The sun has just risen and the fire warrior Serafina already arrived at Duke Ferdinand's castle in order to meet with Elisabeth who she was ordered to train.
Serafina was a tall woman with a rather muscular built,with red hair,pale skin and green eyes.
Serafina knocked at the door which got opened by a maid who welcomed her and told her to wait a bit until she informed Duke Ferdinand about her arrival.In the meantime another servant went to take her luggage in order to bring it to her room.
So the maid knocked on the door of Ferdinand's cabinet in order to inform him.
''What is it that you're disturbing me?'' asked an annoyed Ferdinand who was reading a book.
''My lord,I'm sorry to disturb you but I wanted to inform you that Serafina has just arrived''
''Very well,tell her to wait for me in the main room.In the meantime,you will go to wake up Elisabeth and tell her to come down''''
''Yes,my lord''
The maid accompanied Serafina to the main room and told her to wait a little before she left the main room in order to call Elisabeth.
Ferdinand arrived and greeted Serafina.
''I see that you arrived as fast you could,you are as diligent as ever'' said Ferdinand ''Welcome,to my castle.Its an honor to have you as my guest''
''The honor is all mine'' smiled Serafina ''Of course I would come as fast as I could,after all I have been given a very important task.Speaking of which,I hope that the leader will come down soon because I don't like waiting''
''Do not worry,I already ordered my maid to wake her up.She should be here very fast''
Meanwhile the maid had arrived at Elisabeth's room in order to wake her up.
Elisabeth had been very tired last night which is why she slept fast and strangely enough this time she had not seen the nightmare that had been bothering her for so many nights.
''Elisabeth!'' the maid shouted while knocking on her door ''Its time for you to wake up''
Elisabeth got woken up by the noise and responded by telling the maid that she would get ready and come down as fast as she could.
In the main room Ferdinand and Serafina were continuing their discussions.
''Do you know if the other warriors have arrived yet?'' asked Ferdinand
''Yes,Bratus told me that they have arrived and since the leader is already in the northern part they have been also told to come here'' answered Serafina
''I see'' said Ferdinand ''Well it is certainly more convenient to have them all here''
They conversation got interrupted by Elisabeth who knocked on the door.
''May I come in?'' asked Elisabeth.
''Of course.We have been waiting for you'' replied Ferdinand.
Elisabeth came in and greeted Serafina.
''You must be Serafina.Its a pleasure for me to meet you''
''The pleasure is all mine,my dear'' smiled Serafina while looking at what Elisabeth was wearing.
Elisabeth was feeling herself embarrassed by the way that Serafina was looking at her,almost as if she was looking down on her.
''You don't intend to fight with a dress,do you?'' asked Serafina
''She looked at me like that because a dress isn't suitable for fighting'' thought a relived Elisabeth before she answered ''I know that wearing a dress isn't suitable for a warrior but I'm afraid that this dress is the only
clothing that I have''
''So thats how it is.Luckily you seem to have the same size as me so I can give you some of my clothes'' said Serafina ''Now come with me to my room in order to change''
Elisabeth agreed and went with her.When they came to Serafina's room,Serafina gave Elisabeth a pair of brown pants,a white shirt,a black leather vest and a pair of black leather boots.Elisabeth quickly changed her clothes and was pleased with the way she looked.
''Perfect.Now you're dressed suitably for your training'' smiled Serafina ''Come now,the other warriors must have arrived by now''
Serafina and Elisabeth came down.
''We will be going now'' said Serafina to Ferdinand ''The other warriors must be waiting for us''
''I will come with you too'' said Ferdinand ''I want to see the other warriors''
''Very well'' said Serafina ''The warriors should be waiting for us in the Numcecidum area''
''Good,lets go now to the stable to get our horses'' said Ferdinand.
''Elisabeth,can you ride a horse?'' asked Serafina.
''Yes,I already have a horse'' answered Elisabeth.
''Good because knowing how to ride a horse is something essential for warrior'' said Serafina ''Now come,lets go to the stable''
''Yes'' Elisabeth saw a basket with apples on the table and proceeded to ask ''Can I take an apple?I want to give it to my horse?''
''Of course,you can'' answered Ferdinand.
''Thank you very much'' smiled Elisabeth.
And so Ferdinand,Serafina and Elisabeth went to the stable.Elisabeth immediately went to her horse Celer,it was a beautiful brown horse that was giving to her by King Alexander for her journey.
''Good morning Celer,I hope that you slept well'' smiled Elisabeth as she was caressing Celer's head.
''What an adorable young women'' thought Ferdinand ''It makes me sad to know that someone like her is going to experience the horrors of war''
''Here,I have a treat for you'' Elisabeth smiled as she took the apple and started feeding it to Celer.
When Celer finished eating the apple Elisabeth told Serafina and Ferdinand that she was ready to go.
And so the 3 of them got their horses and rode to the Numcecidum area where the others were waiting for them.
The Numcecidum area was a beautiful area near the border between north and west Ethera,inhabited only by animals and fairies with a rich landscape that included a small forest with magical trees that never withered and sparkled in the night,a large meadow,mountains and a long river flowing from the mountains.
In that area the rest of the second generation warriors had arrived along with Ambrosia and 3 famous warriors from Ethera who had come to test them.They were also some famous nobles who had come to watch them.To everyone's surprise Daniel was also there.
''Not him again'' thought Elisabeth as she rolled her eyes.
Daniel saw Elisabeth and walked towards her.
''Hello,Elisabeth.You look good in your new outfit'' Daniel smiled
''You know each other?'' asked Serafina before she got interrupted by a man who came to greet her.
''Hello,Serafina.I'm glad to see that you made it'' said the man who's name was Bratus.A tall and muscular man,with dirty blonde hair,olive skin and green eyes Bratus was an earth user and one of Ethera's most famous warriors.
''Hello,Bratus'' said Serafina
''Luna and Aerius are also here'' said Bratus ''They're excited to see you again''
''Really?'' Serafina opened her eyes in surprise ''I missed them very much.Lets got and greet that right now''
''Why am I not surprised to see you here?'' said Ferdinand to Daniel while rolling his eyes.
''I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to come here'' said Daniel
''How did you know that everyone was gathered here?'' asked a confused Ferdinand
''I didn't however I woke up early and decided to go out riding and this happens to be my favorite place to ride'' answered Daniel ''While I was riding on here,I soon noticed other people gathering''
''Even if it was forbidden it still wouldn't stop you from coming'' said Ferdinand before he was called by Ambrosia.
''Ferdinand,come here'' shouted Ambrosia ''The others want to talk to you''
''And how did you know that everyone was going to gather here?'' Daniel was annoyed at Ambrosia's presence ''Were you informed about the meeting place before everyone else or did you find out through another one of your prophecies?''
''I already knew from the start that this would be the area in which the warriors would train so I decided to come here before sunrise'' answered Ambrosia
''I see'' Daniel rolled his eyes
''I'm coming''shouted Ferdinand and headed to her direction.
''What are you doing here?I thought that you had no interest in joining the second generation'' an annoyed Elisabeth told Daniel
''Yes and I still haven't changed my stance on that.However I didn't have anything to do so I decided to stay here because what could be more amusing than watching a leader who can't even use her own powers?'' Daniel laughed.
''Its great to see that you have so much underestimating people'' said Elisabeth with a sarcastic voice .
''Are you trying to say that I'm wrong?'' Daniel continued to laugh until he got interrupted by a familiar voice.
''Daniel!'' shouted a woman ''Why didn't you came to me when you returned from your journey?''
''Because I didn't feel like it'' answered an annoyed Daniel.
''How cute'' said Elisabeth in a sarcastic voice ''Is that woman your fiance?''
''That woman my fiance?Don't make me laugh.She's just someone who has forgotten her place''
''Elisabeth,come here!'' shouted Serafina to Elisabeth.
''I'm coming'' Elisabeth headed to Serafina.
The woman who talked to Daniel was Alacria the daughter of the fire warrior Caleo who had died 16 years ago,while helping the warriors of the first generation,when she was just 8 years old.
A beautiful woman of average height with a slim body,brown hair,white skin and blue eyes.An independent and wild woman Alacria was living a hedonistic lifestyle.She and Daniel had been together for 2 years in a purely sexual relationship.
''Didn't feel like it?I hate that mischievous tone in your voice'' said an angry Alacria.
''I didn't know that I was supposed to justify my actions to you.In case you have forgotten you aren't my wife or fiance,so I own no explanations to you'' answered an annoyed Daniel ''I can do what I want and whenever I want''
''I'm really getting sick and tired of impossible behaviour'' Alacria was getting angrier ''You seem to forget that I'm a noble and not a low class woman''
''I'm not forcing you to stay with me,am I?If you can't stand me anymore than feel free to leave whenever you want'' said Daniel
''Don't get so arrogant,its not like I ever had any emotional attachment to you to begin with'' said Alacria in an arrogant tone
''Of course,lust has always been the only thing that connected us but it seems that you have forgotten that'' laughed Daniel
''How funny....If you think that I really care for you than you are a fool.You can go and die for all I care.'' said Alacria in a cold tone ''Besides,you aren't even the reason why I came.The reason why I came is to see the warriors of the second generation''
''Well the young woman that I talked to earlier happens to be the leader of the second generation'' said Daniel
''The leader is that woman?I already feel sorry for her'' said Alacria
''I thought that you hated Arkadelia and didn't want anything to do with their warriors either?'' asked a confused Daniel.
''You moron'' said Alacria ''I never said that I want to help them.I just want to see who are the unfortunate fools that got chosen''
''Well I also happen to be one of them'' said Daniel
''Really?'' laughed Alacria ''The same Daniel who hates Arkadelia gets chosen as one of its protectors.This is truly amusing''
''Who says that I'm going to join them?'' said Daniel
''I know that you're the last person who would join however its still amusing to think about it'' Alacria continued to laugh
''I'm really getting annoyed with you now'' frowned Daniel and headed to where the warriors of the second generation were.
''That moron,he simply left without waiting for me.He must have found another woman or he must have gotten tired of me'' thought Alacria ''Oh well,I can always find another man.Besides,I was never in love with that fool to begin with''
''If thats how you want it than I'm over with you.I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore'' shouted Alacria
''Okay,you're doing both of us a huge favour'' shouted Daniel
Alacria waited till Daniel went farther so that it wouldn't look like she was going after him before she also headed to where the warriors were .
On his way Daniel saw his friend Pontus a man of average height with a lean and muscular body,blonde hair,white skin and blue eyes.
''Daniel,how are you?'' smiled Pontus and hugged him ''I'm glad to see you''
''I'm good and as I can see you're well too but I still can't believe that you were so stupid to accept becoming a second generation warrior'' said Daniel while nodding his head in disagreement over Pontus' decision
''You''ll never stop with your rude remarks,do you?'' Pontus rolled his eyes.
''Why would I?Its clear that you don't realize the severity of your foolish decision but since you have already decided there's nothing I can do about it'' Daniel shrugged.
''I know very well what I'm doing so there's no need to worry about me'' said Pontus.
''I warned you so don't blame me if something bad happens to you'' frowned Daniel.
Pontus rolled his eyes out.He than got approached by Alacria who was happy to see him.
''Pontus,I'm so happy to see you'' smiled Alacria and hugged him ''I haven't seen you in so many years.You still remember me,don't you?''
''O-of course'' Pontus said nervously ''You're Alacria,you haven't changed much''
''How cute,you're still shy around females'' giggled Alacria ''But there's no need to.You're an adult now''
''Yes there's no need to especially around a rogue woman like Alacria'' laughed Daniel
''Shut up,Daniel!'' shouted Alacria ''No one's asking you anything'
''Well being like that is in my nature.I can't do anything about that'' Pontus was nervous again.
''Pontus,I have to talk to you about something'' said Alacria with a worried voice.
''Yes?'' responded Pontus
''When I came I heard your conversation with Daniel.You're not seriously planning to accept becoming a warrior of Arkadelia,do you?''
''Alacria,please don't start with that'' sighed Pontus because he knew that Alacria would criticize his decision.
''So its true,you have really accepted.Have you lost your mind?How could you accept after what happened to your father because of the King of Arkadelia?Have you no respect to your father?And most of all have you no regard your own life?'' Alacria was getting angry.
''Alacria its funny to hear you out of all people saying that because your father most certainly wouldn't be pleased with the way that you're living either'' laughed Daniel.
''Didn't I tell you to shut up?'' Alacria had an angry look on her face.
''Alacria,please try to understand me.I'm not becoming a warrior because I want to protect the King of Arkadelia but because I want to protect innocent people the same way as my father did.I'm sure that my father would have wanted the same for me''
''You fool!'' shouted Alacria ''You should make decisions based on whats good for you and not based on what you father would have wanted''
''Enough now,Alacria'' said an annoyed Pontus and left.
''He didn't listen to you'' laughed Daniel ''Looks like your womanly charms certainly don't work on him''
''I told you to shut up'' the angry Alacria slapped Daniel and left.
''She's a woman but she still acts like a spoiled little brat everytime when she doesn't get what she wants.What a pain'' thought Daniel.
''I'm really getting sick of those two trying to control my life as if they were my parents'' thought an annoyed Pontus when suddenly he pumped into someone.
''Can't you be more careful?'' said the person he bumped into.
The person he had bumped into was a young woman with a short and thin body,white hair,white skin and big blue eyes which gave her face a very youthful appearance.Because of her youthful appearance,Pontus mistook her for a little girl.
''I'm very sorry,little girl'' Pontus apologized
''He confused me for a little girl because of my youthful face and curveless body...how bothersome'' pouted the young woman and stood up.
''Little girl?Just so you know I'm 22 years old'' said the displeased young woman.
''What?You're 22?But you look so young'' Pontus was confused
''Its okay.You're not the first one to confuse me for a little girl'' sighed the young woman
''''I apologize if I accidentally insulted you'' said Pontus nervously ''I really didn't mean to''
''I told you thats its okay'' the young woman smiled
''I'm glad to hear that'' Pontus nervously smiled
''I want to thank you for being so considerate of my feelings'' smiled the young woman and kissed Pontus' cheek which made him blush.
''You're blushing.Thats so cute'' the young woman giggled ''My name is Celestia.Whats your name?''
''P-Pontus my name is Pontus'' nervously answered Pontus
''I'm pleased to meet you,Pontus'' smiled Celestia and took a closer look at the weapon that he was carrying on his back
''Thats a crossbow,isn't it?''Celestia pointed to the weapon ''Could it be that you're also one of the second generation warriors?''
''Yes'' answered Pontus
''Thats wonderful'' Celestia clapped ''I'm a second generation warrior too''
''What a surprise'' said Pontus
''Now come,let us go to the others'' Celestia grabbed Pontus' hand and took him with her
All the warriors were ordered to stand in line by Bratus who was surprised to see that there were 7 of them instead of 8.
''Something's not right'' said Bratus ''There should be 8 warriors not 7.Where is the 8th one?''
''That would be me'' Daniel raised his hand ''Unfortunately,I have no intention of joining the second generation''
''Is this supposed to be a joke?'' asked Bratus.
''Do I look like I'm joking?'' Daniel had a serious look on his face.
''Great'' sighed Bratus ''Now we must find someone else to take his place''
''Good luck with that'' smirked Daniel ''Considering what happened the last time,it will be hard to find someone stupid enough to take my place''
''Don't worry about that Bratus'' said Ambrosia ''Sooner or later Daniel is going to accept his role because he will have no other choice but to follow his destiny.''
''If the all knowing Ambrosia says so than it must be true '' said Alacria who had just arrived ''Too bad that she doesn't share her prophecies when they are needed the most''
''Who are you?'' Ambrosia was confused
''You don't remember me?It seems that your memory has become weaker because of your old age.I'm surprised that you had the guts to show yourself here again after everything that happened because of you'' answered Alacria
''What is this nonsense that you're talking?''Ambrosia was getting annoyed.
''I'm Alacria the daughter of Caleo who died 16 years ago because of your unwillingness to warn the warriors about what fate was awaiting to them'' responded Alacria
''So you're Caleo's daughter.I already thought that you looked familiar'' calmly responded Ambrosia ''I understand you're pain but its foolish to blame me on your father's death.As a warrior he was always prepared to die but he still fought because he wanted to protect Ethera''
''Stop saying that you understand my pain!'' shouted Alacria ''Do you know what my mother did after my father's death?She committed suicide.You can't even imagine how much I've suffered after that''
''Alacria,my child please try to calm down'' said Count Laetus ''I can understand how you feel because I also lost my son in that war''
A tall man with a slim body,grey hair(which used to be black in his youth),white skin and black eyes,Count Laetus was the head of the Praestigia family and the husband of Duke Ferdinand's only daughter Liliana.His son Favian had been part of the first generation of warriors.
''How could I possibly calm down!'' shouted Alacria
''You shouldn't be so calm either because you have also suffered because of Arkadelia and Ambrosia.What happened to my father and to the first generation wasn't enough for them and now they want to do the same thing to the second generation''
Alacria took a close look to Elisabeth and went to her direction to talk with her
''You are the leader,aren't you?Take my advice and give up now before its too late.Trust me Arkadelia is a country that isn't worth risking your life for'' Alacria told Elisabeth.
''I'm sorry but I already made my decision'' said Elisabeth.
''I see'' Alacria raised her eyebrows ''Its clear to me that you don't know what happened to the first generation because otherwise you wouldn't be so sure in your decision''
''What do you mean?'' Elisabeth was confused.
''So you don't know what happened to light warrior Lucia'' smirked Alacria ''You're quite beautiful so the same fate could also await you if you enter the battlefield''
Upon hearing those words Daniel's blood boiled and he smashed a rock to relieve his anger.
''Thats enough,Alacria!'' shouted Daniel with a threatening look on his face ''You should stop now before you make me even more angry''
''He went mad after I said that'' thought Alacria with a scared look on her face ''He must have taken an interest in this woman because there is no other explanation for why he's acting like this.Its better for me leave now because staying here will only make me angrier''
''Please consider what I said'' Alacria told Elisabeth before she left.
''I will leave now as well'' Daniel left
''You're quite beautiful so the same fate could also await you'' those words were echoing in Daniel's head as he made his way through the city
''This is strange....Why can't I bear the thought of something bad happening to Elisabeth?'' thought Daniel ''I need to find a way to keep her by my side''
''Why is everything going wrong so far?'' sighed Bratus.
''What an impossible woman'' said an annoyed Ambrosia ''Who does she think she is?''.
''Who is this Lucia?'' Elisabeth asked Ambrosia
''I'm curious to know that as well'' thought the female warrior that was standing next to Elisabeth.
''I will explain it to you later'' said Ambrosia.
''Now that this is all over.Lets begin with your introductions '' said Bratus ''I'm the earth warrior Bratus from east Ethera.Now its you turn.Please tell me your names,the country you come from,your powers and the weapon that you specialize in''
''My name is Elisabeth,I'm from South Arkadelia,my powers are fire and I specialize in sword fighting''
''Very well'' said Bratus and moved to the next warrior.This warrior was a very tall young woman with a muscular body,brown hair,dark skin and dark brown eyes
''My name is Thalia,I come from Terra,my powers are earth and I also specialize in fighting with a sword.My preferred sword is the claymore''
''Good'' Bratus moved to the next warrior which was Pontus.
''My name is Pontus,I come from Lacus.I can control water and the weapon that I can use the best is the crossbow''
The next warrior that he moved to was a short and thin woman with blonde hair,white skin and brown eyes.
''My name is Marina....I was born in Lacus but I spent most of my life in south Ethera.I also control water however I can't use any weapons''
''I see.Not being able to use weapons is quite troublesome'' said Bratus
''But I'm a healer so I can still make myself useful'' claimed Marina
''That's a useful ability indeed'' said Bratus before he moved to the next warrior a tall man with a muscular body,white hair,white skin and light blue eyes.
''I'm Algus,I'm from Algor and my powers are ice''
''So you don't use any weapon either?''
''These are the only weapons I need'' Algus created an ice spear and showed it to Bratus.
''Interesting'' said Bratus before he moved to the next warrior.It was a short man with a thin body,dirty blonde hair,white skin and amber eyes.
''I'm Enhard,the country from where I come from is North Arkadelia,I have powers over light and my weapon of choice is a saber.''
The last warrior to introduce herself was Celestia.
''I'm Celestia from Caelum and obviously my power is controlling air....I'm an archer''
''Very well.Now that you all introduced yourselves,you can start with a test that I have for you'' said Bratus
''See that mountain over there?'' Bratus pointed to a 3000m high mountain that was 10 km away from them ''I want you to run to that mountain and than climb it to get to the other side before twilight comes.And I want you to do that without using your powers''
''I see,its a way to test our durability and speed'' said Thalia
''Precisely'' said Bratus ''The air warrior Aerius will watch over you in order to make sure that you wont use your powers''
''Meanwhile we will wait for you on the other side'' Bratus went to join the others ''Good luck''
''Wait,how are they planning to go so fast to the other side?'' Pontus was confused.
When suddenly Leatus used his powers to teleport the warriors from Ethera to the other side of the mountain.
''Well,looks like you got your answer very fast'' giggled Celestia.
''Are you all ready now?'' asked Aerius.
''Yes'' all of them responded at the same time.
''Good,its time to start now.I will be watching over you'' said Aerius.
After that the others started to run as fast as they could.Elisabeth,Thalia and Algus had already taken the lead with Pontus and Celestia right behind them and Enhard and Marina being the last ones.
Thalia wasn't pleased at the fact that Elisabeth was ahead of her.
''I can't let her beat me'' thought a determined Thalia ''I must run faster''
So Thalia ran faster and quickly took the lead.
''Damn,running sure isn't mine strong point'' thought Enhard
After they had finished 1 km,Celestia suddenly tripped her foot on a stone and fell down.
''Oh no,I sprained my ankle'' said Celestia.
Pontus who was in front of her heard her and went to her.
''Celestia,are you alright?'' asked Pontus.
''I'm alright,don't worry about me'' said Celestia ''You should go and catch up with the others''
Enhard and Marina had just catched up to them when Marina stopped in order to help Celestia.
''Let me take a look at your ankle'' said Marina ''I can help you''
''You there,don't slow down'' shouted Aerius who was using his powers to float on air.
''But she is hurt'' said Marina.
''If you would slow down like this when running away from an enemy than you would get caught in no time'' said Aerius before he went farther to catch up with the others.
''That earth user has taken the lead'' thought Aerius ''I need to take a closer look ather when they reach the mountain because she could use her earth powers to cheat.But wait,that air warrior who sprained her ankle could use her air powers to fly instead of climbing the mountain.How bothersome.Guess that I have to make the first 3 wait for the others to come''
Marina grabbed Celestia ankle with her hands and made some movements to put it back in place.
''You're ankle should be alright now'' smiled Marina.
''It doesn't hurt anymore'' Celestia was pleasantly surprised ''Thank you very much''
''Great'' smiled Pontus ''Now come,its time for us to catch up with the others''
After 1 hour Thalia,Elisabeth and Algus had reached the mountain.
''Congratulations for being the first ones to make it here'' said Aerius
''Where are the others?'' asked Algus
''They're so slow'' sighed Thalia ''I hope that we don't need to wait for them''
''I'm sorry but you need to wait for the others'' said Aerius
''How bothersome' Thalia was annoyed
Enhard arrived after 10 minutes and was confused to see them waiting.
''What are you all waiting for?'' Enhard asked
''We're waiting for the rest of you to come'' said Elisabeth.
''I hope that the other 3 will come fast'' Algus was getting annoyed.
Pontus,Marina and Celestia arrived 15 minutes later..
''They arrived'' said Thalia ''Great.Now we can climb the mountain''
''Yes,that right.Just remember you aren't allowed to use your powers'' Aerius told Thalia before he flied higher to watch them as they would climb the mountains.
''We know that,you don't have to remind us every minute'' said Algus as he proceeded to climb up.
''Of course,I would never do such a low thing as cheating'' said Thalia.
''Lets do this'' thought Elisabeth as she got ready to climb the mountain.
So all of them started to climb the mountain.Thalia,Elisabeth and Algus were yet again taking the lead and Pontus was right behind them.
Meanwhile Enhard,Marina and Celestia had doubts about climbing the mountain.
''What's wrong?'' shouted Aerius ''Aren't you going to climb the mountain too?''
''Well,truth is that I don't know how to climb a mountain'' nervously smiled Celestia ''Back in Caelum,I always used my powers to fly''
''I have never climbed a mountain either'' answered Marina.
''I know that this is embarrassing but I'm afraid of heights so its better for me to stay down here'' Enhard was scratching the backside of his head as he nervously smiled.
''How ridiculous'' Aerius rolled his eyes ''Okay,you stay there and I will come to get you later''
Meanwhile Elisabeth,Thalia,Algus and Pontus were making their way up the mountain.When they finished climbing 100 m of the mountain Thalia noticed that Algus was struggling and was poking fun at him.
''Climbing doesn't seem to be your strong point'' said Thalia
''Well it doesn't seem to be your strongest point either'' said Algus in a sarcastic tone as he pointed to Elisabeth and Pontus who were ahead of Thalia.
When Thalia saw Elisabeth and Pontus she started to climb faster because she was determined not to lose to them.
''I can't let those two beat me'' thought Thalia.
''That woman sure is competitive'' thought Algus when suddenly a rock under his feet broke causing him to slip.
''Damn'' thought Algus who was holding onto the rocks with his hands when suddenly his hands slipped as well and caused him to fall down.
Algus was screaming as he was falling down.
The warriors who were down heard his screams.
''Oh no'' shouted Marina ''Someone is falling down''
''Thats not a problem'' said Celestia who used her air powers to make Algus' body fly on air ''Here you go.I just had to use my air powers''
''Whats happening to my body?Its flying on air'.' thought Algus who was sure that he was about to die
Celestia used her powers to slowly bring him down.When he came down he thanked Celestia for helping him.
''I'm really grateful for you help,air warrior'' Algus expressed his gratitude
''Its nothing'' Celestia smiled ''Also I would prefer it if you would call me by mine name instead of air warrior''
''Whatever'' Algues rolled his eyes
''I told them not to use their powers but since she did it to save a comrade,this time I will make an exception'' thought Aerius who flied higher to watch over Thalia,Elisabeth and Pontus.
''Well climbing indeed doesn't seem to be my strongest point'' thought Algus ''Guess that in the future its better for me to stay away from mountains in places in which we can't use our powers''
After 6 hours Elisabeth,Thalia and Pontus had finished climbing the mountain.The 3 of them were catching their breath when Aerius arrived.
''Congratulations,for managing to climb the mountain'' smiled Aerius ''Now you need to hurry up and get down to the other side''
''You don't need to tell us that'' said Thalia and was looking for a way to get to the other side ''Look there's a way that leads to the other side''
Thalia was looking at a 2 meter long gap between two cliffs which weren't very far away from them.Behind them was a waterfall.
'What a beautiful waterfall'' though Elisabeth who was amazed at its beauty.
''Come on now,lets get going'' ordered Thalia ''There's only a little time left before twilight''
They reached the cliff and each one of them jumped over the gap in order to reach to the other side.
When they arrived at the other side they noticed a trail through a forest that lead down.
''There's a trail that leads down'' claimed Thalia ''Lets take it''
So they took the trail and after 1 hour they managed to get down to the other side where the others were waiting for them
''Its almost twilight'' said Bratus ''I hope that they will arrive soon''
''There they are''Serafina pointed to Elisabeth,Thalia and Pontus who were accompanied by Aerius.
When Elisabeth,Thalia and Pontus arrived they were congratulated by Bratus.
''Great job'' said Bratus ''But where are the others?''
''Well 3 of them said they couldn't climb a mountain while one of them fell down however he was saved by the air warrior so there's nothing to worry about'' said Aerius as he got ready to leave to get them ''I will go and use my powers to bring them here''
''I see'' said Bratus.
''Well this is enough for today'' Bratus told them ''You may go home now.Tomorrow I am going to test your fighting skills''
''You did very well,Elisabeth'' smiled Serafina.
''Thank you very much'' said an exhausted Elisabeth.
''Now its time for us to go home'' said Ferdinand.
''Yes,its getting late so it would be more convenient if someone would teleport us'' said Serafina.
''My son,could you please teleport us home?'' Ferdinand asked Laetus
''Of course,father'' answered Laetus and used his powers to teleport them back to Ferdinand's castle
''We're back'' said Serafina
They entered the castle and were greeted by everyone inside.
''You must be tired'' Ferdinand told Elisabeth ''Go to your room to rest for a while and then come down to eat dinner with us''
''Yes,thank you very much'' said Elisabeth and went to her room where an unexpected surprise was awaiting for her.
When she went inside she saw that on her bed there was a beautiful red dress made of silk,a golden necklace decorated with rubies and a letter.
Elisabeth read the letter:
[i]''Please accept my invitation to eat dinner with me in my room.
Daniel''[/u]
''That shameless moron'' thought a displeased Elisabeth.
Suddenly a maid came to her room in order to help her get ready.
''Do you want me to help you with wearing the dress?'' the maid asked.
''There's no need to'' answered Elisabeth with an angry look on her face ''Please tell Daniel to come to my room,I want to tell him what I really think about his invitation''
Meanwhile Daniel was down at the library reading a book when Ferdinand came in to talk with him.
''Good evening,Daniel'' Ferdinand greeted him
''Good evening,grandfather'' responded Daniel ''You surely must have had a good time watching those morons getting tested''
''Daniel,where did you go after you left us?'' asked Ferdinand
''I simply went to get some gifts for Elisabeth'' answered Daniel
''Gifts?Are you trying to win her heart?You're making a mistake if you think that you can win her this way'' said Ferdinand.
''Mistake?Don't make me laugh.I know how poor people are,no matter how proud they are they still won't be able to refuse the chance of living a luxurious life and Elisabeth can't be any different.I have also sent her an invitation to have dinner with me,tonight she will surely accept to stay with me and become my lover'' Daniel laughed.
''You really are foolish sometimes'' Ferdinand nodded his head in disagreement ''Surely,you must be informed that she killed her landlord,right?''
''Yes,I heard about what when I was in the capital city of South Arkadelia''
''Than what makes you think that she will accept you?Not only is she a woman grounded in reality but she is also proud enough not to sell herself off for the illusions of a grand life'' said Ferdinand ''All that you're going to do is make your fascination with her grow even stronger till it will turn into a uncontrollable love''
''We'll see about that'' smirked Daniel.
''Lord Daniel'' the maid knocked on the door.
''Yes'' responded Daniel.
''Elisabeth wants you to come to her room to talk with you'' said the maid ''She's really angry''
''I will go to her right now'' said Daniel and made his way.
''I told you this would happen'' smiled Ferdinand.
Daniel entered Elisabeth's room and he saw the angry look on her face.
''You wanted to talk to me'' Daniel approached Elisabeth who slapped him.
''What sort of woman do you take me for?Do you think that I'm a mere whore who will accept to be with you for money?Well let me show you what I think of your gifts'' Elisabeth was very angry,she grabbed the dress and tore it apart in front of Daniel and throw the necklace on the ground.
''Now get out of my room'' shouted Elisabeth.
''Elisabeth,I'm thinking about whats best for you'' said Daniel ''Its much better for you to stay by my side instead of fighting for a worthless country like Arkadelia''
''Stop pretending like you care about me!'' shouted the angry Elisabeth ''You couldn't care less about what happens to me,all you care about is what you want''
''Yes,thats right'' Daniel smiled ''I want you more than anything in this world''
Suddenly Daniel grabbed Elisabeth and kissed her.The displeased Elisabeth pushed him away and slapped him again.
''How dare you?'' Elisabeth was really getting angry.
''I'm sorry'' Daniel apologized.
''Leave my room now'' angrily ordered Elisabeth ''I don't want to see you face again''
Daniel followed her orders and left her room.Angrily he went to his room and in order to relieve his anger he threw down everything that was on the table.
''So my grandfather was right'' Daniel had a broken smile on his face ''That woman really refused me.I knew from the start that there was a possibility that she would refuse but I never thought that her refusal would hurt me so much''
''Daniel'' Ferdinand knocked on his door ''Are you alright?''
''Go away!'' shouted Daniel ''I don't want to see anyone''
Ferdinand didn't listen to him and entered his room.
''I told you to leave me alone'' said an angry Daniel
''Daniel,stop acting so childish'' said Ferdinand ''I already told you that your plan was not going to work.What are you planning to do now?''
''It looks like Ambrosia was right'' said Daniel ''It seems that I have no other choice but to accept my destiny as a second generation warrior''
''You want to join the second generation just to be with that woman?You surely have lost your mind'' Ferdinand was confused ''That woman might never fall in love with you so think twice before you do something that stupid''
''I know that but I don't care'' responded Daniel with a sad look on his face ''Even if she will never love me,I still want to fight by her side and protect her''
''I never thought that I would hear such sad words from a man like you'' said Ferdinand ''Looks like I was right when I assumed that you have fallen in love with her''
''My mind is set....I will join the second generation''
''Will you join us for dinner?'' asked Ferdinand
''I'm not hungry'' answered Daniel ''Goodnight,grandfather''
''Goodnight,Daniel'' said Ferdinand ''I hope that you know what you're doing''
Elisabeth came down for dinner and after everyone finished dinner and sat down to talk,Elisabeth asked Ambrosia about Lucia.
''Ambrosia,please tell me about Lucia'' said Elisabeth
Meanwhile Daniel had come down in order to tell everyone about his decision.When he reached the door he could hear Ambrosia explaining Lucia's tragedy to Elisabeth so he stood there listening to their entire conversation.
''Very well '' sighed Ambrosia before she started to explain ''Lucia was one of the warriors of the first generation.What happened to her is a long story but what you need to know is that she was driven to madness after she was raped by an enemy''
''Thats terrible'' Elisabeth had a sad look on her face
''Thats what Alacria meant when she said that the same fate could also await you'' said Ferdinand.
''Would you mind explaining to me what happened to the other warriors of the first generation?'' asked Elisabeth.
''The first generation warriors had to fight against against a man called Arcadius who was the king of Tenebris.Some of the warriors died in the war against Arcadius,some of them are still alive and when it comes to the rest we're not sure what happened to them'' explained Ferdinand ''After the war with Tenebris ended,the king of Arkadelia in an attempt to prevent a future threat from Tenebris made a cruel decision,he launched a campaign to kill all the people of Tenebris....My grandson Favian,your father Archibald,Alacria's father Caleo and Isondra opposed the King and fought to save the people of Tenebris.They were branded as traitors and imprisoned for what they did and nobody has heard of them since then.The king of Ethera was furious about what happened and he declared a war to Arkadelia which lasted for 14 years''
''I understand now'' said Elisabeth
''According to my prophecy one of Arcadius' generals is still alive.He has become the king of Tenebris and is planning to take revenge on Arkadelia for what happened'' said Ambrosia.
''So thats the threat that you were talking about'' responded Elisabeth.
''Yes however it will take time until you will battle this threat''' Ambrosia continued to explain ''First you''ll have to fight to other wars before it''
''The way she tells her prophecies is really unclear indeed'' thought Elisabeth.
''Elisabeth after finding out about all of this....are you still willing to accept you're as a leader?You must keep in mind that this is a really dangerous role.You could turn back now and choose to go and live a peaceful life with your mother and grandparents in Ignis''
''No,I can't go to my mother because I'm not intending to stay with her.Leaving her after she would be finally reunited with me would be too cruel'' said Elisabeth ''I made my decision,I'm going to become the leader of the second generation because there must be a reason why fate has chosen me.At first I was doubtful about accepting my role but now I realize that what I need to do is to protect innocent people from suffering from the mistakes that the former King of Arkadelia made in the past''
''What a woman,she really is worthy of becoming the leader'' thought Daniel as he smiled ''Looks like I wont regret my decision of joining the second generation....even though my reason to join is rather foolish''
Daniel decided to go back to his room.He would tell the others about his decision tomorrow during Bratus' second test.
''You have a noble and strong spirit'' Serafina told Elisabeth '' May victory always be with you''
Serafina was a tall woman with a rather muscular built,with red hair,pale skin and green eyes.
Serafina knocked at the door which got opened by a maid who welcomed her and told her to wait a bit until she informed Duke Ferdinand about her arrival.In the meantime another servant went to take her luggage in order to bring it to her room.
So the maid knocked on the door of Ferdinand's cabinet in order to inform him.
''What is it that you're disturbing me?'' asked an annoyed Ferdinand who was reading a book.
''My lord,I'm sorry to disturb you but I wanted to inform you that Serafina has just arrived''
''Very well,tell her to wait for me in the main room.In the meantime,you will go to wake up Elisabeth and tell her to come down''''
''Yes,my lord''
The maid accompanied Serafina to the main room and told her to wait a little before she left the main room in order to call Elisabeth.
Ferdinand arrived and greeted Serafina.
''I see that you arrived as fast you could,you are as diligent as ever'' said Ferdinand ''Welcome,to my castle.Its an honor to have you as my guest''
''The honor is all mine'' smiled Serafina ''Of course I would come as fast as I could,after all I have been given a very important task.Speaking of which,I hope that the leader will come down soon because I don't like waiting''
''Do not worry,I already ordered my maid to wake her up.She should be here very fast''
Meanwhile the maid had arrived at Elisabeth's room in order to wake her up.
Elisabeth had been very tired last night which is why she slept fast and strangely enough this time she had not seen the nightmare that had been bothering her for so many nights.
''Elisabeth!'' the maid shouted while knocking on her door ''Its time for you to wake up''
Elisabeth got woken up by the noise and responded by telling the maid that she would get ready and come down as fast as she could.
In the main room Ferdinand and Serafina were continuing their discussions.
''Do you know if the other warriors have arrived yet?'' asked Ferdinand
''Yes,Bratus told me that they have arrived and since the leader is already in the northern part they have been also told to come here'' answered Serafina
''I see'' said Ferdinand ''Well it is certainly more convenient to have them all here''
They conversation got interrupted by Elisabeth who knocked on the door.
''May I come in?'' asked Elisabeth.
''Of course.We have been waiting for you'' replied Ferdinand.
Elisabeth came in and greeted Serafina.
''You must be Serafina.Its a pleasure for me to meet you''
''The pleasure is all mine,my dear'' smiled Serafina while looking at what Elisabeth was wearing.
Elisabeth was feeling herself embarrassed by the way that Serafina was looking at her,almost as if she was looking down on her.
''You don't intend to fight with a dress,do you?'' asked Serafina
''She looked at me like that because a dress isn't suitable for fighting'' thought a relived Elisabeth before she answered ''I know that wearing a dress isn't suitable for a warrior but I'm afraid that this dress is the only
clothing that I have''
''So thats how it is.Luckily you seem to have the same size as me so I can give you some of my clothes'' said Serafina ''Now come with me to my room in order to change''
Elisabeth agreed and went with her.When they came to Serafina's room,Serafina gave Elisabeth a pair of brown pants,a white shirt,a black leather vest and a pair of black leather boots.Elisabeth quickly changed her clothes and was pleased with the way she looked.
''Perfect.Now you're dressed suitably for your training'' smiled Serafina ''Come now,the other warriors must have arrived by now''
Serafina and Elisabeth came down.
''We will be going now'' said Serafina to Ferdinand ''The other warriors must be waiting for us''
''I will come with you too'' said Ferdinand ''I want to see the other warriors''
''Very well'' said Serafina ''The warriors should be waiting for us in the Numcecidum area''
''Good,lets go now to the stable to get our horses'' said Ferdinand.
''Elisabeth,can you ride a horse?'' asked Serafina.
''Yes,I already have a horse'' answered Elisabeth.
''Good because knowing how to ride a horse is something essential for warrior'' said Serafina ''Now come,lets go to the stable''
''Yes'' Elisabeth saw a basket with apples on the table and proceeded to ask ''Can I take an apple?I want to give it to my horse?''
''Of course,you can'' answered Ferdinand.
''Thank you very much'' smiled Elisabeth.
And so Ferdinand,Serafina and Elisabeth went to the stable.Elisabeth immediately went to her horse Celer,it was a beautiful brown horse that was giving to her by King Alexander for her journey.
''Good morning Celer,I hope that you slept well'' smiled Elisabeth as she was caressing Celer's head.
''What an adorable young women'' thought Ferdinand ''It makes me sad to know that someone like her is going to experience the horrors of war''
''Here,I have a treat for you'' Elisabeth smiled as she took the apple and started feeding it to Celer.
When Celer finished eating the apple Elisabeth told Serafina and Ferdinand that she was ready to go.
And so the 3 of them got their horses and rode to the Numcecidum area where the others were waiting for them.
The Numcecidum area was a beautiful area near the border between north and west Ethera,inhabited only by animals and fairies with a rich landscape that included a small forest with magical trees that never withered and sparkled in the night,a large meadow,mountains and a long river flowing from the mountains.
In that area the rest of the second generation warriors had arrived along with Ambrosia and 3 famous warriors from Ethera who had come to test them.They were also some famous nobles who had come to watch them.To everyone's surprise Daniel was also there.
''Not him again'' thought Elisabeth as she rolled her eyes.
Daniel saw Elisabeth and walked towards her.
''Hello,Elisabeth.You look good in your new outfit'' Daniel smiled
''You know each other?'' asked Serafina before she got interrupted by a man who came to greet her.
''Hello,Serafina.I'm glad to see that you made it'' said the man who's name was Bratus.A tall and muscular man,with dirty blonde hair,olive skin and green eyes Bratus was an earth user and one of Ethera's most famous warriors.
''Hello,Bratus'' said Serafina
''Luna and Aerius are also here'' said Bratus ''They're excited to see you again''
''Really?'' Serafina opened her eyes in surprise ''I missed them very much.Lets got and greet that right now''
''Why am I not surprised to see you here?'' said Ferdinand to Daniel while rolling his eyes.
''I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to come here'' said Daniel
''How did you know that everyone was gathered here?'' asked a confused Ferdinand
''I didn't however I woke up early and decided to go out riding and this happens to be my favorite place to ride'' answered Daniel ''While I was riding on here,I soon noticed other people gathering''
''Even if it was forbidden it still wouldn't stop you from coming'' said Ferdinand before he was called by Ambrosia.
''Ferdinand,come here'' shouted Ambrosia ''The others want to talk to you''
''And how did you know that everyone was going to gather here?'' Daniel was annoyed at Ambrosia's presence ''Were you informed about the meeting place before everyone else or did you find out through another one of your prophecies?''
''I already knew from the start that this would be the area in which the warriors would train so I decided to come here before sunrise'' answered Ambrosia
''I see'' Daniel rolled his eyes
''I'm coming''shouted Ferdinand and headed to her direction.
''What are you doing here?I thought that you had no interest in joining the second generation'' an annoyed Elisabeth told Daniel
''Yes and I still haven't changed my stance on that.However I didn't have anything to do so I decided to stay here because what could be more amusing than watching a leader who can't even use her own powers?'' Daniel laughed.
''Its great to see that you have so much underestimating people'' said Elisabeth with a sarcastic voice .
''Are you trying to say that I'm wrong?'' Daniel continued to laugh until he got interrupted by a familiar voice.
''Daniel!'' shouted a woman ''Why didn't you came to me when you returned from your journey?''
''Because I didn't feel like it'' answered an annoyed Daniel.
''How cute'' said Elisabeth in a sarcastic voice ''Is that woman your fiance?''
''That woman my fiance?Don't make me laugh.She's just someone who has forgotten her place''
''Elisabeth,come here!'' shouted Serafina to Elisabeth.
''I'm coming'' Elisabeth headed to Serafina.
The woman who talked to Daniel was Alacria the daughter of the fire warrior Caleo who had died 16 years ago,while helping the warriors of the first generation,when she was just 8 years old.
A beautiful woman of average height with a slim body,brown hair,white skin and blue eyes.An independent and wild woman Alacria was living a hedonistic lifestyle.She and Daniel had been together for 2 years in a purely sexual relationship.
''Didn't feel like it?I hate that mischievous tone in your voice'' said an angry Alacria.
''I didn't know that I was supposed to justify my actions to you.In case you have forgotten you aren't my wife or fiance,so I own no explanations to you'' answered an annoyed Daniel ''I can do what I want and whenever I want''
''I'm really getting sick and tired of impossible behaviour'' Alacria was getting angrier ''You seem to forget that I'm a noble and not a low class woman''
''I'm not forcing you to stay with me,am I?If you can't stand me anymore than feel free to leave whenever you want'' said Daniel
''Don't get so arrogant,its not like I ever had any emotional attachment to you to begin with'' said Alacria in an arrogant tone
''Of course,lust has always been the only thing that connected us but it seems that you have forgotten that'' laughed Daniel
''How funny....If you think that I really care for you than you are a fool.You can go and die for all I care.'' said Alacria in a cold tone ''Besides,you aren't even the reason why I came.The reason why I came is to see the warriors of the second generation''
''Well the young woman that I talked to earlier happens to be the leader of the second generation'' said Daniel
''The leader is that woman?I already feel sorry for her'' said Alacria
''I thought that you hated Arkadelia and didn't want anything to do with their warriors either?'' asked a confused Daniel.
''You moron'' said Alacria ''I never said that I want to help them.I just want to see who are the unfortunate fools that got chosen''
''Well I also happen to be one of them'' said Daniel
''Really?'' laughed Alacria ''The same Daniel who hates Arkadelia gets chosen as one of its protectors.This is truly amusing''
''Who says that I'm going to join them?'' said Daniel
''I know that you're the last person who would join however its still amusing to think about it'' Alacria continued to laugh
''I'm really getting annoyed with you now'' frowned Daniel and headed to where the warriors of the second generation were.
''That moron,he simply left without waiting for me.He must have found another woman or he must have gotten tired of me'' thought Alacria ''Oh well,I can always find another man.Besides,I was never in love with that fool to begin with''
''If thats how you want it than I'm over with you.I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore'' shouted Alacria
''Okay,you're doing both of us a huge favour'' shouted Daniel
Alacria waited till Daniel went farther so that it wouldn't look like she was going after him before she also headed to where the warriors were .
On his way Daniel saw his friend Pontus a man of average height with a lean and muscular body,blonde hair,white skin and blue eyes.
''Daniel,how are you?'' smiled Pontus and hugged him ''I'm glad to see you''
''I'm good and as I can see you're well too but I still can't believe that you were so stupid to accept becoming a second generation warrior'' said Daniel while nodding his head in disagreement over Pontus' decision
''You''ll never stop with your rude remarks,do you?'' Pontus rolled his eyes.
''Why would I?Its clear that you don't realize the severity of your foolish decision but since you have already decided there's nothing I can do about it'' Daniel shrugged.
''I know very well what I'm doing so there's no need to worry about me'' said Pontus.
''I warned you so don't blame me if something bad happens to you'' frowned Daniel.
Pontus rolled his eyes out.He than got approached by Alacria who was happy to see him.
''Pontus,I'm so happy to see you'' smiled Alacria and hugged him ''I haven't seen you in so many years.You still remember me,don't you?''
''O-of course'' Pontus said nervously ''You're Alacria,you haven't changed much''
''How cute,you're still shy around females'' giggled Alacria ''But there's no need to.You're an adult now''
''Yes there's no need to especially around a rogue woman like Alacria'' laughed Daniel
''Shut up,Daniel!'' shouted Alacria ''No one's asking you anything'
''Well being like that is in my nature.I can't do anything about that'' Pontus was nervous again.
''Pontus,I have to talk to you about something'' said Alacria with a worried voice.
''Yes?'' responded Pontus
''When I came I heard your conversation with Daniel.You're not seriously planning to accept becoming a warrior of Arkadelia,do you?''
''Alacria,please don't start with that'' sighed Pontus because he knew that Alacria would criticize his decision.
''So its true,you have really accepted.Have you lost your mind?How could you accept after what happened to your father because of the King of Arkadelia?Have you no respect to your father?And most of all have you no regard your own life?'' Alacria was getting angry.
''Alacria its funny to hear you out of all people saying that because your father most certainly wouldn't be pleased with the way that you're living either'' laughed Daniel.
''Didn't I tell you to shut up?'' Alacria had an angry look on her face.
''Alacria,please try to understand me.I'm not becoming a warrior because I want to protect the King of Arkadelia but because I want to protect innocent people the same way as my father did.I'm sure that my father would have wanted the same for me''
''You fool!'' shouted Alacria ''You should make decisions based on whats good for you and not based on what you father would have wanted''
''Enough now,Alacria'' said an annoyed Pontus and left.
''He didn't listen to you'' laughed Daniel ''Looks like your womanly charms certainly don't work on him''
''I told you to shut up'' the angry Alacria slapped Daniel and left.
''She's a woman but she still acts like a spoiled little brat everytime when she doesn't get what she wants.What a pain'' thought Daniel.
''I'm really getting sick of those two trying to control my life as if they were my parents'' thought an annoyed Pontus when suddenly he pumped into someone.
''Can't you be more careful?'' said the person he bumped into.
The person he had bumped into was a young woman with a short and thin body,white hair,white skin and big blue eyes which gave her face a very youthful appearance.Because of her youthful appearance,Pontus mistook her for a little girl.
''I'm very sorry,little girl'' Pontus apologized
''He confused me for a little girl because of my youthful face and curveless body...how bothersome'' pouted the young woman and stood up.
''Little girl?Just so you know I'm 22 years old'' said the displeased young woman.
''What?You're 22?But you look so young'' Pontus was confused
''Its okay.You're not the first one to confuse me for a little girl'' sighed the young woman
''''I apologize if I accidentally insulted you'' said Pontus nervously ''I really didn't mean to''
''I told you thats its okay'' the young woman smiled
''I'm glad to hear that'' Pontus nervously smiled
''I want to thank you for being so considerate of my feelings'' smiled the young woman and kissed Pontus' cheek which made him blush.
''You're blushing.Thats so cute'' the young woman giggled ''My name is Celestia.Whats your name?''
''P-Pontus my name is Pontus'' nervously answered Pontus
''I'm pleased to meet you,Pontus'' smiled Celestia and took a closer look at the weapon that he was carrying on his back
''Thats a crossbow,isn't it?''Celestia pointed to the weapon ''Could it be that you're also one of the second generation warriors?''
''Yes'' answered Pontus
''Thats wonderful'' Celestia clapped ''I'm a second generation warrior too''
''What a surprise'' said Pontus
''Now come,let us go to the others'' Celestia grabbed Pontus' hand and took him with her
All the warriors were ordered to stand in line by Bratus who was surprised to see that there were 7 of them instead of 8.
''Something's not right'' said Bratus ''There should be 8 warriors not 7.Where is the 8th one?''
''That would be me'' Daniel raised his hand ''Unfortunately,I have no intention of joining the second generation''
''Is this supposed to be a joke?'' asked Bratus.
''Do I look like I'm joking?'' Daniel had a serious look on his face.
''Great'' sighed Bratus ''Now we must find someone else to take his place''
''Good luck with that'' smirked Daniel ''Considering what happened the last time,it will be hard to find someone stupid enough to take my place''
''Don't worry about that Bratus'' said Ambrosia ''Sooner or later Daniel is going to accept his role because he will have no other choice but to follow his destiny.''
''If the all knowing Ambrosia says so than it must be true '' said Alacria who had just arrived ''Too bad that she doesn't share her prophecies when they are needed the most''
''Who are you?'' Ambrosia was confused
''You don't remember me?It seems that your memory has become weaker because of your old age.I'm surprised that you had the guts to show yourself here again after everything that happened because of you'' answered Alacria
''What is this nonsense that you're talking?''Ambrosia was getting annoyed.
''I'm Alacria the daughter of Caleo who died 16 years ago because of your unwillingness to warn the warriors about what fate was awaiting to them'' responded Alacria
''So you're Caleo's daughter.I already thought that you looked familiar'' calmly responded Ambrosia ''I understand you're pain but its foolish to blame me on your father's death.As a warrior he was always prepared to die but he still fought because he wanted to protect Ethera''
''Stop saying that you understand my pain!'' shouted Alacria ''Do you know what my mother did after my father's death?She committed suicide.You can't even imagine how much I've suffered after that''
''Alacria,my child please try to calm down'' said Count Laetus ''I can understand how you feel because I also lost my son in that war''
A tall man with a slim body,grey hair(which used to be black in his youth),white skin and black eyes,Count Laetus was the head of the Praestigia family and the husband of Duke Ferdinand's only daughter Liliana.His son Favian had been part of the first generation of warriors.
''How could I possibly calm down!'' shouted Alacria
''You shouldn't be so calm either because you have also suffered because of Arkadelia and Ambrosia.What happened to my father and to the first generation wasn't enough for them and now they want to do the same thing to the second generation''
Alacria took a close look to Elisabeth and went to her direction to talk with her
''You are the leader,aren't you?Take my advice and give up now before its too late.Trust me Arkadelia is a country that isn't worth risking your life for'' Alacria told Elisabeth.
''I'm sorry but I already made my decision'' said Elisabeth.
''I see'' Alacria raised her eyebrows ''Its clear to me that you don't know what happened to the first generation because otherwise you wouldn't be so sure in your decision''
''What do you mean?'' Elisabeth was confused.
''So you don't know what happened to light warrior Lucia'' smirked Alacria ''You're quite beautiful so the same fate could also await you if you enter the battlefield''
Upon hearing those words Daniel's blood boiled and he smashed a rock to relieve his anger.
''Thats enough,Alacria!'' shouted Daniel with a threatening look on his face ''You should stop now before you make me even more angry''
''He went mad after I said that'' thought Alacria with a scared look on her face ''He must have taken an interest in this woman because there is no other explanation for why he's acting like this.Its better for me leave now because staying here will only make me angrier''
''Please consider what I said'' Alacria told Elisabeth before she left.
''I will leave now as well'' Daniel left
''You're quite beautiful so the same fate could also await you'' those words were echoing in Daniel's head as he made his way through the city
''This is strange....Why can't I bear the thought of something bad happening to Elisabeth?'' thought Daniel ''I need to find a way to keep her by my side''
''Why is everything going wrong so far?'' sighed Bratus.
''What an impossible woman'' said an annoyed Ambrosia ''Who does she think she is?''.
''Who is this Lucia?'' Elisabeth asked Ambrosia
''I'm curious to know that as well'' thought the female warrior that was standing next to Elisabeth.
''I will explain it to you later'' said Ambrosia.
''Now that this is all over.Lets begin with your introductions '' said Bratus ''I'm the earth warrior Bratus from east Ethera.Now its you turn.Please tell me your names,the country you come from,your powers and the weapon that you specialize in''
''My name is Elisabeth,I'm from South Arkadelia,my powers are fire and I specialize in sword fighting''
''Very well'' said Bratus and moved to the next warrior.This warrior was a very tall young woman with a muscular body,brown hair,dark skin and dark brown eyes
''My name is Thalia,I come from Terra,my powers are earth and I also specialize in fighting with a sword.My preferred sword is the claymore''
''Good'' Bratus moved to the next warrior which was Pontus.
''My name is Pontus,I come from Lacus.I can control water and the weapon that I can use the best is the crossbow''
The next warrior that he moved to was a short and thin woman with blonde hair,white skin and brown eyes.
''My name is Marina....I was born in Lacus but I spent most of my life in south Ethera.I also control water however I can't use any weapons''
''I see.Not being able to use weapons is quite troublesome'' said Bratus
''But I'm a healer so I can still make myself useful'' claimed Marina
''That's a useful ability indeed'' said Bratus before he moved to the next warrior a tall man with a muscular body,white hair,white skin and light blue eyes.
''I'm Algus,I'm from Algor and my powers are ice''
''So you don't use any weapon either?''
''These are the only weapons I need'' Algus created an ice spear and showed it to Bratus.
''Interesting'' said Bratus before he moved to the next warrior.It was a short man with a thin body,dirty blonde hair,white skin and amber eyes.
''I'm Enhard,the country from where I come from is North Arkadelia,I have powers over light and my weapon of choice is a saber.''
The last warrior to introduce herself was Celestia.
''I'm Celestia from Caelum and obviously my power is controlling air....I'm an archer''
''Very well.Now that you all introduced yourselves,you can start with a test that I have for you'' said Bratus
''See that mountain over there?'' Bratus pointed to a 3000m high mountain that was 10 km away from them ''I want you to run to that mountain and than climb it to get to the other side before twilight comes.And I want you to do that without using your powers''
''I see,its a way to test our durability and speed'' said Thalia
''Precisely'' said Bratus ''The air warrior Aerius will watch over you in order to make sure that you wont use your powers''
''Meanwhile we will wait for you on the other side'' Bratus went to join the others ''Good luck''
''Wait,how are they planning to go so fast to the other side?'' Pontus was confused.
When suddenly Leatus used his powers to teleport the warriors from Ethera to the other side of the mountain.
''Well,looks like you got your answer very fast'' giggled Celestia.
''Are you all ready now?'' asked Aerius.
''Yes'' all of them responded at the same time.
''Good,its time to start now.I will be watching over you'' said Aerius.
After that the others started to run as fast as they could.Elisabeth,Thalia and Algus had already taken the lead with Pontus and Celestia right behind them and Enhard and Marina being the last ones.
Thalia wasn't pleased at the fact that Elisabeth was ahead of her.
''I can't let her beat me'' thought a determined Thalia ''I must run faster''
So Thalia ran faster and quickly took the lead.
''Damn,running sure isn't mine strong point'' thought Enhard
After they had finished 1 km,Celestia suddenly tripped her foot on a stone and fell down.
''Oh no,I sprained my ankle'' said Celestia.
Pontus who was in front of her heard her and went to her.
''Celestia,are you alright?'' asked Pontus.
''I'm alright,don't worry about me'' said Celestia ''You should go and catch up with the others''
Enhard and Marina had just catched up to them when Marina stopped in order to help Celestia.
''Let me take a look at your ankle'' said Marina ''I can help you''
''You there,don't slow down'' shouted Aerius who was using his powers to float on air.
''But she is hurt'' said Marina.
''If you would slow down like this when running away from an enemy than you would get caught in no time'' said Aerius before he went farther to catch up with the others.
''That earth user has taken the lead'' thought Aerius ''I need to take a closer look ather when they reach the mountain because she could use her earth powers to cheat.But wait,that air warrior who sprained her ankle could use her air powers to fly instead of climbing the mountain.How bothersome.Guess that I have to make the first 3 wait for the others to come''
Marina grabbed Celestia ankle with her hands and made some movements to put it back in place.
''You're ankle should be alright now'' smiled Marina.
''It doesn't hurt anymore'' Celestia was pleasantly surprised ''Thank you very much''
''Great'' smiled Pontus ''Now come,its time for us to catch up with the others''
After 1 hour Thalia,Elisabeth and Algus had reached the mountain.
''Congratulations for being the first ones to make it here'' said Aerius
''Where are the others?'' asked Algus
''They're so slow'' sighed Thalia ''I hope that we don't need to wait for them''
''I'm sorry but you need to wait for the others'' said Aerius
''How bothersome' Thalia was annoyed
Enhard arrived after 10 minutes and was confused to see them waiting.
''What are you all waiting for?'' Enhard asked
''We're waiting for the rest of you to come'' said Elisabeth.
''I hope that the other 3 will come fast'' Algus was getting annoyed.
Pontus,Marina and Celestia arrived 15 minutes later..
''They arrived'' said Thalia ''Great.Now we can climb the mountain''
''Yes,that right.Just remember you aren't allowed to use your powers'' Aerius told Thalia before he flied higher to watch them as they would climb the mountains.
''We know that,you don't have to remind us every minute'' said Algus as he proceeded to climb up.
''Of course,I would never do such a low thing as cheating'' said Thalia.
''Lets do this'' thought Elisabeth as she got ready to climb the mountain.
So all of them started to climb the mountain.Thalia,Elisabeth and Algus were yet again taking the lead and Pontus was right behind them.
Meanwhile Enhard,Marina and Celestia had doubts about climbing the mountain.
''What's wrong?'' shouted Aerius ''Aren't you going to climb the mountain too?''
''Well,truth is that I don't know how to climb a mountain'' nervously smiled Celestia ''Back in Caelum,I always used my powers to fly''
''I have never climbed a mountain either'' answered Marina.
''I know that this is embarrassing but I'm afraid of heights so its better for me to stay down here'' Enhard was scratching the backside of his head as he nervously smiled.
''How ridiculous'' Aerius rolled his eyes ''Okay,you stay there and I will come to get you later''
Meanwhile Elisabeth,Thalia,Algus and Pontus were making their way up the mountain.When they finished climbing 100 m of the mountain Thalia noticed that Algus was struggling and was poking fun at him.
''Climbing doesn't seem to be your strong point'' said Thalia
''Well it doesn't seem to be your strongest point either'' said Algus in a sarcastic tone as he pointed to Elisabeth and Pontus who were ahead of Thalia.
When Thalia saw Elisabeth and Pontus she started to climb faster because she was determined not to lose to them.
''I can't let those two beat me'' thought Thalia.
''That woman sure is competitive'' thought Algus when suddenly a rock under his feet broke causing him to slip.
''Damn'' thought Algus who was holding onto the rocks with his hands when suddenly his hands slipped as well and caused him to fall down.
Algus was screaming as he was falling down.
The warriors who were down heard his screams.
''Oh no'' shouted Marina ''Someone is falling down''
''Thats not a problem'' said Celestia who used her air powers to make Algus' body fly on air ''Here you go.I just had to use my air powers''
''Whats happening to my body?Its flying on air'.' thought Algus who was sure that he was about to die
Celestia used her powers to slowly bring him down.When he came down he thanked Celestia for helping him.
''I'm really grateful for you help,air warrior'' Algus expressed his gratitude
''Its nothing'' Celestia smiled ''Also I would prefer it if you would call me by mine name instead of air warrior''
''Whatever'' Algues rolled his eyes
''I told them not to use their powers but since she did it to save a comrade,this time I will make an exception'' thought Aerius who flied higher to watch over Thalia,Elisabeth and Pontus.
''Well climbing indeed doesn't seem to be my strongest point'' thought Algus ''Guess that in the future its better for me to stay away from mountains in places in which we can't use our powers''
After 6 hours Elisabeth,Thalia and Pontus had finished climbing the mountain.The 3 of them were catching their breath when Aerius arrived.
''Congratulations,for managing to climb the mountain'' smiled Aerius ''Now you need to hurry up and get down to the other side''
''You don't need to tell us that'' said Thalia and was looking for a way to get to the other side ''Look there's a way that leads to the other side''
Thalia was looking at a 2 meter long gap between two cliffs which weren't very far away from them.Behind them was a waterfall.
'What a beautiful waterfall'' though Elisabeth who was amazed at its beauty.
''Come on now,lets get going'' ordered Thalia ''There's only a little time left before twilight''
They reached the cliff and each one of them jumped over the gap in order to reach to the other side.
When they arrived at the other side they noticed a trail through a forest that lead down.
''There's a trail that leads down'' claimed Thalia ''Lets take it''
So they took the trail and after 1 hour they managed to get down to the other side where the others were waiting for them
''Its almost twilight'' said Bratus ''I hope that they will arrive soon''
''There they are''Serafina pointed to Elisabeth,Thalia and Pontus who were accompanied by Aerius.
When Elisabeth,Thalia and Pontus arrived they were congratulated by Bratus.
''Great job'' said Bratus ''But where are the others?''
''Well 3 of them said they couldn't climb a mountain while one of them fell down however he was saved by the air warrior so there's nothing to worry about'' said Aerius as he got ready to leave to get them ''I will go and use my powers to bring them here''
''I see'' said Bratus.
''Well this is enough for today'' Bratus told them ''You may go home now.Tomorrow I am going to test your fighting skills''
''You did very well,Elisabeth'' smiled Serafina.
''Thank you very much'' said an exhausted Elisabeth.
''Now its time for us to go home'' said Ferdinand.
''Yes,its getting late so it would be more convenient if someone would teleport us'' said Serafina.
''My son,could you please teleport us home?'' Ferdinand asked Laetus
''Of course,father'' answered Laetus and used his powers to teleport them back to Ferdinand's castle
''We're back'' said Serafina
They entered the castle and were greeted by everyone inside.
''You must be tired'' Ferdinand told Elisabeth ''Go to your room to rest for a while and then come down to eat dinner with us''
''Yes,thank you very much'' said Elisabeth and went to her room where an unexpected surprise was awaiting for her.
When she went inside she saw that on her bed there was a beautiful red dress made of silk,a golden necklace decorated with rubies and a letter.
Elisabeth read the letter:
[i]''Please accept my invitation to eat dinner with me in my room.
Daniel''[/u]
''That shameless moron'' thought a displeased Elisabeth.
Suddenly a maid came to her room in order to help her get ready.
''Do you want me to help you with wearing the dress?'' the maid asked.
''There's no need to'' answered Elisabeth with an angry look on her face ''Please tell Daniel to come to my room,I want to tell him what I really think about his invitation''
Meanwhile Daniel was down at the library reading a book when Ferdinand came in to talk with him.
''Good evening,Daniel'' Ferdinand greeted him
''Good evening,grandfather'' responded Daniel ''You surely must have had a good time watching those morons getting tested''
''Daniel,where did you go after you left us?'' asked Ferdinand
''I simply went to get some gifts for Elisabeth'' answered Daniel
''Gifts?Are you trying to win her heart?You're making a mistake if you think that you can win her this way'' said Ferdinand.
''Mistake?Don't make me laugh.I know how poor people are,no matter how proud they are they still won't be able to refuse the chance of living a luxurious life and Elisabeth can't be any different.I have also sent her an invitation to have dinner with me,tonight she will surely accept to stay with me and become my lover'' Daniel laughed.
''You really are foolish sometimes'' Ferdinand nodded his head in disagreement ''Surely,you must be informed that she killed her landlord,right?''
''Yes,I heard about what when I was in the capital city of South Arkadelia''
''Than what makes you think that she will accept you?Not only is she a woman grounded in reality but she is also proud enough not to sell herself off for the illusions of a grand life'' said Ferdinand ''All that you're going to do is make your fascination with her grow even stronger till it will turn into a uncontrollable love''
''We'll see about that'' smirked Daniel.
''Lord Daniel'' the maid knocked on the door.
''Yes'' responded Daniel.
''Elisabeth wants you to come to her room to talk with you'' said the maid ''She's really angry''
''I will go to her right now'' said Daniel and made his way.
''I told you this would happen'' smiled Ferdinand.
Daniel entered Elisabeth's room and he saw the angry look on her face.
''You wanted to talk to me'' Daniel approached Elisabeth who slapped him.
''What sort of woman do you take me for?Do you think that I'm a mere whore who will accept to be with you for money?Well let me show you what I think of your gifts'' Elisabeth was very angry,she grabbed the dress and tore it apart in front of Daniel and throw the necklace on the ground.
''Now get out of my room'' shouted Elisabeth.
''Elisabeth,I'm thinking about whats best for you'' said Daniel ''Its much better for you to stay by my side instead of fighting for a worthless country like Arkadelia''
''Stop pretending like you care about me!'' shouted the angry Elisabeth ''You couldn't care less about what happens to me,all you care about is what you want''
''Yes,thats right'' Daniel smiled ''I want you more than anything in this world''
Suddenly Daniel grabbed Elisabeth and kissed her.The displeased Elisabeth pushed him away and slapped him again.
''How dare you?'' Elisabeth was really getting angry.
''I'm sorry'' Daniel apologized.
''Leave my room now'' angrily ordered Elisabeth ''I don't want to see you face again''
Daniel followed her orders and left her room.Angrily he went to his room and in order to relieve his anger he threw down everything that was on the table.
''So my grandfather was right'' Daniel had a broken smile on his face ''That woman really refused me.I knew from the start that there was a possibility that she would refuse but I never thought that her refusal would hurt me so much''
''Daniel'' Ferdinand knocked on his door ''Are you alright?''
''Go away!'' shouted Daniel ''I don't want to see anyone''
Ferdinand didn't listen to him and entered his room.
''I told you to leave me alone'' said an angry Daniel
''Daniel,stop acting so childish'' said Ferdinand ''I already told you that your plan was not going to work.What are you planning to do now?''
''It looks like Ambrosia was right'' said Daniel ''It seems that I have no other choice but to accept my destiny as a second generation warrior''
''You want to join the second generation just to be with that woman?You surely have lost your mind'' Ferdinand was confused ''That woman might never fall in love with you so think twice before you do something that stupid''
''I know that but I don't care'' responded Daniel with a sad look on his face ''Even if she will never love me,I still want to fight by her side and protect her''
''I never thought that I would hear such sad words from a man like you'' said Ferdinand ''Looks like I was right when I assumed that you have fallen in love with her''
''My mind is set....I will join the second generation''
''Will you join us for dinner?'' asked Ferdinand
''I'm not hungry'' answered Daniel ''Goodnight,grandfather''
''Goodnight,Daniel'' said Ferdinand ''I hope that you know what you're doing''
Elisabeth came down for dinner and after everyone finished dinner and sat down to talk,Elisabeth asked Ambrosia about Lucia.
''Ambrosia,please tell me about Lucia'' said Elisabeth
Meanwhile Daniel had come down in order to tell everyone about his decision.When he reached the door he could hear Ambrosia explaining Lucia's tragedy to Elisabeth so he stood there listening to their entire conversation.
''Very well '' sighed Ambrosia before she started to explain ''Lucia was one of the warriors of the first generation.What happened to her is a long story but what you need to know is that she was driven to madness after she was raped by an enemy''
''Thats terrible'' Elisabeth had a sad look on her face
''Thats what Alacria meant when she said that the same fate could also await you'' said Ferdinand.
''Would you mind explaining to me what happened to the other warriors of the first generation?'' asked Elisabeth.
''The first generation warriors had to fight against against a man called Arcadius who was the king of Tenebris.Some of the warriors died in the war against Arcadius,some of them are still alive and when it comes to the rest we're not sure what happened to them'' explained Ferdinand ''After the war with Tenebris ended,the king of Arkadelia in an attempt to prevent a future threat from Tenebris made a cruel decision,he launched a campaign to kill all the people of Tenebris....My grandson Favian,your father Archibald,Alacria's father Caleo and Isondra opposed the King and fought to save the people of Tenebris.They were branded as traitors and imprisoned for what they did and nobody has heard of them since then.The king of Ethera was furious about what happened and he declared a war to Arkadelia which lasted for 14 years''
''I understand now'' said Elisabeth
''According to my prophecy one of Arcadius' generals is still alive.He has become the king of Tenebris and is planning to take revenge on Arkadelia for what happened'' said Ambrosia.
''So thats the threat that you were talking about'' responded Elisabeth.
''Yes however it will take time until you will battle this threat''' Ambrosia continued to explain ''First you''ll have to fight to other wars before it''
''The way she tells her prophecies is really unclear indeed'' thought Elisabeth.
''Elisabeth after finding out about all of this....are you still willing to accept you're as a leader?You must keep in mind that this is a really dangerous role.You could turn back now and choose to go and live a peaceful life with your mother and grandparents in Ignis''
''No,I can't go to my mother because I'm not intending to stay with her.Leaving her after she would be finally reunited with me would be too cruel'' said Elisabeth ''I made my decision,I'm going to become the leader of the second generation because there must be a reason why fate has chosen me.At first I was doubtful about accepting my role but now I realize that what I need to do is to protect innocent people from suffering from the mistakes that the former King of Arkadelia made in the past''
''What a woman,she really is worthy of becoming the leader'' thought Daniel as he smiled ''Looks like I wont regret my decision of joining the second generation....even though my reason to join is rather foolish''
Daniel decided to go back to his room.He would tell the others about his decision tomorrow during Bratus' second test.
''You have a noble and strong spirit'' Serafina told Elisabeth '' May victory always be with you''
