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Fiammetta Thorne

"I was lost for a time, but I've found my way."

0 · 256 views · located in Flos Luna

a character in “The Requiem Rebellion”, originally authored by Jakuri-chan, as played by RolePlayGateway

Description

Image

Image

Theme: Never Forget
Image Song: FIRST ~ Ritsu Namine

♦ GENERAL INFORMATION ♦

Full Name: Fiammetta Roselle Thorne
Race: Human – Magia
Magia are simply humans that are capable of performing feats of magic and things considered otherwise otherworldly. Within Flos Luna, magic is not something which can be controlled simply by skill and learning, no, magic is something which possesses an intelligence of its own, as in, it is a force which can gather and move upon its own will, act upon its own and whatnot. Magic is capable of possessing a human or any sort of being in truth and make said being into its host. It’s not entirely uncommon for magic leave one host for another it finds more suitable. This is the case which befell Fia, she was born human, and without anything that would distinguish her too much from any other person, but when it was her village fell under attack by forces from the Largitio Empire, the settlement was set alight by Magia working for the Empire, and it so happens that in that terrible tragedy, magic that’d taken up residence within one of the Magia left behind its host when it was it found Fia. It leapt from him into her young body, and since that time, that magic has been a part of her. Fia is both human and Magia, but she is a Magia who is capable of only controlling the element of fire due to that being the sort of magic which took of residence within her years before.

Gender: Female
Nickname(s):
Fia – Used more than her full name, to those that know, care for, and love her, she is not known as Fiammetta, but simply as Fia. Despite the name given to her at birth, the world surrounding Fiammetta Thorne came to know the girl as ‘Fia’, even her parents took to calling her that rather hastily. And so it came to be that everyone else in Fia’s life did the same. Her whole hometown, to them she was, and always will be, Fia. It’s a name that bears warmth, the love, and the influence of all those who played a role in her life, and in her growing up.
Fii – This is a nickname that is far more uncommonly associated with Fia, as it was only ever really used by one person in her life, and that time of usage was rather brief. Given that few would think to even call her this, no one else in her life has ever really opted to call Fia as ‘Fii’, and in a way, she is relieved by that. The only person whom has ever called Fia by this simple alteration of a nickname was Fia’s late younger sister, Cosette.
Rosebud – Again, an uncommon nickname that isn’t associated with Fia often, but there has been more than one person in her short life that has taken to calling her Rosebud, due to her middle name. Before the razing of her village, there were several elderly townsfolk that spoke of Fia by the name of ‘Rosebud’, because they believed that she would grow to bloom beautiful like a Rose itself. Following the invasion of Aegis by the Largiti Empire, it came to be that no one called Fia ‘Rosebud’ any longer, people were forever changed by the invasion and destruction of their home, many lived were lost, and the injuries of the incident ran deep. As things are, the citizens of Fia’s hometown are still scarred by what happened, truly, the village never recovered from what happened.
Alias(es):
Death’s Envoy/The White Reaper/Hell’s Emissary/The Grim Harbinger – Really, the lot of these titles go hand-in-hand and aren’t so much aliases as they are titles applied to Fia by others based upon the reputation that she’s built for herself over the course of the last several years. Due to her taking to the life of a mercenary, word of her actions and skill with a sword has spread far and wide within the land of Flos Luna. People speak of her based on standing, because of the talent she possesses with blade and magic. Some people fear her, thinking of her as a messenger of the Underworld incarnated into a human form, some people spread rumors of her, claiming that facing her in battle ensures death for her opponent. As It goes of course, rumors and idle gossip spread like wildfire among the masses, and due to this, a number of false truths have been born about Fia, so far have these truths been stretched that many people come to believe that the feared mercenary they speak of is a monstrous man donning white, when in reality, it’s a seemingly ordinary looking young woman. Fia knows of her reputation, and of the many various titles people have pasted on her over the last few years, and though she might seem to not care for the lot of them, she secretly quite likes the title of ‘The White Reaper’, and wished more people used that to refer to her.
Briar Rose – This is a minute name Fia thought up for herself in a tight spot some years before, in the midst of a job she’d taken to protect a client, she and the man got into a tight spot, and from them were the names demanded. Fia came to claim herself named Briar Rose. Since that time, she’s stuck to using the name if ever she needs to travel in disguise.
Age: 21
Sexuality: Heterosexual/Asexual
Fia defines her sexuality as ‘asexual’ when questioned about it. Due to the life she’s chosen to lead, she claims that she no longer lives a as a woman. She gave up her womanhood and being female when it was she chose to wield blade and magic. In her mind, she’s neither male nor female anymore, but simply human. As such, she dismisses herself having a sexual orientation, no matter what the world may see her as, gender-wise. As hard as she tries to enforce the notion of her being genderless on the inside, however, Fia remains feminine in certain aspects, whether or not she sees that in herself or not. Due to the fact that she’s unable to completely shed her gender from all she is, she remains heterosexual, but she goes so far as to deny this fact to even herself. Should an attraction arise to a male, she’ll bury it down deep in herself, as she’s taken to living to a personal code of knighthood, which in her mind means stripping herself of everything that made her a woman. Including sexuality. Or . . . that’s what she tries to go with, more often than not, she’ll fail.
Romantic Interest(s): As things stand, Fia’s never really had any sort of romantic interests before, at the very least, none that she’ll acknowledge. Whenever it might’ve felt like she was developing feelings in the least, she would always quickly act to bury them down deep within her, preferring to act as she states herself to be, asexual, it doesn’t usually work, however.

♦ APPEARANCE ♦

Height: 5’6”
Weight: 120 lbs.
Measurements: 32-24-35
Build: Small bust/Slender waistline/Pear-shaped Figure
Hair Color/Style: Champagne Blonde
Eye Color: Sage Green
Scars/Tattoos/Piercings:
Scars – Given who she is, scars are more than a natural part of her being and person. The lifestyle to which she has subjected herself to is a harsh one, and one which is riddled with more battled than even some seasoned knights will ever see in their lifetimes. Because of this, Fia’s petite body is splatted over and over with scars. Though, the most prominent and aged of her scars is the one which she did not receive in battle. Upon her torso, splayed across her diaphragm lays a terribly disfiguring burn scar the likes of which are actually nausea inducing to see. Her skin did not recover from the burn well, and the severity of the actual injury shows in the remnants. Simply defined, the skin under her left breast is terribly . . . wrong. Parts seem like skin has been stretched to its limit while other parts appear wrinkled and lumpy. . . . The skin’s color too is not right within this area. Parts of her skin retain some sense of its normal tone while other bits have been rendered nearly white, and then there are patched connected to this area that are simply maroon, pink and such. The skin is shriveled and gross, and as one might also expect too, as assumed by sight, the scarred area as a whole remains extremely sensitive to touch and sensations. So bad were the burns that they permanently left Fia’s skin damaged beyond the repair of either magic or medicines.

Across the rest of her as well there are flecks and scattered bits of scars that are the remains of past burns as well from around the same time as the one upon her diaphragm. They have healed better than the ‘mother’ scar, and are less notable as far as things go. But in line with her burns too, Fia’s left hand and arm remain with a somewhat more distinguished scar than some of her others. As when the incident occurred which earned her the scar on her diaphragm, her hand and arm were also caught up in the incident. The backside of her hand was spared from the flames, but the palm and undersides of her fingers and thumb were not. Rendered forever pink, and without the telltale fingerprints or such, the skin on Fia’s hand is oddly smooth and is only in possession of the most major lines and creases. In a way, it feels creepy to look at. The rest of her arm and forearm is a multitude of colors from this incident as well, but things said scar remnants are not as prominent.

As for the rest of Fia’s skin, it is speckled with burn scars here and there, but also possesses what remains of battle scars—sword slashes, gashes, puncture wounds and whatnot. Things you would expect to see on a person of her position really. Luckily enough for her, Fia’s always had decent reflexes, so for the most part, she has managed to avoid getting injuries on her face, save for a few small gashes.

Tattoos – Fia has no tattoos. She sees them as a waste of money for one in her position. Considering she takes as many injuries at times in her line of work, there would be little point in inking her skin when it’s more than likely that said inked spot would just become scarred in the near future.

Piercings – In line with her thought process about her position in the world, Fia does not have any piercings either. She feels like they would just be a hindrance to her in battle.

Description: With her fairly average height, and her rather normal weight, Fia is a woman whose body is thin, small and petite. Born with a slender figure, she’s a normal young lady who honestly, does not have much of a remarkable body. She kind of looks like she weighs less than what she really does thanks to her weight being more focused around her hips than other sections of her body, and thanks to this little fact—Fia has more of a slender pear shaped figure than anything else. The fact that more of her weight is centered around her hips means one thing. . . . she’s more flat-chested than anything else. Because her body formed like this, Fia’s figure is mainly only notable thanks to the transition from her thin waist to her hips. Thanks to her weight being more focused upon her hips, Fia looks a bit on the bony side. Her ribcage seems to stick out of her skin, while her collar bones are very prominent. Also, her wrists are rather thin while her hands are bony.

Due to the manner in which she grew up, and a certain incident within her past, Fiammetta’s pallor skin is riddled with scars. . . . Because of how she dresses, the scars upon her body are not as notable as one would think, and it leads people to see her as an unmarked young woman who happens to have very fair, very delicate skin. It almost gives her a look of innocence, of being untainted by any sort of work or battle. . . . However, if the girl were to wander around in more casual clothing, the scars which mar her body would be very apparent. All over her arms and torso, there are varying scars, ranging from what look like gouges, slashes and cuts . . . And, upon her torso, there is a rather horrifying mark. Under her left breast, consuming the front of her ribcage, a scar mars her there; her skin is twisted and melded into an unnatural manner, forever dyed colors that one should never see upon flesh; seeing it tells you that Fia has been through something terrible. The skin upon her ribcage is shriveled, indented, and of an unnatural texture than the rest of her body, the colors range from a sick maroon to a deep shade of red and the skin holds a sheen to it. There are similar marks upon her right hand/arm/shoulder as well.

Luckily for her, the skin upon her face seems unmarked, for the most part. Fia’s features are fairly average looking by definition—she possesses light blonde hair which falls to her waist, it is kept complete with bangs which fall to her sage-colored eyes, and locks of it which frame the sides of her young face, normally her hair is kept out of her way by placing it back into either a ponytail, or by wrapping it into an intricate bun with a ribbon placed around it. Putting it blatantly, if you just give Fia a single glance, you think of her as looking like no more than a fairly average woman.

Preferred Clothing: She is certainly not the most feminine of dressers—that much is certain. Fia’s taste in clothing, and what she likes is rather simplistic as far as things go really, she likes clothing in which she can move in and is capable of battle. . . . .also, it doesn’t hurt if the clothing covers a lot as well. Really, she like these sorts of garments due to the fact that she bears a fair amount of scars on her skin, she doesn’t much care for people staring at them or at her. However, due to her lifestyle, Fia really only has two main outfits that she wears regularly, one is a partial set of armor that is worn over a white dress for when she is doing her duty as a mercenary. It’s not out of the question for Fia to wander around without the armor on, wearing the dress underneath it plainly, along with the other parts of the clothing.When in towns or in areas Fia believes she may relax and not have to worry about danger or battles, she will change out of her armor and dress for a simple, long blue skirt and a white blouse, tying her hair back into a bun.

♦ MENTALITY ♦

Oddities: Fia is guilty of sleep walking, it’s been noted that she’s done this by several of her clients and by a few of the people whom work the inns that she stays at when in-between jobs.

She has an aversion to touch; it seems she goes out of her way to make sure that people do not make contact with her, her left side especially.

Despite her harsh-seeming attitude, she hides a secret sweet tooth, Fia is something of a sucker for good sweets—pastries, candies, that sort of thing. Also, she has a secret weakness for cute things.

Even though she grew up in a less than formal environment, Fia’s manner of speech can be considered overly so and almost archaic with how she phrases things and puts sentences together.

Don’t let her personality fool you, despite her rather staid exterior; Fia is a surprisingly bashful girl when it comes to the opposite sex. Even if she doesn’t let it show, she can get flustered very easily if advances are made on her, as a result, she tends to try to make herself seem off-putting to most men so that they won’t try to flirt with her. She doesn’t want to lose her head in such a situation and expose a weakness.

Likes: Books/reading/writing, family, peace, sleep/daydreaming, practicing swordplay, moon/stargazing, animals, people, good food, sweets—especially things with cinnamon in them, sunshine/warmth, companions, and music/singing/noise.

Dislikes: Accidents, bitter/overly spicy foods, pitch darkness, utter silence, injustices, large bodies of water, small spaces, and senseless combat.

Hobbies: Sparring, practicing with her sword, reading/writing, singing and stargazing.

Phobia(s)/General Fears:
•Drowning
•Getting Trapped in a Small Space
•Total Darkness
•Thunderstorms

Personality: For all that she is, and all that she isn’t, Fia is a woman who exists with an abnormally optimistic view of reality. For everything she’s been through in her short 21 years, Fia’s managed to maintain an oddly positive psyche toward others and life in general. Generally speaking, Fia is a woman who comes off as rather idealistic and naïve for someone of her age and chosen occupation. Working as a mercenary for the last seven years of her life, you would expect that the many injustices, horrors and wrongs Fia has witnessed would have begun to wear her down to little more than an apathetic, pragmatic woman who wanted nothing to do with people beyond the bounds of her work. But, whether by miracle, or by possession of a terribly strong mind, Fia’s spirit has remained intact. She is someone who chooses to believe in people whether than doubt them. If questioned about whether she might believe people are innately selfish or selfless, Fia will answer without hesitation that she believes people are selfless by nature. Though, she has first-handedly seen many manmade horrors and nightmares, Fia’s belief that most people are innately good is something that has not been broken, and as it goes, it seems that it cannot be. She seems to refuse to allow her views of the world to be spoiled and tainted by the actions of a few bad people.

Given her inherit nature, being idealistic and possibly seeming quite naïve, Fia is also a girl who seems to like thinking outside of the box, and looking beyond the scope of situations in order to find otherwise unseen solutions. It’s quite true that many people might see Fia, hear her suggestions, and think she’s nothing more than an inexperienced optimist who knows nothing of the world, but to the shock of many, Fia is actually rather insightful for her inherently positive outlook and views on people and life. She has seen much in her life, many situations and circumstances that few might be able to fathom, and more than once she’s seen those instances turn sideways because those in power failed to think beyond the bounds of matters then. In favor of standard actions, and such, Fia is a girl who prefers taking the options not listed. Someone could flatly tell her she only had choices, sacrifice one person for the sake of many, or sacrifice many for the sake of one, and despite circumstances seeming utterly bleak and hopeless, Fia would find a way to avoid sacrificing anyone to absolve the situation. She’s a woman who is capable of thinking outside the limited-scope of a situation to find ways to resolve conflicts and issues without the need for mindless and meaningless bloodshed. As she prefers it.

As it all goes, Fia is a shockingly calm, collected and oddly personable. She is someone who tends to take matters that do not concern her personally, should someone in distress get her attention, whatever might be ailing them goes from merely being their problem but to being Fia’s as well. Should someone need help, it is hard for Fia to turn them away, even if someone is unable to pay Fia for her aid, more often than not, Fia still takes it upon herself to help. Despite her calm demeanor, she does indeed come off as quite youthful in this respect, because she tends to assist people expecting nothing in return for her aid. She is called a mercenary by trade, given that she’s supposed to work for the sake of payment, but more often than not, Fia is helping people merely out of the goodness of her own heart without expecting anything in return. No matter what the situation or problem . . . she still undertakes it, regardless of reward. And in those moments, she gives her all in resolving matters, refusing to give up or in. In this way, she can be called stubborn and utterly hardheaded because she tends to refuse to give up on people and situations when she wholeheartedly believes they or it can be helped or fixed. Once Fia has decided upon the path she’ll tread, it is nigh unlikely that anyone can deter her from it.

One thing too, that cannot be denied about Fia, is that she is a woman who lives with a very strong and innate sense of justice within her. Although, it is true that she is much an idealist and quite optimistic about people being inherently good by nature, there is no denying the fact that Fia knows better than to believe that EVERYONE is this way. She is 21, and has experienced much, after all. There are people who will do bad things, commit atrocities, murder, plunder and rape. . . . This is not something that has escaped her, but Fia’s also learned enough on people to not think that all people will sink into these ways without pause. For all the bad she’s seen, Fia claims she’s seen 10x the amount of good from people. She wishes to give people the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions on them, but when they’ve crossed a moral horizon, and begun to trek upon unforgiveable grounds, Fia is a woman who will not hesitate to cut them down. Whether or not she believes people possess innate selflessness, she also believes that they are in control of themselves, they make their own choices, and choosing to harm others, to steal, kill and do unspeakable things . . . if someone does as much and refuses to redeem themselves, Fia comes to believe justice must be served, and more often than not, Fia will attempt to see that justice is served without ending a life. If it can be helped. Jumping the gun in situations can cause one to act irrationally, and to commit deems that may be regretted later.

You cannot control how another reacts, but you can control yourself and your reactions. It is for yourself that you have to take responsibility, the things you do and say are things left up to you. What consequences result from your actions are things you have to own. Given her nature and mindset, it probably comes as no surprise that Fia is quite a peace-lover, preferring nonviolent solutions to matters before resorting to combat. In line with controlling herself in situations, Fia’s got quite a clear head on her shoulders.

She’s also quite a jovial woman too, and with all she’s experienced, she’s oddly capable of relating to most anyone in ways that come off as quite surprisingly, usually. Being a people-lover, someone who believes in people being selfless above all else, Fia tends to take to people quite easily, whether or not they take to her is entirely dependent on the individual. It doesn’t matter who Fia is interacting with, from the get-go, she tends to treat others not as if they are total strangers to her, but as if they are already friends. It doesn’t matter if Fia has just met someone, she already chooses to believe in them being innately good, not hesitating a bit in that regard. This can lead to some awkward moments on the receiving end, but Fia being as she is, the notion of awkwardness and social boundaries are somewhat alien concepts given how she acts with others.

When interacting with others she may’ve been around for lengthened periods of time, it is not beyond Fia to being a bit of a joker. She sometimes takes to lighthearted teasing as a way to express her affections for others, it’s actually true that Fia doesn’t always speak as much as one might expect her to, but whenever she does, she is often in good spirits. There are times where Fia can seem to be a very airheaded young woman, saying things that are terribly obvious, naïve or all around silly, but these moments tend to betray Fia’s depth as a person. In truth, she is a very insightful woman who can see through most people in a rather quick manner, though her mortality tends to lean upon her seeing the good within rather than the bad before all else. Even then though, when something seems to be bothering someone close to her, or just near her, it doesn’t take often for her to dissect the problem, and to find a solution. Fia tends to be abnormally blunt when it comes to people’s problems, preferring to skip tact and walking on eggshells. She’s the type who prefers to force open the door of grief and move forward through it. When trying to help with people’s problems, it’s not beyond her to spit out the obvious and armor-piercing questions. Such as if someone possesses groundless prejudice toward a particular people, Fia’s the type who’s willing to call them out on it and simply just ask them, “Why?” or “I don’t get it, can you explain?”

Fia is both insightful into problems, and in finding creative solutions, but is also quite blunt, tactless and brash when it comes to dealing with issues she sees as easy to resolve.

Because of her lifestyle, and the fact that she experienced much tragedy at a young age, Fia’s quite aware of the world around her, and possesses knowledge of it as well. She’s comfortable with the person she is, and though she knows she has many flaws, she is contented with them, accepting them as a part of herself. Fia tends to live as she is, true to herself, all the while trying to also encourage the same in others. She can be tactless, but more often than not, the concerns of others become the concerns of Fia because she wants to help someone overcome their obstacles in hopes that they might eventually be able to do the same for others. She lives not to be some hero or role model, but instead wishes to sort of serve as an inspiration to others, to help them do good, and know they don’t necessarily need heroes to come along and save them, but that they can be the heroes themselves. Fia is not a woman who is prone to bouts of depression or confliction, because of her life experiences, Fia is someone who can comfortably take matters into her own hands, no matter how difficult they may be. Fia tends to always do this, taking control of situations that are otherwise out of control and working her best to resolve them.

The truth is that Fia knows that in doing what she does, it’s not impossible for her to cross over the lines of her morality, and become like the people she sees as irredeemable, but at the same time she believes in herself, believing that if she maintains her rationality, she can keep control of her actions. She can keep control of herself, and do the necessary without crossing the threshold. For the sake of the people she believes in, Fia is someone who acts true to her morality and beliefs. She is someone who has done the supposedly impossible, and continues to do so.

Although it is indeed true that Fia is a patient, peace-loving woman who prefers words to combat when it comes to solving conflicts, there is an undeniable fact about her that cannot be ignored. Fia is, at her core, human, and as a human, she has limits to which her patience can be pushed. She’s a woman capable of bad moods, snarky and sarcastic moments, and quite basically is able to fall victim to anger, just the same as anyone else is. Given this, while she is most likely to be found particularly happy or at least in good spirits, Fia can at times be found in sour moods if something’s upset her. At these times, she’s very likely to act like an entirely different person; serious, short-tempered, easily irked . . . etc.

♦ TALENTS/COMBATIVENESS ♦

Skills Cooking. Fia can actually cook really well. She’s not an experimenter, so you’ll more or less only find her making standard dishes as they are from cookbooks or recipes. But, she at least knows what she is doing, and her food always turns out pleasant and right.

Swordplay; there is no denying this one. Given her life, Fia is adept at using a sword to fight, and she’s skilled at it. She practices her swordsmanship often to ensure that her skills do not rust, and it shows.

Domestic work . . . doesn’t seem up her alley does it? Well, despite Fia’s given attitude and what she does for a living, the woman is actually pretty good at things like cleaning and sewing, all things considered.

Remembrance, Fia has an excellent memory, enough said.

Weaknesses: Though she is slightly on the tall side of the spectrum, Fia is still a light woman, who is not entirely capable of suffering harsh hits. While she is deft at dodging and escaping enemy blows, should a particularly strong attack hit her, she will be injured and slowed down by it.

Her fighting style is rough, given the fact that she underwent rather odd training with a sword, her style has gaps in it, meaning she is vulnerable.
Should the weather have taken a particularly nasty turn, Fia’s composure is shaken up some, meaning her focus in fighting will’ve been too.

Powers:Fia has only one power to her, and this is because of her being a Magia. Of her only unique, supernatural ability, what Fia is capable of is pyrokinesis, control of fire via her mind.

Abilities: Given her sole ability outside of swordplay, Fia’s grown quite capable with her fire magic, in that she’s been able to diversify what her flames do. Rather than being mere flames, Fia is capable of twisting them to every whim within her mind, shrinking their size, from small to large, to doing whatever it is she desires them to. She’s also become able to ‘bless’ her sword with the power of fire, imbuing the blade with the heat of her magic.

Weapon of Choice/Discipline: Longsword and Senbon.

Fighting Style: Her manner of combat is rather unique and nearly unpredictable—instead of her having a set pattern in how she’s going to strike, she seems to just do whatever it is she thinks suits the situation in question and will do so as she sees fit. Despite her strange style of combat, Fia is a capable fighter, she knows what she is doing and is exceptionally skilled at it, and there is no denying that. In a way, her manner of fighting is sort of choppy, given that she just abruptly changes how she is going about a taking on an opponent, she can do from something seemingly graceful to just brash. . . . Also, there have been times when Fia has been witnessed performing feats of magic—enchanting her blade with prayer and conjuring spells of Fire.

♦ BACKGROUND ♦

Relationship Status: Single.

Personal History:
• Fiammetta Thorne is born the second child to a knight of Aegis, Leon, and to a simple housemother by the name of Thalia, before her is the couple’s first child, their five year old son, Cain. Fia is delivered into the world on a clear, cool night in the winter months with relative ease—she is born a healthy baby, no complications occur with her birth. She is warmly welcomed into her family, beloved by her parents and her brother who is fascinated with his new little sister. . . . However, the time Leon gets to spend with his newborn daughter is cut short when he is called upon to return to his occupation as a knight—his services are needed back at the capital city, Minerva. Thalia and Cain are left to care for themselves and the infant Fia.

• Life continues on as normal for the Thorne family—Leon comes and goes within his household, tending and visiting his family when his job allows as much. The times he is allowed away from the capital and from the castle are far and few, with the time in-between consumed by him performing his duties as a knight, some of which would earn him a name as a near-legendary figure.

• As Fia grows, she proves to be an unusually perceptive child, noting from early on the fact that her father is often absent from her and her family’s life. By the time she begins talking, she is asking for her father, and where he is, crying because she’s getting to a point where she understands the concept of ‘missing’ someone. To sate her daughter’s sadness, Thalia begins to tell Fia what would become her regular bedtime stories . . . tales of her father and his heroics. Telling her young child that the events unfolding within the stories were why Leon couldn’t be with them all the time. Fia grows somewhat addicted to these romantic tales of her father’s antics and accomplishments, and Thalia has to regale her child with a story every night so that she will sleep in peace.

• Eventually, Thalia runs out of stories to tell her daughter about her own father, so she in turn winds up coaxing her child into listening to stories about knights other than her father, and their feats. Interested and intrigued that there was more than one man out there like her father, Fia listened to these tales as well—whether they be true or mere fairytales.

• The notion of brave, handsome and gentlemanly knights becomes more than just an influence in Fia’s life from this point on. It becomes a very powerful shaping force in young Fia’s development as a person. And these tales only cause Fia to love and idolize her father more and more with each tale told, as she comes to see Leon as a magnificent person if he is capable of things so great as told to her by her mother. For the few times she gets to see her father, Fia never leaves his side until he has no choice but to return to his duties. . . . Thalia thinks little of her child’s near-obsession with knights at this point.

• By the time Fia is turning three, Thalia finds herself beginning to grow concerned with her daughter’s development—still she desires tales of knighthood and heroic antics of rescuing princesses. Though this might seem normal enough, Fia was not herself acting the part of the princess from these stories, instead she would pretend to be the knight . . . insisting and begging her then eight-year-old brother to be the princess in these games so that she could rescue him. Always Cain would oblige his sister’s asking, unable to refuse her despite the ridiculousness of him pretending to be a ‘princess.’ Fia and Cain spent days together, playing Knight and Princess. . . .

• During the times Leon returns home during this point in time, he cannot help but sort of find the whole game between his son and daughter charming, perhaps a bit strange, but he assures his wife that it’s just a phase, and that eventually Fia will realize that the truly enjoyable role in these stories is that of the princess. Thalia is convinced by her husband that this is the truth, and so, life continues on as before.

• By the time Fia is going to turn five, things have not changed—she still is emulating the tales of valor and knighthood told to her by her mother from years before, pretending to be the hero and knight of the stories instead of wanting to be the princess. The notions of bravery, honor, and all that a knight encompassed and represented in the stories has completely captivated Fia’s heart, and the young girl herself wants to become such a person . . . it is around this point that she begins to say that she wants to become a knight, like her father. Thalia grows very worried about her child, but her focus becomes directed elsewhere as she receives the news that she is again pregnant. Fia is able to continue on with her captivation and obsession with knighthood and all it represents due to this.

• The news of Thalia’s third pregnancy excites Fia and her brother, as well as their father. . . . The four eagerly await the arrival of the fifth member of their family, meanwhile life continues on as normal, Fia still dreams of knighthood.

• The day comes, and Fia and her family are blessed with the healthy birth of their newest child, a vigorous little baby girl who is promptly named Rosalie by her mother . . . Leon is unfortunately absent from the birthing due to being away once again on duty.

• Fia very quickly grows attached to her new little sister, as Cain does the same, though not quite on the same level as his sister. The five-year-old begins to call Rosalie ‘Little Princess.’ And promptly comes to deem herself the baby’s knight, and protector. Cain finds his sister’s outlook and attachment to Rosalie sort of cute and amusing while Thalia’s concern for her eldest daughter returns when not completely occupied with her new baby.

• Fia spends much time with her mother and Rosalie as the baby grows, she helps to look after her and aids her mother constantly. There are points where Thalia begins to think that Fia is coming out of her strange obsession and fascination with knighthood as she helps to look after Rosalie, thinking that maybe her daughter is becoming more feminized. However, any such notion of this is shattered whenever Fia calls Rosalie ‘Little Princess’ and refers to herself again as the baby’s knight and protector.

• Life continues onward, with Thalia having given up much of her hopes of Fia being anything like a normal girl while it is said girl stays by her sister’s side almost always, leaving it only when their father comes home as his job allows. Cain hovers around his siblings, watching over the two girls to make sure that Fia isn’t getting into any trouble or anything of the sort, as she’s growing up energetic and somewhat rambunctious. . . . Her aspirations of knightliness and coming to embody all that it is have completely consumed Fia and now she acts as anyone can expect such a child too. Wherever Fia goes, Rosalie follows in tow, totally attached to her older sister, never once minding her antics and such, as the girl knows little better.

• As Rosalie grows up, she remains ever-attached to her older sister’s side, not venturing out into the world without her, and never does she make friends of her own age as she begins to act the part of a Little Princess as deemed onto her by her sister at her birth. She turns out to be a wickedly sweet and innocent young girl, kind and loving as can be—she’s a little doll, and she is adored by her family completely and wholly.

• Fia becomes somewhat known around her town now that she is old enough to wander about it on her own for carrying around sticks and pretending they are sword, and for shooing away pesky animals and whatnot with ease. . . . She is regarded as a very strange girl, but is looked upon fondly by the people of her village.

• By the time Fia is turning seven, she’s come into her own rather well, though still very much a child in many regards, she remains entranced by the tales of knighthood told to her by her mother years before, set on becoming a knight herself, a figure of honor and such. However, by this point, she has begun to form a sense of self and an identity all her own . . . and she’s beginning to form an ego. Bit by bit, Fia has become more daring. Going from simply carrying around sticks like swords and shooing off pesky animals, she’s moved onto larger and more dangerous targets to try to intimidate . . . small monsters and things of the like. On more than one occasion however, Fia is injured in these little adventures of hers, but often her endeavors prove successful.

• By the point that Rosalie is coming into her own, she begins to display all the stereotypical telltale traits of what is expected of a princess. She is sweet, patient, naïve, and all that . . . Fia becomes more dedicated to her sister than anything else, and with her growing ego and desire to become a knight, she continues to act the part to her Little Princess. And in turn, this reflects upon Rosalie rather much as the little girl comes to dream of becoming a princess now herself, a true one. She wishes to marry a prince someday soon . . . but desires to keep her sister by her side. “I’ll be the princess, and Fia—you’ll be my knight! My protector and brave savior if I’m ever in danger!” Fia is completely charmed and motivated by her sister’s words, and more than ever she wants to fulfill her dream and to her sister she vows to always protect her, through anything, Rosalie will be safe. As she is, Fia becomes completely sure that she will be able to uphold this vow.

• At this point in her life too, Fia remains close to her father whenever it is that he comes home. She still simply adores him and all she believes he stands for as a knight of Aegis. Thalia at this point has almost entirely given up on the prospect of Fia being of what is considered normal for a girl her age, but remains concerned for her potential future . . . beginning to almost comically fearing that Fia may wind up alone for the whole of her life, remaining unmarried. Cain shows little to no concern for his sisters about this point, as he believes that matters will work themselves out best.

• Fia remains completely dedicated to Rosalie, and her vow to always protect her. Almost literally, Fia is with Rosalie always. There are few moments in time where the sisters are apart.

• With her growing daring, and her steadily rising successes in combating small monsters, Fia’s certainty in becoming a knight also grows as she always works to keep her sister safe, while too getting into some unintentional mischief. This does nothing to make her resolve waver however, as she believes herself to always be acting the part of what she’s pieced together in her head as the persona and air a true knight carries, attempting to emulate her idolized father, Leon.

• Two more years would pass by in Fia’s life with little changing for her and her father, her father was still coming and going as his work allowed, Fia remained bound to her personal vow to keep Rosalie safe while being overlooked by her older brother and slightly concerned mother. However, it was at this point in time that history began to take a turn, not just for Fia and her family, but for the whole of Flos Luna. The advent of a new religion began to stir within several countries, overtaking completely the belief in a Moon Goddess to the point that almost all signs of her were wiped away. . . . Among the advocates for this new religion and spreading its influence and the belief in it was the powerful and somewhat feared Largitio Empire.

• It wasn’t too long before the Empire was upon the doorstep of Aegis, demanding that the country shed its beliefs in Alya, and adopt the new religion of the God, Orpheus. Being the stubborn and unyielding people that they were, the King of Aegis refused to do so. Until this point, whenever it was that the Largitio Empire had made itself known to any country and demanded them to adopt belief in Orpheus, many countries bended to their will, resulting in a slow spreading rule. Not a drop of blood had yet been spilt in this somewhat passive struggle. . . .

• With Aegis’ refusal to give into the Largiti people and their new beliefs, this all changed. The Largitio Empire declared war on Aegis, proclaiming them to be heathens and savages for still praying to the Moon. Given the size difference between Aegis and the Largitio Empire, the way the battle would go was obvious from the beginning. Nonetheless, Aegis refused to give in.

• The capital city of Minerva was one of the first places laid siege to—Thalia and her children feared greatly for Leon’s wellbeing in these times, but also had to watch their own selves. The Empire very steadily made their way through Aegis, razing each and every town in their wake.

• It’s at this point that Fia’s ideals and all that her young self was, was put to the test. Her views and beliefs . . . everything, as she watched with her own young eyes the horrors of war, the evils of man and what it was the mind and body was capable of doing to others. At the age of nine, Fia tried and failed in her endeavors to protect people from the onslaught of the Largiti soldiers invading her hometown. Very quickly she was thrown aside by the war-hardened soldiers, her pride and ego found themselves shattered, her young mind spun into a state of panic and uncertainty as all she could think of was her family, her mother, brother and her Little Princess, Rosalie. Rosalie was only five by this point, whereas Cain was older and more capable of defending himself, and Thalia was a smart enough woman to protect herself. During the invasion and razing of her village, Fia was separated from her family in trying to help stop the Largiti army.

o In failing, her mind turns from her whole family to Rosalie, who has also been separated from both Thalia and Cain in the panic that is ensuing within Olivia. Driven with only the resolve to find her sister, Fia with her ego shattered very quickly abandons the place where she was tossed aside too by a soldier to find Rosalie. With nothing akin to a weapon even with her, Fia dashes through her village, which is very quickly being consumed by the fires set by the Largiti Magia. During this, she bears witness to carnage, more violence than anyone should see, child or adult, and other sorts of terrors that would remain with her. However, she presses onward through the waking nightmare to her already burning home. None of her family in sight, Fia assumes the worst, and does the most dangerous thing she could do. The nine-year-old can only think of the fact that her family might still be in there, and that she has to protect Rosalie . . . so, with little hesitation or though, she busts into the blazing building through a yet untouched window. And in this, Fia hears screaming and crying.

 Following her ears through the heat and smoke, nearly losing herself to unconsciousness, Fia comes across Rosalie, who had been separated from Thalia and Cain. She’d gotten scared and retreated to the only safe place she knew, her room in her home, only to wind up trapped when the Largiti had the Magia sect of their unit begin to set fire to Olivia. Crying from fear, she’d been too terrified to move once the house had begun to burn. . . . Fia called out to her sister, and made it to her side, and attempted to console the girl through her terror to move. “I’m you knight, remember?! You’re my Little Princess, and I’m the Knight that will always be by your side and protect you! Always Rosalie!”

• Those words were the last Fia managed to speak to her sister, however. They were enough to comfort Rosalie to her senses, before it was that Fia quickly found herself clutching onto her younger sister desperately as a searing pain shot through her. Her heart felt like it stopped in her chest, her breath entirely left her as all she could coherently make out was the terrified, and pained screams of Rosalie while the sense of another body clinging onto her side bled through. Pain, a sense of melting, intense heat and confusion. Those are the last things Fia can remember before everything around her faded into black.

• What had happened is terrible. Just after Fia managed to get Rosalie back to some sense of coherence from her fit of fear, the section of roofing above both girls gave way to the fire, and collapsed on both of them. Rosalie wound up clinging onto her sister for dear life, huddled against the girl’s side, screaming and crying while it was Fia suffered a blow to the head as her body succumbed to the flames. Fia fell unconscious while it was young Rosalie burned alive. In the aftermath of Olivia’s destruction, the survivors of the Largiti onslaught gathered together and began to search out the ruined buildings for survivors, and it was during this that Fia and the remains of Rosalie were discovered in Thalia and Leon’s home. One daughter dead, the other suffering severe burns in the areas the flames had touched.

• Rosalie had a mournful burial along with all the other dead of the village while Fia remained in a coma. Cain and Thalia grieved over the loss of Rosalie while fearing the worse for Fia . . . meanwhile, through what one might consider a miracle; Leon had come through the battle in Minerva alive. Seeking out his family, he was utterly grief-stricken by the state his family had been left in. During the time Fia remained cataleptic . . . the strain of it all, Rosalie’s death, the fact that Leon was gone when he was most needed, Fia’s state, it led to Thalia and Leon constantly fighting. The grief became too much, and Leon began to seek out comfort in the arms of another woman.

• It would take a couple of weeks for Fia to rouse from her unconsciousness. And when she did, she was anything but the same girl from before. She was dazed, and unable to understand what had happened in full until at last she came back to her full senses. Her situation, the fact that her body had been burned . . . and Rosalie. Upon coming around, the first thing from her mouth was “Where is Rosalie?”

• The question remained unanswered for a short time following, as Fia was left to recover. The strain between Thalia and Leon reach its pinnacle. Fia though, was happy to again see her father however the news of everything broke all at once. Both mother and father fell into a petty fight before Fia, and all that had been transpiring spilled out. Rosalie’s death, to Leon admitting that he had been seeking solace in the arms of another woman. That was the moment everything shattered for poor Fia. The shock of her Little Princess’ death, to her father betraying everything she’d thought he stood for. Betraying her mother’s heart, the heart of the maiden he’d married, loved. Knights . . . knights didn’t do that. Knights also didn’t fail their princesses. And that was what she’d done. She’d failed. She’d promised to be Rosalie’s protector, she would always protect her.

• One might say that Fia’s mind fell into the pits of insanity at that moment. . . . While it was her parents continued to fight nearby, Fia herself just entirely stopped her movement as her young mind attempted to absorb everything. Her sister’s death, her failure as a knight, her father’s betrayal to all she thought he stood for. All of it broke before her. And it was at that moment that Fia uttered the words which she would come to truly define herself by in the coming years. “Out. I want you out of here . . . you have betrayed everything. . . . Never, I never want to see you again. . . ! All that you are is everything a knight isn’t. And . . . I will show you, and I will show this world what it should mean to be one. . . .”

• With this words uttered, Fia could only stare her father down, her face pale and desperate as tears filled her green eyes with the notion of her own failure, and of Rosalie’s death. Leon grew silent before his daughter and said no words before glancing back at the tear-stained face of Thalia, and to his own son who drew his eyes away from his old man. Saying no more, Leon promptly walked out of the room, and out of Fia’s life. Not once again has he been seen by her since this moment. Following his departure, Fia entered into a full on episode of tears and crying. Crying over everything that had been lost and broken in her life, mourning herself, and Rosalie while it was her broken life and aspirations began to piece themselves together again in the back of her mind.

• In the following months, Fia continued on the long road to recovery from her sustained injuries in the wake of the attack on her village—Aegis had lost the battle to Largitio, but they ultimately remained their own country under the rule of the Empire. . . . One step out of line and Aegis would be destroyed. This was the new world to which Fia awoke. Aegis made its way on the long road of recovery, as did many of its surviving citizens.

• Due to the fate that had befallen Aegis, and Fia’s now shattered family, the injured girl found herself entirely enshrouded in a state of deep depression that seemed unending. The aspiration she’d held beforehand were nearly wiped away, despite what it was she’d said to her father before, about showing the world what it meant to be a true knight. The fragile remains of Fia had otherwise given up on ever becoming a knight because, how could one ever be a knight when they’d managed to fail their princess? Fia had failed to protect Rosalie. . . . Her sister, who she had promised to always protect and save.

• Given the state of Olivia following the Largiti onslaught, and because Thalia had been abandoned by Leon, Fia and her family had no where to go or to call home, and no one to rely on. Taking pity upon them, and upon the poor girl who had seemingly lost all sense of self and will to live, the Thorne family was taken in by the local doctor, an elderly man by the name of Guiscard. Kindly and jovial, he became a bright spot for Thalia and Cain in the dark days that followed all of what happened. Aegis remained under the rule of the Largitio Empire, mindful of themselves . . . the country came to slowly abolish the region of the Moon Goddess and wipe it away, as if it never had existed before.

• Fia’s recovery took a very long time, as she seems to have lost much of herself, her will to really live and go on impacts her ability to heal. Guiscard takes note of what has happened to Fia, as he knows her as well as the rest of the village as a lively, spirited girl from before. Wishing to not see her wither away, he begins to do his best to get her body back into working order. Using innate magic within himself, Guiscard begins routine healing sessions on Fia’s injuries, and comes to discover something quite surprising. Magic reacts to magic, when one mage attempts to use their magic on another to affect them, there is a reaction. And from Fia, did Guiscard receive a reaction. Within the listless girl was another sort of life, a spark and a bit of magic.

• Guiscard treats Fia’s injuries every day, and often speaks to the girl in a jolly fashion, joking and trying to get her to snap out of the state she has fallen into since Rosalie’s death. Thalia and Cain bide their own time, worried and concerned for Fia as Olivia begins to return to a sense of normalcy. As more time goes by, Fia’s burns begin to at last heal properly, but her mentality and emotions seem lost.

• She continues to apparently wither away, though her body is healing, her mind and emotions are not. Everything that’d happened, her own perceived failures and such, the fact that her ideal of knighthood was entirely betrayed by her father’s adultery. . . . Everything Fia knew and believed fell apart before her, being so young it was hard for her to pull herself together, or to find a will to press onward. Eventually, however, through the ever-constant efforts of Guiscard, Fia’s body not only begins to mend, but so does her heart and her mind. Guiscard’s seemingly incessant rambles begin to catch Fia’s ear—despite all that he’s seen himself, and despite his aging body, he’s still capable of feeling joy? As young as she was, Fia did not entirely comprehend the man’s ability to be happy in the aftermath of such circumstances. But, it has its impact on her. Though not yet back to herself, Fia begins to find a will to press on, and to live, part of her beginning to believe that if someone of Guiscard’s age could find a will to do so, perhaps she could too.

• As the seasons tick onward, and Fia’s age transgresses from nine to ten, the girl’s body has finally recovered enough from its burns for her to move about, and to not be confined to a bed, she was still not entirely herself, though, seeming as if she were devoid of most everything she used to be. But, in Guiscard’s eyes, he could see that she was fighting for her health, and fighting for her wellness . . . as well as fighting back an unannounced guilt.

• Eventually, Guiscard said it would be fine for Fia to leave his home, and to see the outside again freely. Though she was still recovering from her burns, she was doing well enough that she could move with little issue again, so long as she did not overdo it. Upon hearing what the doctor had to say to her mother regarding her condition, Fia spoke up, something which had become very rare. Since it was she’d woken up some months before, after the Largitio Empire had conquered Aegis, Fia had been eaten up on the inside by her guilt over what had happened to Rosalie, and the horridness she witnessed between her parents. Knights were not what she thought they were, they were human as she was. She thought herself as living up to the standards of knighthood, that she was a protector, but she was never anything of the sort, Fia realized in the months she spent confined to a bed, that she was a child, and that she was human. It ate part of her up, destroyed part of her heart, and caused her to crumble. . . .

• As she was able to wander outside again, Fia made a request to her brother and her mother, something neither likely expected of her. She wanted to be taken to her sister’s grave, to give her a proper goodbye. . . . Guiscard watched on in quiet as Thalia and Cain aided the young Fia in going to bid farewell to her sister, believing that she would soon again find herself, and strength to live on unlike ever before.

• And right Guiscard was. Fia suffered a long and well-deserved crying fit when she was brought to her sister’s grave, all the guilt she felt poured forth, and she begged for forgiveness from her sister, but with her brother and mother there to console her, Fia was able to let out all within her that’d built up in the last months, and she returned to Guiscard’s home with a red, runny nose, puffy cheeks and raw eyes, but with a spark in her that the old doctor hadn’t seen since before Olivia was razed.

• Something within her came back following giving her sister a proper goodbye, a will to move on. The words Fia had spoken to her father upon discovering his affair slipped back into the girl’s waking memory. She would become a knight, and show the world what it meant to be a true protector. So, in the wake of her being unconfined from bed, Fia began to take up the will to be a knight again, but for reasons different than before. She was no longer inspired by the ideals of the knights spoken of in stories and in mythos, but instead, inspired by the notion that she could show the world what it meant to truly be such a figure. Rosalie had believed that Fia could do anything. . . .

• Time pressed on, and Fia became aware of the magic that had taken root with in her during the destruction of her home, and initially she was hesitant to make use of it. With the coaxing and reaffirmation of Guiscard though, Fia’s edginess over making use of her magic faded, and she relaxed toward it over the years, and with the doctor’s guidance, she became capable of harnessing it. Though the magic Fia bore was different than that of Guiscard’s, the ideal of being able to use it remained relatively the same.

• Between the ages of ten and fourteen, Fia remains bound to Olivia, never hearing again from her father, all the while she takes up training with a sword and her magic under the tutelage of a local ex-knight turned blacksmith and Guiscard. It becomes apparent that Fia has inherited her father’s blood and skill with a blade, as the girl picks up on the necessities of being a warrior abnormally quick. Eventually, Fia makes it clear that she wants to become a knight, one the likes of which the world has never seen. And in time, she attempts to apply for knighthood training in the capital city of Minerva.

• During this time as well, Cain has left home to become a knight in his own right, he has taken to training in Minerva himself, well underway in becoming one.

• Fia is denied acceptance, as Aegis excludes women from enlisting to become knights. . . . Upset by the sexism of her own nation, and the fact that she’ll not be allowed to become a knight, Fia sorts out her options in the following weeks, eventually settling upon a single choice. If she cannot become a knight by the standards of her own country, then she’ll become a knight by her own standards. She’ll become a mercenary who fights not simply for the sake of money, but for honor and her sense of justice. Thalia wasn’t happy with Fia’s choice, and initially tried to talk her out of it, but it became clear that there was no keeping Fia from this. So, with hesitant acceptance, Thalia bid a goodbye to her daughter along with Guiscard, as Fia left to make her way in the world.

• The years following leaving Olivia were not always easy for Fia, as she was met with scorn and harsh judgments by many people in Flos Luna for her gender and choice of occupation. Initially, no one took her seriously, few bothered to give her a chance . . . but, in time, there were people that did indeed give the young girl a chance to prove herself, and she found jobs. Much to the shock of many, she always managed to pull through her duties without fail, no matter what was thrown at her, Fia always managed through it, and won. Due to her successes and wins, rumors and tales of Fia began to spread throughout Flos Luna, as she earned an outstanding reputation for herself as a undeniably skilled swordswoman.

• It has been just over seven years since Fia took to life as a mercenary, and the years have molded and shaped her into the woman she is today, in the last seven years Fia’s undertaken many jobs, and done many good things, never once has she suffered a failure. Her skills and abilities have caused her figure to become one that’s spoken of by many, and such gossip has surrounded her to the point that some people fail to even know of her gender. Fia’s live on since the passing of her sister, using the tragedy as a fuel to make her move onward and forward, to help others no matter what.

• Because of her talents, Fia was recently hired by the royals of Auallonia to undertake a very high-priority job in the way of acting as guardian to their prince. . . . Currently, she is en route to the capital city of Odessa to begin her assignment, and to escort the prince to the country of Ulixes.

♦ OTHER/ETC/TRIVIA: ♦
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So begins...

Fiammetta Thorne's Story

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Morning had come gently. The air was still tinged with the chill of night, as rays of ruby pierced through the dark midnight haze of the heavens, and a luminous orange sphere began to glimpse upon the world over the horizon. The skies were in-between the periods, a sort of daybreak twilight settling in upon the city as its residents remained within their dreams for a brief time more. As with all days, the sun awoke to the world no differently than before, the happenings of Mortalkind of no concern to it. Her eyes could only bring herself to observe, in silence, as faint arms began to reach out over the city, washing the grey stone homes and buildings with its light, bringing to sight and mind the recent events which had transpired so briefly ago. Though the sight of the sun rising over the skyline of Odessa would’ve once been something to utterly cherish, it now only served to dredge up thoughts most unwanted, and memories better left forgotten to most.

As with Aegis, Auallonia had done something no country dared. In the face of overwhelming odds, they’d stood their ground against the Largitio Empire, refusing to meet their demands. They declined to relinquish their ways, and submit to the will of an outside ruler. And as they’d done with Aegis, the Empire took up arms and began their onslaught. It had been all out war within the country, enemy forces managed to make it deep into Auallonian territory, and battle had been waged in the capital city itself. By the time she’d arrived, the damage had been done, the skirmish was otherwise over, and for a time temporary, a sort of tentative peace had been recovered within the country.

The initial wave of Largiti soldiers had not been enough. But, it had been enough to have its effects upon Auallonia’s forces. They were nearly decimated, so few able-bodied soldiers remained in health that another attack by the Empire would bring the country to its knees, as it happened with Aegis. War had been upon the land for over a decade now, and all of it waged under the banner of uniting all peoples with one, true religion. The Largiti had begun claiming to have been given contact with a god in the flesh, a deity real and knowable. Blood of millions had been shed in the name of this claim.

Auallonia just happened to be the most recent victim in this war. . . . Aegis had been the first.

She could not help but keep her eyes cast out toward the city below, the sun slowly creeping upward into the skies, abolishing the dark of night and bringing with it, brightness and a call to all to awaken, and begin their day. Though littered with remnants of the battles, Odessa remained eerily beautiful to her in a way she could not entirely understand, the town still lived, and breathed despite what it had endured so recently. Its citizens mourned, and buried their dead, but managed to continue onward in living. Subsisting through the sadness war had brought upon them. Scars remained, but they were overlooked, and ignored. People went on. They would rebuild, the roads and buildings would be repaired in the coming days and weeks. . . . And though the Largitio Empire remained an ever-looming threat for the time being, the people of Odessa would keep moving ahead. The people of Aegis had done the same, in many regards. They’d mourned, and buried their departed loved ones, but those left in the aftermath of it muddled on, and rebuilt their lives.

In the near-future, she could only recite a prayer, and hope for the best for Auallonia. She could only hope that its people could maintain their strength, and live on for those who’d been lost so pointlessly.

Morning came the same as ever, gently overhead, the sun rising into the lightening sky, driving away the darkness. The sun persisted in its never-ending dance with the moon and land, never paying heed to the happenings of Mortalkind. . . . And, today, though the celestial bodies were no different, the daybreak heralded a new beginning for Mortalkind. The start of a new chapter. Today was the day that the people of Flos Luna at last took a stand for themselves, against the Empire. That was why she was even here.

It had been perhaps an hour before the sun had risen that she’d arrived to her destination after days of travel. Under the guise and name of Briar Rose, she’d made her way through Auallonia, seeing with her own eyes the destruction left in the way of the first wave of the war between the Largiti and Auallonia. Her arrival into the bounds of Odessa had been guarded, given what she was supposed to do; it had to be that way. It had been requested that she make her way to Castle Auallonia before anything else upon arriving in the city. The situation was dire, there was no time to lollygag, things needed to get underway. Haste needed to be made. So, she’d done what had been requested, though the hours were ungodly, she had trekked through the quiet, and dark city toward the Castle, and asked to be grant an audience with the King and Queen. She’d been asked to wait, as the King and Queen were not yet awake. Waiting was something she’d grown used to over the years, patience a necessity.

So, she resigned herself to enjoying the temporary noiselessness and still of the night, before watching the sun rise. She knew not when the King and Queen would awaken, but she’d come as asked. The mission she was to be tasked with already known. It was something she was ready for, had steeled herself to do over the course of her journey through the country. What lay ahead, she didn’t know, but she wouldn’t fail.

Her eyes remain cast toward the horizon, as she was placid . . . the quiet undisturbed until it was that a somewhat raspy voice called out to her, “Miss Fiammetta? Our majesties are able to now grant you an audience.”

In hearing her name spoken, Fia slowly turned around and gave to the elderly man, a silent nod of confirmation. Without hesitating, she took to following after him, as he led her along to where she would speak with the King and Queen of Auallonia, and soon after meet the country’s prince, whom she would be protecting. . . . Today marked the day that Flos Luna would begin trying to fight back, and regain its freedom. For more than the country, the daybreak marked a new beginning, a new beginning in the lives of several individuals whose paths remain yet uncrossed, and fates yet unwoven.

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Auallonia was a beautiful land, occupied by fertile fields, rolling hills, mountains and forests in equal measure. Every square mile of it seemed to be infused with some holy radiance, some magic that kept the plants growing and the animals healthy. Her people, too, were the picture of vivacity and life, from the scholarly towers of the great University to the smooth-faced monks of her grand monastery to the farmers tanned beneath the sun in their fields. There was a sense of timelessness to the place, tradition and modernity melded seamlessly in the modest but solid stone and wood construction of her cities. The roads were paved with stone and well-tended always, so that traffic to and from the city in horse-drawn cart could proceed as smoothly and safely as possible.

At the center always of this peaceful accord between nature and civilization was the Blessed, a singular figure equal parts power and humility, holiness and reverence. Marked always by hair the color of the moon and eyes like no thing in the world, such a one was born only very infrequently, and lived years without end, should they desire. The current Blessed was still in training, and often referred to in the tongues of other peoples as a Prince, almost ready for his succession. His predecessor, a woman unrelated to him save by a distant blood tie, was nevertheless likewise colored and radiant, and she was Blessed also, or to foreigners, the Queen. Her husband, Auallune but not Blessed, was Consort.

Recently, however, the peace of the place had been disturbed, by a war that had left the people bereft of most of their army. Not that they’d ever had much of one to begin with. They did not, as a rule, employ a standing army. The only defense they had ever required were the efforts of their few, but mighty, warrior monks, and the brave hearts of villagers with farming tools. Drastically outnumbered by the might of the Largitio Empire, then, they had been wholly unprepared for the slaughter. Superior tactics and magic had saved them from utter annihilation, but they needed support if they were to continue to hold out.

In such dire circumstances, Auallonia had turned to a measure that they usually did not—political marriage. At first, the Princess of Ulixes was to be married to one of Auallonia’s prominent human citizens, but the King of that nation had been unsatisfied with a weaker tie, wanting royal blood to be bonded to his daughter. Because of the cultural difference, the only acceptable candidate was the Blessed himself. Though it was in some ways a shame to the country to bargain with their national symbol and sovereign in such a way, it was the young Auallune himself who had calmed the tempers this had managed to ignite. For his people, he would make any sacrifice, and this was a rather small one, all things considered.

His predecessor and her husband currently occupied the modest throne room, little more than a long hall at the end of which stood a low table, behind which both were seated. It was raised no higher than the rest of the room, and indeed, their guest was invited to sit and have tea with them. The current Blessed smiled gently at the young woman known mostly as Briar Rose, beckoning her forward. “Please sit, child,” she said quietly, her voice low and musical. For two beings of more than a thousand years each, she and her Consort were both remarkably youthful, ageless in such a way as to leave them beautiful whilst imparting a certain sense of wisdom about them. Though he was dark-haired and eyed, their facial structures were both characteristically Auallune—high cheekbones, proud brows, delicately-angled jawlines and surprisingly strong chins. They looked like pieces of artwork that moved, in truth.

“We are grateful that you have accepted our request, Lady Rose,” she said simply, inclining her head slightly and causing a liquid ripple in the sheet of her silver hair. “Shashikiran may not be my son by blood, but I have raised him so, and his safety is of the greatest importance, not only to us, but to this nation. He is a symbol of our continued livelihood, but also the source of it. We Blessed are deeply connected to this land and any that reaches out for us, and it is not an easy thing for us to leave it. I say this so that you might understand the importance of what you undertake. If he dies, so does Auallonia, in more than one way.”

She paused for a moment, and her husband spoke into the silence that followed. “We understand that this puts you and any who may help you at great risk. As such, you may name your price for this task. If it is within the resources of our country and our people, then it shall be yours when he and his bride are safely returned to us.”

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There was not a need for words between herself and the servant she followed after. So it was that silence remained within the air—broken only by the sounds of footsteps that fell against cold stone at the point of daybreak. The layout of the castle was something she was entirely unfamiliar with, and as such, she made sure to keep her sage-color eyes glued onto the back of elderly man who hobbled his way forward in front of her. Fia could not help but noticing that he seemed to . . . have some trouble getting around as it were. The strides he took in walking were slapdash, uneven, and sluggish. Slow enough that Fia purposefully slackened her own pace, not wanting to make the man feel rushed or as if he needed to move faster than he was likely comfortable with. The fact that the man was still up and about, moving and serving his country despite the fact that his bones were likely aching was something she could not help but find admirable—and she did not wish to push him when he was still trying his best.

Auallonia had been wrongfully assaulted so shortly ago; Fia was familiar enough with the circumstances. And moving through the country, she saw all of what the Largiti had done under the banner of their god, Orpheus. Many innocent people had been lost, many brave lives extinguished due to the words of a supposed speaker for the divine.

The walk toward the throne room gave the mercenary a short time to think before she would meet with those who ruled over the country. Seeing another country torn by a pointless conflict reminded her only of Aegis again, the first target of the Largitio Empire in their efforts to eradicate belief in the Moon Mother, Ayla. Aegis was a small, landlocked country, an easy enough target for invasion. . . . Peace had been something known to the continent of Flos Luna for a time longer than most could remember though, and because of the established calm that laid over the land—Aegis had never been in danger before. No other country had seen fit to invade and disturb it. Aegis had always been a safe haven, small and fragile, but it was safe because of the will for serenity to continue its reign over the land. No one had wanted a war, no one had wanted conflict.

But, that all changed and the world known by the inhabitants of Flos Luna warped and shifted into something terrible. Fear plagued most, and mistrust sprouted like weeds among nearly all. The calm that once fell over the land was gone, and the neutrality that’d lain between the lands of Flos Luna was no more. Armies grew in size; territories became wary of those who transgressed their borders. . . . Given the life she’d come to lead in the last several years, she’d seen it all. The end result of a pointless, meaningless conflict. Aegis had lost its spirit when the Largiti had all but crushed it under its heel. . . . And the same fate loomed overhead of Auallonia now. Its effects already had begun creeping over the land—and she’d seen it firsthand in the eyes of the citizens who lived closer to the border of their country. Those who’d survived that is. . . .

The memories of listless eyes filled Fia’s mind, and it caused her to close her own for a moment as her form tensed, and a shaky exhale slipped between her pink lips. Those were the same eyes she saw all over Aegis before she’d left it behind her. Those were the eyes she wanted to see filled with fire again—with the spirit they’d once held. It was a part of why she’d taken to life as a mercenary after being denied knighthood. Her father had broken her mother’s spirit; her own spirit had nearly been broken then too, with the loss of her sister and that same event. . . . But she’d regained it, she found it again—it had dimmed down to a tiny little ember. But, it was still there. Despite everything, it had not died out. It took coaxing and effort, but, with care, that ember had begun to burn brightly again, till it once more blazed. Fia managed to rekindle her will to live. And, in part, she wanted to do the same for the many who’d lost their volition in the battles with the Empire. She wanted to undo what her father had done to her mother, and do what he was supposed to have.

The notion of being able to revitalize the inner fire of those who’d lost it was something that caused her youthful heart to lurch upward in her chest, skipping a beat, and it made her let out a shaky little breath as she opened her eyes again to the orange-bathed hallway. Her eyes fell again to the elderly man before her—his age, story, and place in life. . . . She knew nothing of it, or of him, not even his name, but she’d been able to see clearly enough in his eyes before he turned for her to follow him that he’d not lost his spirit. Despite what Auallonia had undergone, he had not lost his fire or will to live and win against it. If even she might be able to play a small part in restoring that sort of fire to the hearts of those who’d lost it . . . that was enough for her.

“Miss Fiammetta,” the man before her spoke again, his voice as raspy as the first time. “Please, mind yourself before our Blessed.”

Her mouth opened just a bit in regard to the quiet request made of her by the man, as her eyebrows rose just a bit. “That needn’t be a concern, sir; I recognize well my place before a ruler.” Fia replied to him, her own voice unobtrusive and composed.

Nothing more was said. There was no need for it. Fia’s response and tone revealed enough to the man that she did indeed understand to whom she would be speaking, and that the matter at hand was beyond the scope of individual gain and want. It mattered more than her whims or desires. . . . After all, her own country had faced the Largiti years before. She knew how much this mattered.

At last, they stopped before a rather modest looking door that remained shut—and Fia’s eyes went from it to the servant, a hint of questioning within them. Was this the destination? There was but a simple nod from the man, as it was he opened the door and shuffled to the side, giving her room to move through and into the room, to where she would meet with the Blessed of Auallonia. “Thank you,” she spoke to him softly as she stepped past, and into the throne room. Her eyes took it in—the simplistic nature of it. It was not a grand spectacle, as one would expect, but rather, it reflected the nature of Auallonia itself, those who ruled over it. It was more like a dining hall, in Fia’s mind, humble and whatnot. Collecting herself again, remembering her place, Fia moved forward before providing a bow to the man and woman seated at the other end of the table. Those who ruled the nation she was within.

She’d not looked them over before showing her respect to them—and only did she really look when the voice of the female, the current Blessed, sounded out. “Please sit, child,” her voice was quiet, dignified but one that was songful. At hearing the request made of her, Fia raised her head upright, opening her eyes as she gave a sincere nod. The mercenary took her seat in quiet, not a sound or word escaping her throat. Her green eyes hit the surface of the table before her, seeing tea had been set out for her alongside small cookies. She blinked a couple of times, not having expected that. However, it was simply tea, and it was placed at her seat as a sign of courtesy.

Slowly, she looked up to those who sat across the table from her—the King and Queen of Auallonia, and she could not help the fact that her eyes widened upon taking in their appearance. She knew of the things said about those who presided over the country, that they were beings of ageless beauty, wonder and mystical in appearance. . . . Some claimed them to be paintings that’d been given life by Ayla herself—Auallune. Her thoughts were stunned in place at seeing them in person, the things she’d heard were not wrong. . . . They were beings of otherworldly beauty. Quickly enough though, Fia gathered her thoughts again, knowing it rude to stare as she’d been. With a slight tick her in expression, the White Reaper hastily adjusted herself and forced her features back into a calm and respective expression.

Her armored hands were placed delicately into her lap as the Blessed again spoke with that entrancing voice of hers, “We are grateful that you have accepted our request, Lady Rose,” Use of her alias by the woman did not catch Fia off-guard, but rather reminded her that she needed to make evident and known her true name. She leaned her head just a bit to the side—the movement slight but elegant in a way that Fia could compare her to water. “Shashikiran may not be my son by blood, but I have raised him so, and his safety is of the greatest importance, not only to us, but to this nation. He is a symbol of our continued livelihood, but also the source of it. We Blessed are deeply connected to this land and any that reaches out for us, and it is not an easy thing for us to leave it. I say this so that you might understand the importance of what you undertake. If he dies, so does Auallonia, in more than one way.”

So it came out, all at once from her in that melodic, divine voice. Shashikiran—that was the name of Auallonia’s ‘prince’, whom she was asked to protect. Fia knew that the lineage of rulers within Auallonia was not one that followed the same everlasting bloodline, but that it was something decided by manners she did not understand fully. What was being asked of her . . . Fia heard it within the woman’s voice, it was a request not just made for the sake of the country, but one of personal meaning. That was something she understood well enough, more often than not, when requests were made of her, jobs given to her to protect someone . . . those who asked something of her oft had desperation hidden deep within their voices. They asked her to protect people not only for their own personal wellbeing, but because they cared for the protectee. This was something no different—though Shashikiran’s wellbeing mattered to Auallonia as a whole, it was something different for those who’d raised him, thought of him as family.

It was one thing when someone mattered on a level of a country, but another when it was on the level of familial. It was slight, but, Fia’s lips rose into a ghostly, melancholic smile as she understood where it was this request was coming from.

In the moment of silence which followed the words of the Blessed, the man beside her spoke, her husband, so it was at hearing the first note of his voice that Fia’s eyes flittered to him. “We understand that this puts you and any who may help you at great risk. As such, you may name your price for this task. If it is within the resources of our country and our people, then it shall be yours when he and his bride are safely returned to us.”

For a second, Fia’s thoughts just . . . stopped. It was true that she already had known well in advance of this that the mission in protecting Shashikiran was one of great peril and danger, that was something obvious. Danger and things of the like were something she was accustom to, given her lifestyle. It wasn’t uncommon in the least for her to wind up in predicaments otherwise unheard of whilst not even contracted by a client or being paid for it. Fia often just took what was offered to her in the way of payment if contracted, whether it was a few coins, food, a place to lodge for the night—more or less anything that allowed her another day of living. Normally, she was never asked what her personal price was, and was told that if were within certain realms, it was promised. She’d spent more than a week travelling through Auallonia, never once thinking about her payment or anything of the sort, rather, her thoughts had been occupied on helping to keep someone safe, and hopefully helping to restore a nation’s spirit.

Not a word left Fia’s mouth for a good solid minute, as she sat there, a rather stunned look on her young face. It took more than a second for her to realize she’d gone stark quiet, and for her to shake it off. What a wonderful impression to make upon the people who were contracting her with something of such great importance. There were stares on her from those who remained in the room with their Blessed. . . . Realizing she’d just made herself look daft, one of her hands quickly wound up at the back of her head as her cheeks flushed a touch red, and she opened her lips to at last speak.

“I . . . must apologize for failing to respond to you, your majesties.” Fia’s voice slipped out of her throat louder than she’d meant for it to, causing it to sort of falter when she attempted to adjust its volume. She rubbed the back of her neck as a regretful expression formed over her still flushed face, “In honesty, the notion of payment was something I’d not considered, what to ask for or what to want in exchange for ensuring the safety of Shashikiran. . . . I did not give it any thought.”

Her hand found its way back to her other in her lap. “More than a week of travel, and not once did I think upon such a subject,” Fia sighed before continuing, “However, all I would request in the way of payment, would be enough money to sustain myself for a short while.” A hand was placed upon her breastplate, “For someone as myself, there is no reward in extravagance or anything of the like. I turned to an existence as a mercenary not because I sought riches, but because I desired a life of abiding by my morality and coming to the aid of those who needed it above all else.” She smiled just a bit then, “I know that the safety of Shashikiran a matter more vital than earthly words are capable of articulating to your realm, and to you, personally.”

“To ask the metaphorical world for ensuring such a thing would be erroneous.” Fia rose to her feet and bowed to the two of them, “I’ll ask of you nothing more than stated before—just enough for the means of living for a period.” She raised and her eyes fell to them once more, “Fiammetta Thorne, the White Reaper, is at your disposal of Auallonia and wholly dedicated to what has been inquired of her.”

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The morning had displayed the typical mildness of temperate Aullonian springtime, bringing many of the monks out of their cloister and into the gardens. The future Blessed was no exception, though he had special cause to be here, today. It was the last time he would be able to enjoy the peace of mind the place brought him for some time, and he desired to savor it. At this time of year, the skilled gardeners had coaxed the garden into full bloom, a veritable explosion of soft colors and a bouquet of fragrance. At no point was it overwhelming, however, and that was truly the skill behind it.

It was an even more glorious place at night; many of the native species of his country did not show their faces to the sun, but only to Mother Moon, and were currently closed up tightly. The stream that wound its way through the garden burbled presently somewhere to his left, but for once, Shiki was finding it difficult to meditate. His connection to the lives around him had not waned, but it was being overwhelmed by the other thoughts swimming around in his mind. He had not undergone this much difficulty to still them since he was but a child, and he raised the heel of his hand to his brow, applying gentle pressure to first one eye and then the other, sighting lightly, like a whisper of wind.

It would seem, he thought with some small degree of wry amusement, that even men centuries old could be children with regards to some things. He had told himself repeatedly that this was what was best for his nation, but… he was finding it difficult to quell his internal resistance to the idea of being married, not for the love his predecessor and her husband shared, but for political and military convenience. His lips compressed faintly, the pale color fading into white, and he draped his hand again over his knee. He should not be thinking of such things, not because they were unworthy to think about—everyone had a right to seek companionship of that truest kind—but because dwelling overlong on what could not be changed helped nobody. He had made this choice, when the options were placed before him, and he would carry it through to the end, with as much grace as possible.

His motion was fluid as the stream when he stood, the split tail of his black coat stirring behind him, though even swathed in dark cloth boots, his feet made no sound against the grass, nor the carved pathway of stone slabs he found thereafter. A faint breeze stirred the length of his hair, casting a few long, moonsilver strands in front of his eyes and he brushed them aside, grateful for the reminder. With a deft, practiced motion, he tied the lot of them up in a high warrior’s tail, which trailed even so to the backs of his knees, a pennant that rippled slightly with his motion. The hood, he would leave for now.

His predecessor had asked him to attend her at the Hall in five minutes, and this he would do. He was apparently to meet his protector there, though he knew not whom they had hired for the task. He supposed that precious few would be willing to take such a risk as his escort would require, and monks were too obvious a retinue, recognizable as his countrymen even from great distance. Even he would be going disguised, in a sense—the white of his office had been replaced with ordinary travel garments in black, plain so as to draw as little attention as possible. He would be masquerading as a mercenary, himself, though he knew very little about how to be one. Perhaps the presence of weaponry and the absence of finery would speak enough that he did not have to. Not that he was accustomed to much finery anyway; a monk was at his best when humble.

The door into the hall was opened for him, and he entered just in time to hear the Blessed speaking once more. “Then you shall have what you ask for, Miss Thorne, and a bit more besides.” His predecessor’s smile was caught between amused and indulgent—apparently, whatever the woman had said previously, she approved of it. Shiki flowed a little further down the long hallway, and she caught sight of him easily. “And here he is now. Shashikiran—it is good to see you. Please introduce yourself to Miss Thorne, your escort.”

His first thought was that she was rather smaller than he had expected, and her demeanor less… boisterous? Mercenaries were few and far between in his country, so he’d tried not to have any expectations at all, but there it was. He didn’t let it bother him—she was welcome to be however she liked, as far as he was concerned. She was, after all, doing him a great service, paid or no. There was a sort of reedlike thinness to her, one that he suspected gave the lie to a considerable fortitude. One did not get by in a profession like hers without being good at it—bad mercenaries tended to perish, he understood. Her hair reminded him a bit of sunlight, something he found just the slightest bit ironic, but her eyes were very much the color of the season.

He bowed at the waist, smiling gently. “It is truly my pleasure, Miss Thorne,” he said, the genuineness in his tones warm and obvious. “My name is Shashikiran Aethelbaeorn Auallonia, but I would consider it a personal favor if you simply referred to me as Shiki.” He rose from the bow, tilting his head faintly to the side in a birdlike motion, innocent curiosity evident in the expectant look in his eyes. It was hard to imagine, perhaps, that this was the future leader of an entire nation.