At the heart of the world stood an empire for over 1000 years. An empire whose rule had instilled fear in countless nations and influential leaders. A city founded by the renowned emperor Flavius Valerius Il Faustus. Now, all that was left of this once-great empire was the capital city, which now had only one-tenth of its former population. Fifteen thousand citizens defended the tall walls against invading forces determined to seize the world's capital.
The city's current state falls short of its former glory—the stadiums where thousands of cheering fans once supported their teams no longer host events, the Cathedral, where services used to be held, now has rows of empty seats, and the streets where merchants once made a living are now deserted. The city was nearing its end, held together only by the walls. Walls that had faced 37 armies whose soldiers had never seen the inside of the capital. But the craving House of Al Anadolu would never be satisfied until Flavionople was in their control.
The Altvain people now established the formidable Uthmann Empire, with the goal of dominating Flavianople, the capital of the Valyrian Empire.
Their founder had been given a vision in which the stars spoke to him, commanding him to conquer the city of Flavionople. After countless marriages and conquests, the empire surrounded the city and had only one conquest in mind—the complete surrender of Flavionople.
A thirteen-year-old boy practiced his swordsmanship skills with his tutor. A rigorous routine that required the child's full attention. With the tutor putting one hand behind him, the duel began. The kid lunged forward and attacked his center, which the much more experienced old man easily parried. The kid kept up the barrage of attacks, aiming at different parts of the old man's body. His legs, arms, fingers, and head were all being protected without difficulty. The old man quickly countered the young boy's attack.
"You're holding the blade too tight." Said the old man.
"Make your moves lighter, and keep control of your center line."
The kid had heard those lines so often, he was starting to find them annoying. No matter how he attempted to break the old man's focus, he would be countered and made to back himself up so as not to get hit by an attack.
A young servant girl approached the one-sided duel and witnessed the old man's control.
The old man again started lecturing, saying, "If you don't make me take a step back, we will train until sunset." The kid began rushing even faster, and for the first time, he saw the old man's face change. With one attack aimed directly at the neck, it seemed he would finally connect.
But the old man simply moved his head beyond the sword's reach. Pushing the child back with the hand that had his sword in. Completely stunned, the kid rushed and attempted to set up that same attack once again, but the same trick wouldn't work on a veteran swordsman. Quickly countered, and as both swords clashed in the middle, the kid's sword slipped from his grip.
"And now you were holding it too lightly." Said the old man.
The young servant began clapping once the duel was over.
"Amazing, you were both so Amazing."
The old man smiled, but was curious why she was there. "Elene, what brings you here so early?"
"That's right, I was instructed to bring Dante with me. His Majesty, Emperor Juris Petrus Il Amadeus, requested his presence at court."
"Why was I not made aware of this? I could have postponed his practice so he could be in more formal attire."
"I just received word of the order myself."
The old man looked visibly irritated because he knew he was being kept out of the important matters regarding the empire's future. He then looked at the boy and said, "Dante, do you still remember the proper steps a prince must take when in the royal court?"
Dante immediately replied, "Yes, sir."
"Good, now go with Elene."
"Yes, Sir."
The two kids walked through the large castle toward the royal court. Although the castle had once housed a significant number of servants, cooks, and guards, now all that was left were dust-covered hallways.
Elene was thinking of a conversation she could have with Dante to relax his nerves, so she thought of something that would at least distract him.
"You know, the merchant who sells cloth to noble women was caught in the house of a princess of Uthmann."
Dante was a bit shocked and curious about what that meant. "You mean Elias?"
"Yes, the head maid said that he was caught in her room and somehow escaped through a window."
"Wasn't he just in her room to measure her?"
"Poor, innocent Dante. You still don't understand the adult world," Elene said with a smile.
Dante looked at her and said, "Elene, you're only 2 years older than me."
The two kids kept arguing until they reached the king's court. Elene saw the door and said, "This is as far as I can go." Dante prepared himself and thanked Elene for helping him calm his nerves before opening the door. Elene felt overjoyed that she could help Dante, and as soon as Dante entered the chambers, she smiled and strolled through the hallways.
The court started its session, and when Dante was called to his father's presence, he stood in the center of the court, looking at his father on top of his throne. Dante kneeled on the cold, hard stone and proclaimed, "May God bless the king and all those who favor."
Dante hadn't seen his father in a whole year. Since his father's coronation three years ago, their relationship had deteriorated to such an extent that he was afraid to even look at him.
Juris looked at his son from the throne and noticed how much he had grown in a year. He was tall for his age and appeared to have a muscular build for a child. Juris knew his tutor had trained him well. Though he wished for a longer talk with his son, the needs of the nation took precedence over a personal conversation.
After a long pause, Juris started asking about his tutor. Dante, still looking down, mentioned that his training and education are progressing well. He explains that he has been practicing swordsmanship and has become stronger since their last meeting.
Juris then asks the question he had brought Dante for. "I received word from Simon that you have shown signs of a Flair. Is this true?"
Dante realized this was the reason his father wanted to see him. Although he suspected it, knowing his father wasn't genuinely trying to connect with him felt hurtful.
Dante simply said, "Yes, my Emperor."
Juris knew what it meant to have a Flair. A Flair was a rare phenomenon that occurred in only about 1 in 10 humans born. It was an anomaly that hadn't happened to the royal family in over 100 years—that the person next in line for the throne would have a Flair.
"What evidence did Simon find to say you had a flair?"
Dante calmly stated that he could see the individual Essence flowing from everyone in the room. Juris looked around and asked if he could detect any Essence that seemed different from the rest of the court. Dante scanned the room and noticed three individuals whose Essence appeared to be higher than everyone else's. He pointed at them, and they indeed also had developed a Flair.
"Prince Dante Giannis Ille Amadeus, you will now be assigned a new tutor to help you develop your Flair." Juris looked at an old man standing at the bottom steps of the throne. The old man then moved closer to Dante and introduced himself. "My name is Pytheas of Illia. It will be my honor to guide you, young master." The old man was slightly shorter than the average adult. He appeared a little taller than Dante, with no notable muscular build.
Pytheas looked at Dante and could see that he looked confused. "Young Prince, I know I may not look like an experienced tutor, but let me prove why I was chosen for this task."
Juris looked at Pytheas and told him they were both excused from the court.
Pytheas took Dante to a garden near the palace and asked if he had seen anyone use Gisla. Dante was unaware of what Gisla was and asked what it was used for. Pytheas looked around, and his hands started to show written symbols. After raising his five fingers, he formed a blue translucent shield covering his upper body. Dante had never seen anyone around him control Essence with such precision.
"How could you do that?" said Dante excitedly.
With a satisfied look, Pytheas proudly proclaimed, "My dear boy, you have just witnessed the basics of Gisla.
The night grew colder, and the nocturnal animals emerged from their slumber. An old man stood guard at the castle's empty gate.
"You look even more irritated than you did 5 years ago, Simon."
Simon looked at the short man approaching him and didn't even respond.
"You've become even more rude than I remember."
"What do you want, Pytheas?" Simon asked in an uninterested tone.
"What might a friend want when they see someone they haven't seen in a while?"
Simon looked at Pytheas's face and said, "In your case, it could be anything."
"Perhaps you haven't changed much," both men said with a laugh.
The two old men began to discuss the state of the Empire and could not agree on the direction it should take.
"Pytheas, aren't you from Illias? That land was once yours. Why aren't you fighting in the war?"
"That land hasn't been in my people's control for over 2000 years. Taken from us by one empire after another, we haven't ruled ourselves for such a long time. What would be the point of fighting?"
You are part of the Valarian Empire. I'm a Hellenar, your Illian; the royal family is half Persephian and half Slaveni. We all aspired to something greater than ourselves and created a union.
"And what happened to those in our tribes who decided to fend for themselves? Were they allowed that luxury, or were they slaughtered?"
The conversation fell silent because Simon had no real response to that. He understood the crimes that previous kings and wars had inflicted on innocent lives.
"Do you think the war is pointless?" Simon asked curiously.
"Of the countless wars humans have had, how many were for fair morals? House Al Anadolu wants the city because it has built its legitimacy on its founder's prophecy. A prophecy that their religious figure had dreamed of. How do normal men compete against a prophecy so many followers want to believe?"
Simon began to consider the statement Pytheas had given and knew he spoke the truth. Although the war was inevitable, it also seemed that the city's downfall was certain without help from the rest of the Taurian continent, which needed to unite. Such a feat had never been accomplished before. The only way the city could have survived on its own was if the war had never started, and the city had been allowed to recover from years of economic decline and poor leadership.
Pytheas shifted the conversation by praising Dante for his Flair, describing him as a refined young man. Simon concurred, acknowledging he still has work to do to manage his temper, but he has learned to control it through sparring. Pytheas and Simon then spent an hour discussing his journeys southward into the Masala Ocean and back to Mekle on the Ifrian continent. Though they had not seen each other in years, their excitement was tempered by the awareness that their safety wasn't assured.
The sun came out, and Pytheas had already prepared all the steps needed to help Dante develop his Flair and potentially turn it into a Gisla. As soon as the sun passed the city walls and shone on the streets of Flavionople, he asked Elene to bring Dante.
Elene got to the doors of Dante's chamber and knocked on them. No response. Knocked once more, even louder than the previous time. No response. Elene was getting tired of knocking and yelled while knocking until the door finally creaked open. Dante looked so tired, as if his sleep had been cut in half. Elene looked at him and told him to get ready because Pytheas was ready for him. Dante looked at Elene with tired eyes and said, "Tell him I'll be there in 15 minutes." Slowly shutting the door.
Elene went to tell Pytheas that he'll be ready in 45 minutes.
Dante rushed to the Palatium Garden and apologized to Pytheas for being late, which was a surprise to Pytheas since Dante was 5 minutes earlier than expected. Dante looked back at Elene, and she gave him a thumbs-up.
Both of them sat down, and Pytheas gave him a rundown of the history of Gisla.
"So, Dante, how much do you know about Living Essence?"
"I know that every living creature has Essence, I know it generates itself from the heart, and that there are six schools of mastery."
"Yes, do you know what those schools are?"
"Yes," he said doubtfully. They are Excellence, Sacrifice, Struggle, Joy, Obsession, and…"
Pytheas saw Dante struggling to remember and attempted to remind him by saying. "It's from a nation on the other side of the world."
Dante thought for a moment but couldn't remember. Pytheas then said, "It is Harmony developed by Specialist Kongqiu."
"Do you know what the six disciplines are?"
"I know one of them is Illusion."
Pytheas then said, "Yes, Illusion is one of them. The other five are Produce, Enhance, Manipulate, Vision, and Element."
Dante was curious about which discipline he could use. He believed he could easily overpower Simon in a duel if he were an enhancer.
Pytheas stated that even though he has a flair, it doesn't mean much unless he can properly develop Gisla. A rare occurrence, only ten percent of Flair users could achieve. Dante grew nervous and imagined how unlikely it would be for him to develop Gisla, given its rarity. However, Pytheas assured him that he shouldn't worry about trivial matters. If he could develop Gisla, he would be the first emperor since Anastasius the Great nearly 1000 years ago.
Pytheas looked at Dante and asked him if he understood what Mastering Excelence meant. Dante was unaware of the purpose of any of the six schools of Mastery.
Pytheas then said. "Every human is born into a culture that promotes different ideals from one another. To reach perfection in the school of Excellence, one must not only emotionally connect with their Essence, but they must also understand how it works. They must use logic and comprehension to control their abilities and form any Gisla. Which is why you need to understand how Essence works."
Pytheas shared the writings of many great teachers and told Dante that he would review most of their work. In the afternoon, Simon walked by to see how his student was doing from a balcony near the Palatium Garden. He saw Dante carefully listening to every word Pytheas spoke. Simon always saw Dante as a child he deeply cared for. However, he knew there was no certain path for the boy in the capital city. Simon wished he could tell Dante how much he appreciated his family for giving him purpose in his final years, but he couldn't show this side of himself to the Amadeus household. Simon knew that showing such love could mean losing it all again.
The sun and the moon started to exchange places. As the stars and the moon shimmered over the city's walls, a restless Simon stood above the palace gates. Once again, Pytheas came closer to Simon and asked why he wasn't sleeping. Simon looked at Pytheas and asked why he kept bothering him.
Pytheas looked at Simon and said. "As if I'd ever leave a friend in need."
The conversation went quiet, and Simon asked Pytheas how the training was going with Dante.
"He's been a good student so far. Usually, when a noble asks me to train a kid, they either have no talent, no endeavor, or simply act on impulse. But Dante seems willing to put in the effort to Master his Essence. You've done a good job at mentoring him so far."
Simon smirked for a bit and said. "Do you think he could take care of himself?"
"From what I've seen, his skills with the blade are enough to defeat most soldiers. He hasn't beaten you in a duel, but you can beat most of the world in a one-on-one duel."
Simon looked at Pytheas and asked, "How long do you plan to train him for?"
"If everything goes well, he'll master most of it within a year."
"Do you plan on staying in the city for the entire year?"
"No, I have lesson plans to help him when I'm gone."
Simon laughed and said, "Your inability to stay in one place for more than a year is the reason you never got married, you know."
Pytheas also laughed and said. "Believe it or not, I have a lover in every port I visit. This very port holds my dear Anna, the daughter of a fisherman. She has dreams of traveling the world just as I do. I am even considering taking her to some of my journeys."
Simon began laughing even louder, "You always had a way of making yourself connect with women."
"Perhaps I should help you with that," said Pytheas.
The environment got quiet once again as Pytheas realized what he had done. Simon just touched a silver bracelet on his right hand and softly said. "I don't have an interest in finding someone."
Pytheas asked for forgiveness, and Simon continued the conversation a little longer before heading to his own bed. As he made his way to his chamber, he began reminiscing about his life and realized that his fate was in the hands of the walls. Simon had nothing to protect but the royal family, and if his fate was to die with the last remnants of the empire, he was more than willing.
The castle walls opened to merchants from around the world. As tents were being set up, royal guards escorted a princess and a young prince into the city.
The morning was perfect for physical training. Pytheas asked Dante if he had ever seen anyone effectively use Gisla. Dante explained that he had seen Gisla used but never in combat.
"Today will be a great experience for you."
Dante and Pytheas headed towards the training barracks. Soldiers were changing into uniform and running drills. Some of the men were laughing and joking until they saw Pytheas. Although he held no rank, Pytheas was still seen as a legend among the young men of the Valerian Empire. A scholar of Gisla and a once-powerful soldier.
From the loud whispers of the soldiers, Pytheas is approached by the captain in charge. A man by the name of Alexios the Black. A tall man with several scars on his face. Alexios stands in front of both Pytheas and Dante, staring at both of them. He smiles and says. "Sir Pytheas, it is an honor to have you here." Pytheas looks down at Dante, whose eyes were confused at the friendly interaction between these two men.
"How can we be of service?" Said Alexios.
Pytheas responded by explaining that he was trying to train the young prince how to use his Essence. Alexios looked down at Dante; the eyes of such a tall man made Dante feel nervous. "This is the kid who is training with Simon?"
"Yes, he is, and I would be careful how you speak to him. Young Prince Dante might not look like much, but he is quite talented with the sword for his age." Said Pytheas while smiling.
The grin on Pytheas made Alexios feel he should challenge the young prince. "I don't believe he stands a chance against a scarred warrior like myself."
Pytheas looked at Dante and asked, "Young Prince, your subject speaks with such disrespect. A simple demonstration of your skills could change the perspective of everyone here."
The crowd of soldiers grew louder as they all knew the skills of their captain were far superior to any of theirs. Dante looked at the captain and his teacher and loudly proclaimed, "First Captain Alexios the Black, your disrespect has not gone unnoticed. For this offense against my own royal bloodline, we shall duel." Alexios looked at the young boy and smiled, accepting the challenge.
The stage was set for the duel. Neither of them wore any armor as Dante reached for the wooden swords; Alexios halted him. Alexios argued that the arena they were about to fight in wasn't built for playfighting. They planned to fight until someone drew first blood. Dante looked at Alexios in the eyes and smiled.
"I thought you'd be afraid of looking weak in front of your own men," responded Dante.
Pytheas privately asked Dante how he felt. Dante looked at himself, then at Pytheas, and asked, "Do I have something?"
Pytheas leaned in close to Dante's ear and said, "Look, you're probably not gonna beat Alexios. But the important thing is to lose with style. All of the soldiers know that Alexios is one of the greatest swordsmen in the city. What they don't know is how strong the future heir of the kingdom is. I want you to at least make them doubt their captain's ability."
Dante looked at Pytheas with a resolute expression and prepared himself.
"By the way, I'll be on the lookout for a skilled Gisla user, so I won't watch most of the match." Dante looked at Pytheas with a worried expression. Pytheas assured Dante that everything would be fine and left.
The arena went silent. Both Alexios and Dante stared at each other. Sword in hand, they moved toward the center. The crowd grew louder with each step they took. Although Dante was tall for his age, the closer he got to Alexios, the more noticeable the height difference became. The two swordsmen reached the center and, for a brief second, studied their opponent. All weak spots and potential combos were thought of.
The first swing of the blade was easily blocked by Alexios. Dante was a much faster swordsman than Alexios. However, even with that advantage, Alexios responded to each attack with simple, fluid movements. The crowd grew louder; everyone saw the skill gap between the two swordsmen. Dante lunged with as many combined attacks as he could, but none of them hit Alexios. Alexios had been countering all of Dante's swings, but he was beginning to increase the pressure on the young prince. Alexios finally understood the sword style Dante fought with. Dante felt how each of his swings was being smoothly countered. He knew he had to hurry, as each swing allowed Alexios to memorize his skill set. Dante swung with all his strength and created an opening on Alexios' chest. He immediately launched an attack to exploit the exposed chest. The crowd grew louder, not because Dante's attack connected, but because the young prince fell into the trap set by Alexios. As Dante's attack missed, the larger man grabbed both of his hands with his right hand and struck Dante with a powerful hook on his cheek.
End Of The First Chapter