Celeus, Safire, Azurrel

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(Awww crackers....gotta do a description thingy....lol)

Safire is one of the four regions/states of Azurrel. It is more rural than the other states, as it concentrates more on farming and ranching since the soil in the area is very fertile. Safire is probably the poorest of the states, but it is also the most peaceful one. The area is populated with tiny villages and town spaced greatly apart, with only a few paved roads in the whole region.

Safire is covered almost entirely with green healthy grasslands and quite a bit forests. People there uses almost no modern technology but instead prefer to live a more primitive way of life.

Celeus is a village in this vast region. Its people lived in harmony until 9 years ago....

PROLOGUE!!

Aeluna returns back to her hometown, which was destroyed 9 years and visits the graves of her family and friends.

A gentle breeze batted Aeluna's face as she walked along the sea of trees. Her footsteps echoed into the night air and everything from animals to the leaves of the trees silenced.

With one hand, she carried a large basket of fresh flowers, and with the other, the diamond bracelet that held so many sad, distant, yet unforgettable memories.

Her feet stopped in front of five tombstones and she stooped down and placed the flowers on each one. Next she stood before one of those stones, stared for a while, then stooped down in the same slow movement as before and buried the bracelet directly in front of the grave. The grave belonged to her sister and the others were her mother, father and two brothers.

And all around her were the graves of all the residents that lived there.

Aeluna's expression was completely blank, for she could no longer feel any pain. Closing her hazel eyes, she thought back at the fateful night. Screams and shouts of pure pain and anguish, the burning homes and the blood that poured like a flooding river down the sloops of the once-peaceful village that had been destroyed along with its people.

47 innocent lives ended that night on the very spot she stood on. 47 dead corpses that she had dragged all by herself into their individual graves. 47 people that she swore to avenge.

Her eyes turned bright yellow and looked straight into the eyes of a crow. I will avenge them. Aeluna shouted mentally and watched calmly as the crow's jet black body burst open from the inside and its crimson blood sink into the cursed earth.

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As the 16-year old girl walked in the familar fields, she saw a wooden cottage in the middle of the sea of grass. Curious as always, despite all the things she's been put through, Aeluna approached it and saw a little girl with brown hair picking flowers while humming a tune.

"That song.... my older sister always rock me to sleep with this lullaby," Aeluna commented nicely from behind.

The girl turned around, with a smile on her tiny face, "Really? It is a beautiful song, no?" she said lightly then showed her the flowers she picked, "Wanna join me?"

This question knocked her off-guard, was this girl not afraid of me? I have a bow and several arrows tied to my back, was she not afraid that I might use it againist her?

Hesitating, Aeluna knelt down and watched the other silently as the girl chatted on about what she did today and the types of flowers she's picking. "I'm Reilee, what's your name?" She asked suddenly.

Aeluna felt that this girl can be trusted....Trust, a feeling she haven't felt for years... "Aeluna...Nox, nice....errr...to meet you." She replied slowly, not very familiar with the concept of introductions.

"What a beautiful name!"

"Thank you..." She was once again surprised at how friendly Reilee is.

Reilee watched the teenager for a while, then said, "You must be tired, coming all this way! There's really nothing to see in Celeus.... Oh! Come in, then we can get to know each other!" The little girl dragged her into her home and push Aeluna down into a seat while she prepared some desserts for her guest.

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"Where did you come from?" Reilee asked as she set a plate of cookies and a cup of tea in front of Aeluna. The black-haired female hesitated, "Nowhere, I'm a traveler."

As she slipped a little from her own cup, Reilee grinned, "Really? I've always wanted to see the world! But.... Well, I just can't seem to leave this place behind!"

Aeluna was only half-listening, as her attention was mostly on the furnishings of the small cabin. It was the traditional, one-room kind, and it has only a few pieces of really simple furnitures such as: a wooden table and two chairs, which they are sitting on, a stove, and a small bed.

Reilee followed her eyes and laughed a little, "Yes, not much to look at, is it? But everything in this room, every single inch of wood, was my great grandmother's."

Even though Reilee had not said the word, Aeluna felt the pang of sadness all the same. Family.... She sighed and looked back at her sorry past.

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FLASHBACK.....

"Aeluna!! Are you okay?" Teia ran to her little sister's small figure lying unconsious on the icy floor.

~ * ~ * ~

"...it's the fifth time this week.... maybe Father works her too hard....." Aeluna heard Teia's worried and gentle voice outside of her tiny room as she woke up. A male's deep voice answered her sister solemnly, sighing heavily, "I know, I know, but Father...."

Hion, the oldest of the four Nox children sighed again, and Aeluna could imagine her brother shaking his head.

"He blames Mother's death on her... even when he knows...deep inside that Mother's health wasn't the best even before Aeluna's birth..."

"Poor child.... we must help her, or she'll surely die from this torture!!"

"She is beyond us, we are, after all, his children as well...."

Little 7-year old Aeluna tuned them out then, knowing that she will never be able to escape her terrible fate.

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Flashback (con.)....

~A week later~

Aeluna got up at 3 AM as usual to start her morning chores. She ran outside and started chopping up logs that are to be used to build the fire for breakfast later. As she busied herself to her work, she heard loud footsteps in march rhythm .

What could it be? She thought, then slowly raised her small head and saw a small army of red armored soldiers, coming their way. Terrified, she hurried into the cottage and woke her siblings.

Before she could tell them what she saw, loud banging on the wooden door filled the crowded little room.

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((Yes! Another update! ...I've been having the usual writer's block....eheh...))

"Quick! The back door!" The father of the four children whispered and gently shoved each of them to the exit.

"This is a warning, open the door or we will not hesitate to break it down!" A man's voice shouted from outside. Hedon, Hion's twin brother hurried his two sister out the door then turned to his father, "We cannot all escape in time, I'll stay behind to buy everyone some time."

"No! If we are to escape, then we go together....as a family...." The father answered sadly.

"If you are staying, then I'll stay as well," Hion took his place beside his twin and gave an assuring smile.

Aeluna watched all of this with tears in her eyes, It's just like the dream.... she thought back at the nightmare she had last night.

...This is...where it ends.....

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The three men of the family decided to fight to defend their home. From a faraway hill, Aeluna and Teia watched as the soldiers break through the door.

There was yelling....screaming, the sisters can hear them as clearly as if they were standing at the door of the house. After a while... everything stopped.

The soldiers came out alive, barely wounded and their red armor glistened with blood. Teia fell to the ground and mourned silently for the three brave, yet idiotic males.

As for Aeluna, she remained standing, her tears has long dried up and watch the soldier march deeper into town, destroying every house and killing every person in sight.

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"We have to leave," Aeluna nudged her sister after a while. "But...but...Father...." Teia remained planted to the spot, reluctant to move.

"If you wish to live, then do as I say," the little girl replied calmly, turning to face the door.

The young woman did not move, but stared at the dead bodies lying on the floor. "I'll bury them... it's the least I can do..."

Aeluna sighed, "They were stupid to stay any longer than necessary, hence..." She gestured to the blood and corpses, "...they meet their ends, do you wish to follow in their footsteps? To die a tragic death?

Teia was terrified by how mature and calm her little sister had become and knew, deep inside, Aeluna was right. Pushing back her anguish, she walked to the exit and forced a weak smile. "Then let us go."

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=!=Two years after the event (still in flashback)=!=

** Explaination:

The sisters hid themselves deep within the forest until the soldiers finally leave the village. They spent 4 days burying all the dead, 46 people, and their last resting spot is in the clearing on a high cliff within the forest (where Aeluna is in the prologue)

They now live near the grave site so they can both visit the graves more frequently and also stay out of sight of intruders.
(End of Explaination)

**

"Happy 10th birthday, Aeluna," Teia smiled as she took out a home-made cake. Aeluna returned the smile weakly and continued looking outside. The older sister sighed and sat down beside her, knowing that though two years has passed in between, memories of that night would forever haunt them.

"...What country were they from?" Aeluna asked suddenly. Teia didn't answer, but stared at her sister oddly.

"Where were they from?" Aeluna repeated a little slower but with more force.

"They were from..." Teia swallowed hard and hesitated, "...Amethest...Aphrodite, Amethest."

~End of Flashback~

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~Back at the present: Reilee's cottage~

Aphrodite, Amethest.... Aeluna frowned at the memory. But there is so many nobles and royals in Aphrodite... who could it be--

Her thoughts were interrupted when Reilee gently poked her shoulder. "You okay? You were kind of.... staring into space." The girl cocked her head to the side, unsure.

Aeluna nodded, "It's nothing, I was... thinking."

"Daydreaming," She corrected her, which Aeluna replied with a faint smile.

Suddenly, there were screaming from outside. Alarmed, the duo ran to the entrance and looked around. The nearby village, Ongan, was being attacked by some sort of small army.

"What's happening?" Reilee gasped, her eyes widened.

Aeluna ran back inside to gather her bow and arrows, "I don't know, but they are heading this way."

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"Stay back," Aeluna ordered firmly, then charged out to the front of the cabin. Reilee nodded shakily and hid herself behind the cabinets.

Aeluna studied the attackers' moves and knew instantly that they were trained, highly trained. There was about 35 people running around with spears and swords, cutting down their victims with ease.

Damn. She knelt down to make herself a smaller target and aimed at the closest man. Her hands were rock steady and firm when she released the arrow at his head.

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The arrow shot right through the head and landed at least 15 feet ahead of its target. Without a sound, the man collapse to the ground and his blood soaked the green grass around him. It did not take long for the others to find his dead body and immediately, enermies besieged her with angry cries and spears.

Calmly mentally counting the number of men there were, she took another arrow in her hand and stood up to the mob. She was confident that she could defeat this group of people without much effort, if only she could seize the right time...

Suddenly, a yell came from behind her and she saw a javelin flew past her, knocking down two enermies. Wha--?! She saw from the corner of her eyes a male and a female with lances and swords.

The male let out a chuckle and charged.

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Aeluna watched the two newcomers fight the mob with rather experienced strokes. She knew they were no amateurs, but the fact they came out of nowhere to reinforce her still puzzled her greatly.

When the few survivors of the mob finally retreated away with terrified screams, the strangers turned to her. Before she could even open her mouth to say anything, Reilee ran past her and into the female's arms.

After exchanging a few words and lots of giggles, Reilee turned back to face Aeluna with a huge smile, "Aeluna, this is my big sis, Siane. And Sis, this is the girl that protected me from all those men."

Siane's smile was identical to her sister's, and bowing deeply, she thanked her over and over again. Aeluna watched her silently, her face showing no expression and did not bother to interrupt her thank you's.

"You can stop now," The man reminded the female while taking a few steps closer to the crowd. Siane jumped and blushed a little when she realized everyone was looking at her. "This is Reneus, it was his airship that brought us here," she introduced quickly.

Their eyes met and something about Reneus reminded her of the deaths years ago... or rather, what caused it.