The crowd quickly fell silent as Asahi and Aletha gathered beneath the podium, covered in shadow and dust from the ancient city.
As they emerged from the underground ruins, the instruments swiftly blew out a beautiful, long, high note throughout the entire area.
Akwan was nowhere to be seen, and the distant yells and screams concerned them, but they were too far hidden to be…
"Found ya!" A guard said as it approached the wanderers.
Suddenly, both the wanderers jolted in shock, curious how they found them despite being hidden several hundred meters beneath the earth.
But just before they were dragged in by the guards…
"Halt! Guards!"
A beautiful figure with long, mocha-colored hair that stretched halfway down her back stood in front of Asahi and Aletha, a blush over her face.
"And who are these two?" She asked the guards.
"Well… these are two people who were on the streets." The guards said. "Asahi and Aletha."
"Oh…" She said, nodding her head in interest.
Just like in the Forbidden Book, she too admired both Asahi and Aletha to an extent. Not as intense as The Forbidden Book's version, but clearly visible. Her bright, milk-chocolate-colored eyes darted over to the two, then demanded…
"You two are dismissed," She said, repositioning the two out of the backstage area of the podium. This was completely uncalled for; they had nothing to partake. At least now that it would be over, they could resume their search for Aiyana.
Instead of yelling, they applauded as the Queen, Asahi, Aletha, and the guards walked up the sturdy wooden podium in front of the enormous structure behind.
. . .
The wind howled, dead silence filled, and the sea of people silently stared at the Queen. The atmosphere felt dreadful, with absolute silence slipping through the audience's lips and the barrage of eyes focusing only on one.
The faint sounds of waves crashing against the shore resounded over the beach. The sun shone down on the green forests and the audience. Asahi stood next to Aletha and then toward the guards. Although they couldn't escape, they had front row seats to the show.
Asahi's head darted to the entire audience.
From the most minor children to the tallest of giants, bulky robots, and the tiniest of dwarves, each person knelt on their knees and shut their eyes, waiting for the words to be drawn out from the Queen.
Narcissa glared at the audience, slightly smiling and clearing her throat. Asahi and Aletha stood there, blatantly confused about what she was doing.
As she knelt at the tall structure, Narcissa raised her voice.
"We lend our most profound respect to the Creator of the Fountain who lent us this magnificent creation. Even after simultaneous wars, battles, and fights, we all still managed to hold onto hope within our hearts. He built day after day with endless sparks of determination."
Her voice stopped for a moment, trying to take a grasp on her sanity.
"He cried in pain, but he managed to keep going. His motivation is fueled by the burning embers of determination that fill his veins, body, and inner soul. Rainy days, chilly evenings, he had managed to push through all the obstacles that stood in the way."
Narcissa pushed herself up and hovered her fists over the podium, her once timid voice fading into one that was loud, direct, and dominant, persuading her deep, feminine tone to fill the audience with expansive determination and will.
The look in their different-colored eyes was filled with a glimmer as the sun peeked its way above the swollen, drifting clouds. Narcissa's words then became strong as steel, her posture straight and unyielding. She clenched her fingers and slammed her fist against the wooden podium,
"On this nine-hundredth Fountain Day, not only will rewards and blessings be given to the secluded nation of Pladtioa, but let the entire world gaze at this phenomenon; for today sparks a new beginning for Pladtioa!"
The audience roared, cheered, and applauded. The wanderers took a look at the audience. Some had green hair, while others had red, yellow, orange, and even purple. Some resembled humans, while others bore the appearance of robust war machines and mythical beasts.
As Narcissa lightly applauded, Asahi swiftly turned his head to Aletha and briefly whispered.
"Do you hear that?"
She turned her head, replying to Asahi with a sarcastic tone in her voice.
"The screaming of the audience?"
Asahi shook his head, perching Aletha's head to the sky. As the sun started to descend, Asahi said the following…
"No. I hear… distant thunder?"
"Thunder?" Aletha said as she swiftly turned her head. "What do you mean by thunder?"
Asahi shook his head and grabbed Aletha's hand. He swiftly pulled her away from the podium as knights gathered.
"We have to get out of here."
"What are you doing--"
Asahi covered her mouth and slowly leaned against the ledge of the podium. As Narcissa halted her speech, Asahi leaned into Aletha's ear and whispered.
"Shh. Do you want to live?"
Aletha nodded her head, trusting him after a few seconds of exchanging arguments.
After she nodded, Asahi and Aletha reached for a hole under the podium and sprinted toward the darkest corner, sliding themselves under the grass.
The vice of the guard quickly broadened his eyes, clenching their weapon with anger.
"Hey! Are you not supposed to be with the Queen? Get out of here before she--
The guards fearfully tilted their heads up to the podium, and all stood still.
Each one of them heard the muffled, confident yells of Narcissa; even she wasn't paying attention to the whereabouts of the wanderers.
"Now, after almost a millennium, this Fountain remains standing right in front of our eyes. Although the Ruler of Purity abandoned us, we still managed to keep the Fountain safe. Now… I will introduce… our new kin…"
Abruptly, her voice stopped, and her head moved side to side.
A strong, furious wind blew through her long brown hair, and the crowd eerily went silent. Narcissa's brown eyes widened as she gritted her teeth and froze, her smile faltering.
"What is that?" Aletha said with muffled breathing.
Suddenly, the wanderers tilted their heads upward and heard the frustrated screams of Narcissa.
"Guards, find them!"
Suddenly, a group of knights blocked the light from the entrance, lifting their swords, spears, and bows in the air.
One guard raised his voice as the wanderers' heads looked left and right.
"As the guards of Narcissa, we kindly ask both of you to return to the podium."
"Can't you see?" He replied. " I don't want to be king."
Asahi, despite these thoughts, stood completely still, paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do.
Then, Aletha grabbed Asahi's wrist and pulled him away from the entrance.
"He said he doesn't want to be king!" She expressed as her hair flew upward. "Leave my brother alone!"
As Asahi escaped his trance and stepped back, he witnessed Aletha unsheathe her Sword of Eventide from the luminance of her hip. Then she swung it into the air, striking one of the knights.
Her gray eyes pierced straight through the guard's souls, and instantly she sliced one of the guards' weapons out of their hand. Aletha's sword, known as the Sword of Eventide, was imbued with a mystical aura. It harnessed the energy of the setting sun, making her strikes not only swift but glowing with an ethereal light. With her actions prompting Asahi's attacks, he unsheathed the luminance of his hips, and out came a sword, known as the Dawn's Edge. This sword was enchanted to pulse with the energy of the morning sun, giving him increased strength and speed.
Asahi charged toward the guards, pummeled all his regrets into oblivion. In an instant, they clashed their swords against the weapons, weaving and reshaping their every movement.
Afterward, a giant luminescent brown ring burst between the stage and partially demolished it. Wood chips flew in the air, dirt spewing out from the ground. A tall woman approached from the dust with a look of pure anger on her face.
"What are you doing here? Listen to my knights and get back to the podium." As Narcissa fought her inner rage, Aletha took a step forward and hoisted her blade.
"He said he isn't interested." She said as she repelled the guards back. "Can you not accept that?"
"No. I can hardly believe someone could be so ignorant as to deny the offer to become the ruler of a thriving nation. You shall do what I say, even if it means by force."
As the wanderers fell entranced by the glowing magenta gem shining on her crown…
Suddenly, they fell asleep.
. . .
As their hands grasped each other, adrenaline surged. Aletha screamed as she pulled out a sword from her hip, once more.
"G…Get out of my way."
Despite the bantering and slashes, the guards held onto her weapons in no time. Asahi turned his head and saw shimmering dust spread like a gooey substance on the ground. It appeared that nothing about Narcissa changed; in fact, this was WORSE than the Forbidden Book's. Forcing one to be king just doesn't seem ideal in any scenario. He tried to escape Narcissa's grasp, but was pulled over by the guards.
"Keep your eyes on the citizens, King, and accept her rare adoration." They said as Narcissa cackles in the background. "For she had never shown such attraction in merely decades."
"Decades?
Just as he could secure a grasp on the current situation and how forcefully making you a ruler doesn't MAKE you a leader, Narcissa tried announcing to the people once more, saying…
"I apologize for the delay. Today, at this moment, we must not wait any longer. Right now, I am going to introduce you to our new…"
After the second, the Queen moistened her lip and began to announce,
The white puffy clouds swirled into a dark, gloomy gray. Just before the sun blasted its rays through the storm, suddenly a tempest surged forth around the Great Fountain.
Waves crashed brutally against the shores, the wind grew robust and strong, and an electric atmosphere surrounded the entirety of the fountain.
The ambience was imbued in the shadows of the clouds, blanketed by the tail of thunder emerging from The Fountain.
The situation had escalated rapidly.