

Cedric watched the city from the window. White birds of Faithwinder flew over the city, watching him.

It was time for war, time to destroy the Eclipsian Dynasty. The Cosmic Eclipse was almost here, about which he knew nothing. And this uncertainty cut into his heart like a knife.

The servants bowed to the Queen as Seraphina, moving slowly due to the pain in her hips, approached and took a helmet from a table.

"It's strange that I've never worn something like this," she said, putting the red helmet on her head. Her brown hair was compressed, and her big beautiful eyes peeked out from the eye slits. "How do I look like? Feels comfortable." She looked funny in the helmet.

"You'll never need to wear something like this. You'll be safe, Mum. You and our child."

"Yes, I will." She didn't let him take off her helmet and, with surprising agility, ended up behind him. "Because you won't leave me alone in the castle." She tightened the bindings on his armor, pulling it snugly against his chest. "Let me take care of you, baby."

"I've never doubted your bravery, but I don't want you with me when things happen. Red Castle is the safest place to be..."

"I didn't ask for your permission," Seraphina circled him and again faced Cedric. "You are my son. I will not stay here alone."

"Mum. Please, don't be like that."

She grabbed his hand as he reached for her face. "This is not up for discussion, young man! And don't forget." She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a tattoo on the pale forearm. "I'm not just your mother. I'm one of the Exarchs and the last descendant of Leronse, the founder of the Library. So I don't need your permission, Your Majesty," she said mockingly.

Cedric hardly smiled. "I love it when you're so rough." He kissed the spot on the iron helmet where her mouth would be.

"Not in front of the servants, dear. I don't want them to know about, you know, about us."

"I'm sure they know, Mum," he whispered. Then, in a commanding voice, he addressed the servants, "Leave us."

When it was just the two of them, she pulled a dagger from his belt that once belonged to Riley. Cedric still kept it with him. The blade was sharp, and Seraphina poked it against his armor, right at the chest, testing its strength. "My hips are still hurt from the last time. Did you forget that I might punish you for that? Couldn't you be more gentle with your old Mum? "

"I wanted you to remember our last time before my departure."

"Before OUR departure. You succeeded with that, I'm sure I'll never forget that one time. You came so much all over my body." She smiled with the corner of her mouth, but his face was as stony as a statue.

"You know, Leronse was not just the founder of the Library; he had many gifts, like talking with ghosts and spirits. That's where he, as it is written, gathered much of his information for the books. He also had a deep understanding of people, but you don't need to have Leronse's blood to know that something is troubling you." Seraphina placed her hands on Cedric's chest. "What's wrong, dear? I thought you would be happier since I agreed to bear your children, I agreed to be your wife and marry you, despite..." She sighed. "Despite knowing that prophecy wasn't about us. But you still have this grumpy face all the time like a sad baby. Is it not enough? Why are you not happy?"

"I'm happy, Mum. You have no idea how happy I am that we finally can be together without hiding and without misunderstanding." He smiled weakly. "But..."

"But what? What's bothering you, my baby?"

"The unknown." He took Riley's dagger from her hands. "What will happen to us when it's all over, Mum? This Cosmic Eclipse..."

"We will be happy and together." Seraphina removed her red helmet, threw it on the floor, and cradled his face in her soft warm hands. "Darling, tell me about the Cosmic Eclipse. Tell me what you've learned, please. What awaits us? Is it the end of the world as we thought or is it something else?"

Cedric wanted to push her away, wanted to make it clear again that he didn't want to talk about it, but his muscles were paralyzed by fear and love. He remained still, lost in her gorgeous big green eyes.

A half-dried tear rolled down his cheek. "I am the last hope."

====

Month ago

The day Cedric was named king of Solarion.

Gargantua and Cedric pulled the two halves of the door forward, entering the dungeon room. Cedric carefully leaned on his cane. Inside, it was dark and dry.

Gargantua lit the way with his torch. He stepped further in. It was a tiny room with a few shelves crammed with scrolls. A few rats scurried past their feet. In the center was a reading table with an old candle and a nearby chair. On the lower shelves the scrolls had tumbled to the floor.

"I expected to see more. It looks like this place doesn't get many visitors. Except for the rats," Cedric said, tiredly sitting on the only chair. As soon as he sat, he realized he should have checked if the wood was sturdy.

"This place has always been meant for kings. Time passes, and rulers become numb to the knowledge of the past and the wisdom of their ancestors. I am the only rare guest here."

"But you're not a king."

"No, but royal blood flows in my veins," Gargantua glanced at Cedric through the slits in his golden mask.

"I don't get it."

"Of course you don't. Solarion long ago moved past the tradition of passing the throne by bloodline. Now the most fearless warrior becomes king. However, we still honor the memory of the first Malachin, the founder of Solarion. And his blood runs in me. I'm his descendant."

"And you don't seek to reclaim the throne?"

"Am I the most fearless warrior? Blood often mixes, Cedric. Perhaps my ancestor was a great king, a fearless warrior, but I am not like him. I'm hiding my face behind a mask."

Cedric chose not to elaborate. He grabbed the first scroll he could reach. The text was barely legible in the torchlight.

"What was Faithwinder talking about? These scrolls are too old to read anything!" He threw the scroll directly at the painting hanging under the tiny window. The painting depicted a smiling man. His dark hair and beard reminded Cedric so much of Arik, and there were two birds perched on each of his shoulders.

"Who is-is this?" Cedric asked.

"Don't you recognize your ancestor?" Gargantua examined the painting. "This is Alaric."

Cedric strained his mind, examining the man in the painting with a newfound curiosity.

"Why is a portrait of the Eclipsian Empire's founder here? In the Solarian castle? In this godforsaken room?"

"You're not our first guest from the Dynasty. The Red Castle was once a place of peace and prosperity. Alaric came here when our states were still at peace, many years ago."

"At peace?" Cedric leaned back. "Were our states ever at peace?"

"They were. Once. Not for long." Gargantua held the torch closer to the painting. "It's written in these scrolls. I read it. Alaric was a peace-loving man. The guy loved fruits, women, and birds. He was friends with our first ruler, my ancestor, but then, out of the blue, he and his descendants started a war. The fruits of it we still bear today. And my folk will never forgive him this treason."

In the torchlight, Cedric could see the face depicted in the painting more clearly. The man bore no resemblance to the warlike king who wished to conquer. Cedric examined the birds on Alaric's shoulders. Two white birds.

The cawing of Corvus echoed in his ears.

"Is that... It can't be." Moonlight lit up the prince's face.

"Can't be what?" Gargantua's quiestion drowned like sounds drowned in water. Cedric has moved far beyond the borders of Solarion. In just a couple of seconds, he felt solid ground under his feet again, but now he was no longer in the Red Castle.

"All this time, it was you." Cedric was in the throne room of the Eclipsian Capital, standing before one of the huge marble statues. It was the very first statue, the largest one, standing at the entrance to the throne room, depicting the founder of the Empire. Flames flickered in the braziers on either side, and before the statue stood Faithwinder, head covered with a veil, looking up.

"It all started before the Sun and Moon, before humans, there was another race. A race created in the image of the Gods, endowed with great strength, endurance, and knowledge," Faithwinder said. The spirit was focused on the statue and did not turn to Cedric. The fire in the braziers briefly went out, as if blown out by a strong gust of wind. "The Altaeri. Devourers of the Moons. You have met one of them. They were perfect, but one flaw plagued them: mortality. Altaeri sought to escape death, leading them to betray their creators and attempt to overthrow the Gods. For their insolence, the Altaeri were slaughtered. Humans were created to replace and to defeat them. Though were less perfect than the Altaeri, lived shorter lives, but we were easier to train and more numerous. Spirits created by nature were making us stronger. We called it the War of Purification."

White Vulture flew over Cedric's head and perched on the shoulder of a massive statue. The fire was kindled again in the braziers.

"Nature became a weapon, and humans the hand that wielded it. Corvus and Kukuwaya, nature's spirits of love, became the deadliest weapons this world ever knew. Leronse, Malachin, and I led the human army, and when my sword, Dark Moon, struck down the last Altaeri, the Gods allowed humanity to live and remain. Peace finally came. As a gift, each of us was given a place to rule—the Eclipse Empire, the Arch-Library, and Solarion. We were finally free, with a whole new world at our feet."

Faithwinder touched his own statue. Cedric examined the rough marble face. Even through the stone, Alaric's face showed a hint of mortal tiredness.

"So, you knew Leronse? And you knew the first Malachin?"

"I did. They were my friends."

A vulture swooped down and flew across the hall. The bird's shadow from the brazier's fire danced on the statues and silvery walls.

"What's is the Cosmic Eclipse? Is it the end of the world? Why did you start the war with Solarion?"

"I didn't start it. Cosmic Eclipse was meant to be a weapon I and my descendants could use to subdue those who would plot new wars," Alaric said, stepping towards the statue of his son, the next one in a row. The face of the statue was stern, resembling Arik more than Alaric. "But the power of the Eclipse became a weapon of war, not of peace. My own sons betrayed me and started a war. Library, overseen by Leronse, was the first to fall. It housed sages, not warriors. Yet Solarion did not surrender to this day."

Cedric sensed the smell of decay, the scent of battle, bitterness, crying, and horrifying screams, though they were still in the empty throne room. Faithwinder slowly turned around, and Cedric saw for the first time the eternal sadness hidden behind the fabric of the empty face.

"My descendants betrayed the faith the Gods had placed in us and unleashed a war that has lasted for centuries. I am not who history believes me to be. My Empire was peaceful, merciful, created from a clean slate. We were not meant to conquer; we were meant to love and live in a new world made for us."

The firelight from the brazier reflected in Cedric's eyes. "Why does the prophecy warn about the Cosmic Eclipse?"

"Because the Gods are watching. Every few generations, the Cosmic Eclipse descends into our world and brings us closer to the Gods so they can also see how their new creation lives. This Cosmic Eclipse is the final one to determine - are people worthy of their gift?

The 18th and 19th descendants will decide it all

. Remember the prophecy? Your father is the 18

th

, and you are the 19

th

, Cedric. The world is still at war, and if your father uses the power of the Cosmic Eclipse to destroy Solarion, it will be the end for everyone. The Gods will turn away from us."

Cedric pondered, trying to piece together everything he just learned. "What do you want from me? I don't understand... Why are you telling me all this? What do you want from me, Alaric?"

"You must destroy what I have created! Destroy the Empire! Your father will never stop. His desire to conquer lives deep inside him, and it will doom us all. Lead Solarion to destroy the Empire and your father. Solarion shall win this war."

"No, it's... You." Out of habit, Cedric tried to lean on his cane, but in the spirit world, he didn't need it. "You want me to destroy my homeland? You want me to fix your mistakes? You're the one responsible for this war. Your weakness, your worthlessness. I lived my whole life with the idea of defeating Solarion, and now I have to let them take over my home? My people? Become the leader of my enemies? That was your great plan all this time? I became their king to stop the war, not to let them win it. I'd rather let my father conquer Solarion. That's an option too, right? The war will end. He'll conquer Solarion before the Cosmic Eclipse. I'm his heir; I'll become the next king and a prosperous peace will follow. Right?"

It was quiet, with only the crackling of the fire in the braziers and torches breaking the silence. Alaric was silent, and this silence was louder than any words.

"No, no! I will not become an enemy of my own people. My family, Elowen, my mother, they won't understand. Why me? Why did you come to me out of all the descendants?"

"Because only Leronse could communicate with spirits. His blood runs in you. Your mother passed part of that ability to you, Cedric. Have you forgotten?

The 18

th

descendant and a descendant of Leronse

. You were the reason for that prophecy to exist. Both my and Leronse's descendant."

Cedric dropped to his knees, though he didn't feel the impact against the hard, silvery floor. "I don't want it."

The throne room turned into ruins: the roof collapsed, the brazier fires engulfed the throne and the entire hall, covering it in ashes, and the marble statues melted like ice in a fire.

"

18

th

and 19

th

. When the night meets the dawn - one will stand one fall.

" Faithwinder floated very close to Cedric, looming over him. "Now you are the messenger of the Gods. You are a sword that strikes. You are the last hope. Use the power of Corvus and the Cosmic Eclipse to overthrow your father and destroy the Empire. Rise."

Cedric was blinded by the moonlight. The throne room vanished, and he was sitting on the cold floor of a small room filled with old scrolls. Before his face was Alaric's painting.

Gargantua sat in the corner, watching. "I've heard a lot about spiritual connections, but I've never seen it myself. You are full of surprises, Cedric of the Eclipse." The man in the golden mask helped him up and placed a cane in his hand. "Did you learn what you wanted?"

"Yes. I did."

====

The wind tousled his hair as Cedric looked out from the open window.

"So, you must kill Arik and destroy the Empire? All of this to save the world?" Seraphina gazed thoughtfully at his face, pondering everything he told her. "And if we don't win—what then? Will the Gods destroy us all? I don't understand."

"Nothing good will happen, that's for sure. Do you understand now? Solarion must win. Are you ready for this?" He firmly grasped her hand with his gloved one. Her delicate yet strong hand was in his grip. "Will you go through this with me, Mother? Will you stay with me until the end?"

"Do you still dare to ask after everything that happened between us?" She hugged him tightly around the neck, not daring to kiss him. "I am your mother, and if you believe that what you are doing is right, I will be with you until the very end until my last breath."

He hugged her tightly. "I love you, Mum."

"And I love you, Cedric. My beloved son."

The door opened, and one of the captains entered the room. Cedric didn't break the embrace.

"We are waiting for you, Your Majesty."

"Let's go." Cedric took Seraphina by the hand. They walked into the corridor and, after several passages, arrived at the balcony. Below them stood an army. Seraphina watched in horror at the sheer number of them. Cedric donned the red helmet that adorned his mother's gentle head before and stepped forward. With a sharp motion, he unsheathed the Moon Sword and raised it above his head.

"

Eternal life awaits only the fearless

," came the voice of the crowd. The terrifying roar of the thousands-strong army greeted their king. An army ready for battle.

CHAPTER 23. BACK TO THE LIBRARY

One Week Until the Cosmic Eclipse

Cedric's army swept across the continent like locusts, conquering places that had not yet fallen. They passed through Astoria Prime, the border post where a few months ago, Tilidus had captured Seraphina and Cedric.

The Library was taken in a few days. The valley was guarded by only a small force of Arik's men. Solarion army settled in the valley, amidst the ruins of the library and the settlement where the priestesses used to live.

"It's a couple days from here to the Capital. It feels so strange to return to the Valley after everything that's happened," Cedric said, riding on a horse through the forest with his mother. His face bore the marks of battle and grime. "We will rebuild the Library, Mum."