Flames of a New Beginning

Claire, Inoka, and I made it to the castle, allowing our horses to wander to the stable. The servant manning the stables bowed toward us, watching us walk by. The Royal Guards in front of the castle doors allowed the three of us to enter.

Inside, the castle was adorned with the colors of red and gold, matching the wondrous appearance of the city outside the citadel. Many statues of the Goddess of Eternal Flames stretched down the royal halls, maids and butlers bustled about the castle tending to their royal duties, even a few Red Fur Cats wandered around the castle.

"Hmm, I see you have a few Searing Tabbies roaming around," I said with a soft chuckle, watching the cats roam around.

Claire glanced at the cats and smiled, nodding her head and keeping her hand close to her chest. "Those cuties are actually the litter of a Rare Beast we have named the Sol Lioness."

"Ahh, a beast that's a descendant of the Leos. I haven't seen many of them where I come from aside from a few pictures," I replied, watching one of the kittens follow us.

The three of us entered Claire's Lounge Room and took our seats inside. The one tabby that managed to sneak in hopped onto Claire's lap as she sat down on the large cushioned chair beside Inoka's recliner. I sat across from Claire, crossing one leg over the other and resting my arm along the armrest of the seat.

"So why did you want to speak with us in private?" Inoka asked, her gaze meeting mine.

"The reason is that I know our conversation would cause an uproar, so I found it more suitable for us to hold this conversation in private," I answered.

Inoka tried to detect any hint of deception in my tone, but when she found none, she nodded her head. "Alright...What is your reasoning for being here?"

"Well before I state my reason, I would like to ask for you two to hear me out before submitting to any rash decisions that may come from my words," I said, closing my eyes, resting my cheek against my knuckles.

"Let's see what you have to say first. My actions will reflect your words," Inoka said, nodding her head.

Claire sat quietly, gently petting the cat that rested on her lap. She glanced between Inoka and me, sensing a bit of rising tension. She was letting her sister do most of the talking for her since she doesn't necessarily know how to really respond to me.

"I've come to conquer your kingdom," I said bluntly, my gaze shifting between Claire and Inoka.

Inoka immediately reached for her rapier and Claire gently tensed up at my words, her eyes shifting to Inoka. I felt the tension raising higher, Inoka's fiery glare aiming to pierce my soul.

"This had better be some sick joke, Your Highness," Inoka said, her tone serious and cold, a stark contrast to her earlier playful and flirtatious demeanor.

I rose my hand, staring at both Inoka and Claire. "Calm down you two. I do not come here to wage war. That is the opposite of what I am aiming to do. You have my word as an Emperor. My days of mindless conquering is over.."

Claire listened to my words, hearing my honest tone and gently touched Inoka's shoulder. "Let's hear him out, Sister..."

Inoka looked Claire then glanced back at me, letting out a soft sigh then relaxed, taking her hand off the handle of her rapier. "Alright...Your explanation better be good."

I nodded at her, my gaze turning to Claire. "I don't come here to destroy, but to marry you. I am fully aware of the Legend surrounding Uthea; the one who conquers the 20 Kingdoms and the City of Xezar shall be granted the chance to meet with any of the Goddesses."

"So you're only wanting to marry my sister for some legend?" Inoka asked, crossing her arms and arching a skeptical eyebrow.

I chuckled softly and shook my head. "While that is my main reason for coming to Uthea, I am not the type of man to just move from one kingdom to the next without knowing the love of my spouse. There's actually a second reason I'm doing this."

"Go on," Inoka said, slightly lowering her tense demeanor.

"I want to make sure the love between us is true and I can't move on without knowing that. I also wish to revive my fallen Bloodline. As you know, I am the only person left of my lineage to wield the Crest of Arcane. I wish to have children to pass down my power to for generations to come once my time comes," I explained, looking at my hand and noticing the Crest of Arcane faintly glowing on my hand.

"Also...I know of the war that took place here before my arrival with the Queens revolting against the Kings of this continent. I've proved to Queen Azusa that a King can rightfully stand with a Queen and I would like to do the same here as for the other kingdoms. Show each Queen the true loving nature of a King," I added, my gaze meeting Claire's.

Claire held her hand at her heart, her eyes locking onto mine. "How...do I know this isn't a trick..?"

I stood up and carefully approached Claire, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hand into mine. "I know my past wasn't perfect with me starting a civil war in Yesha between my own people and my tyranny around Eyica as I mindlessly conquered it, but believe me...my heart is in the right place.."

Claire gently squeezed my hand, her eyes searching mine. A small blush began to grow on her cheeks from our close proximity. "Do you promise this isn't a trick..?"

"I promise," I said softly, gently kissing her hand. "You have my ultimate word.."

Claire's flushed cheeks grew into a more intense shade of red, her heart skipping a few beats. She felt like she could faint in this very moment then glanced at Inoka. She looked back into my eyes and smiled at me. "I accept...only if you agree to also show my sister equal affection. We are a unit even if she is the Princess.."

I looked at Inoka and smiled at her, chuckling softly. "Alright. I can do that.."

Inoka blushed, crossing her arms with a soft smile on her face. "If I know one thing, it's that you sure do know how to talk your way out of a tense situation..~"

I smiled and stood up, letting out a soft grunt. "I've had many consorts during my reign in Eyica. I would sure hope that I know how to use my words properly..~"

With that, the agreement was set, the two sisters agreeing to take my hand in marriage. It felt strange marrying two people at once, but I didn't mind it much. All that mattered to me was their trust and loyalty to me as I would be loyal to them in return.

The three of us sat in the longue room together, striking up a casual conversation, sharing stories of our past fond memories, laughs, and hopes for the future. As the time passes, Claire looked at the clock and noticed it was time for her to handle her royal duties.

"Inoka, I have to go meet with the Royal Court. Can you show Ryoma around while I'm gone?" Claire asked, standing up from her seat.

Inoka nodded, smiling at Claire. "Of course."

Claire nodded at her, making her way out of the lounge room.

Inoka stood up and smoothed out her dress, smiling up at me. "It's just us for right now. Come on, we have a lot to go through~"

I nodded, following Inoka out of the lounge room and down the hall. I rested my hands behind my head, looking out the many stained glass windows. "Can I ask something?"

"Mhm! What's on your mind?" Inoka asked, falling back to walk beside me.

"Claire is your younger sister right? How did she become Queen before you did?" I asked, looking at Inoka curiously.

Inoka smiled and held her arms beneath her chest, closing her eyes. "The hierarchy here in Uthea isn't based on age truthfully. You see, the hierarchy is first based on power, how strong your connection is to a Goddess or Legendary Beast."

"I don't have a strong connection with the Legendary Beast of Pyroc nor the Goddess of Eternal Flames. Claire on the other hand has a massive affinity for the Legendary Beast and the Goddess of Eternal Flames. Her potential has always been higher than mine as both a royal and a warrior," Inoka continued, sounding very proud of Claire.

"You do have some connection to them right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I do, but my connection is with my Perfect Link, The Iridescent Phoenix. Her name is Ra-Ho-Kuit, but she'd rather be called Phoenix. Not everyone can be blessed with such divine power like Claire or even Queen Azusa. I am perfectly fine with my Mythical Beast because she's the strongest Phoenix to ever be known on the planet," Inoka answered, smiling up at me.

"I'm curious about you though," Inoka said, grabbing my hand and holding it up to look at the Crest of Arcane. "What exactly is the Crest of Arcane?"

I looked at Inoka then looked back at my Crest, smiling at it. "The Crest of Arcane is one of the most powerful Crests of all time. It holds many properties such as the ability to copy any attack, ability, and technique, the ability to perceive the unseen, even the ability to see in the future if I wanted to. This Crest is so powerful because of one man, Emperor Ascea. This Crest has hundreds of years to become as powerful as it is.."

"Wow...I can't imagine anyone losing with such power like this. I literally have immortality with my power and I can still be outmatched in a fight," Inoka chuckled, still holding my hand as she looked up at me.

"I don't use it how any other person would use this Crest. Although this Crest is indeed Almighty, rivalling that of even Legendary Beasts, one can not simply overuse this power. The magic this Crest contains can kill the user if gone unchecked. Your body must be able to withstand such power as not anyone can just wield this Crest. That's why I weaken and strengthen myself as needed," I said, explaining the downsides of the Crest of Arcane.

"So it's a very complex Crest huh..? Why am I not surprised honestly..~" Inoka giggled, shaking her head.

The two of us continued our way around the castle, Inoka showing me every nook and cranny of the castle. She showed me to all of Claire's hiding spots which was the royal library, her study room, the garden and the room where the Sol Lioness resided. She also showed me her favorite hiding spots which were the stables, her room, the training grounds, and the balcony where Phoenix stayed.

As the day slowly passed us by, Inoka and I decided to hang out on the balcony, enjoying the view of the afternoon sky as well as watching the servants work on their tasks. As we conversed with each other, a sudden screech startled Inoka, causing her to slightly jolt in shock. I watched as a fiery crimson bird landed on the rails of the balcony, letting out another screech.

Inoka quickly closed Phoenix's beak, letting out a soft sigh of relief. She looked at Phoenix, glaring at her. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop screeching! Just land on the damn balcony! Only screech when you have something important to say!"

Once Inoka released Phoenix's beak, Phoenix let out another screech just to annoy Inoka, which clearly worked in her favor.

"Okay you stupid fiery chicken, you're lucky you're immortal because I would've snapped your neck by now!" Inoka barked.

Phoenix looked at me and tilted her head, chirping curiously at me.

I glanced at Inoka, raising an eyebrow. Inoka looked back at me, waiting for me to respond to Phoenix.

"Sorry to break it to you, Ino, but I don't speak bird," I chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of my head.

"O-Oh right. Only I can understand Phoenix," Inoka giggled, letting out a soft sigh. "She asked who you were...which now that I'm actually thinking about it, that's a very stupid question for you to ask, Ra-Ho-Kuit."

Phoenix felt slightly offended that Inoka dropped her true name, pecking at her in return. Inoka squeaked and retaliated with swat of her hand, smacking Phoenix. Phoenix looked annoyed and went for another peck, but was countered by another swat. Phoenix screeched and began flapping her wings at Inoka and Inoka began rapidly swatting her hands at Phoenix, the two fighting like little kids.

"Enough!" Inoka exclaimed, slapping Phoenix.

Phoenix was surprised by the slap, blinking a few times to make sure it fully registered. I chuckled softly and stopped Phoenix and Inoka from fighting any further.

"Alright, alright, you two settle down. Let's all take a moment to breathe," I said, being the voice of reason between the two.

"You're lucky he's holding me back, Bird!" Inoka said, holding my arm.

Phoenix screeched at Inoka, flapping her wings.

"What?! I'm lucky he's holding you back? Some nerve for you thinking that you have the upper hand! I'm immortal too you chicken brain!" Inoka retorted, scoffing at Phoenix.

As the squabbles and bickering came to an end, the two made up, their bond clearly very close like siblings. I could tell the special connection the two shared was great, their close bond evident in the way they bickered and fought.

"Alright, since you're both calm now, I'll explain who I am. My name is Ryoma Miyazaki, Emperor of Eyica. I'm currently on a conquest, but I'm taking it very slowly as you can see," I said, smiling at Phoenix.

Phoenix chirped at me, looking even more curious.

"What? No he's not here to slay— Why must you always think of the worst possible outcome? In Vesta's name, sometimes I worry about you," Inoka sighed, shaking her head.

I let out a soft laugh, crossing my arms. "Phoenix here might be just as expressive as Nebula. I feel like the two would get along."

"Yeah, but as we know, one is dignified and respectful and the other is an unhinged flying sack of flames," Inoka said, smirking at Phoenix.

Phoenix rolled her eyes, preening her feathers, seemingly ignoring Inoka and her taunts.

"Ahh, there you two are," A sweet, gentle voice called out from behind us.

Inoka and I looked back, noticing Claire approaching us. Phoenix glanced at Claire, cooing happily and flapped her wings. Claire giggled softly as she approached us, stretching her arms and letting out a soft sigh.

"Finally finished with your royal meeting huh?" Inoka asked, smiling at Claire.

"Mhm!~ It felt long and drawn out though. The yields were high and the decisions I had to make were really tough this go around, but I guess it's because the festival is coming up soon," Claire said, gently petting Phoenix.

"Festival?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Claire nodded, looking up at me with a warm smile. "Mhm!~ The Great Flame Festival. Every generation we light the Great Touch in hopes of awakening the Goddess of Eternal Flames for a chance to awaken the Legendary Dragon of Flames, Pyroc. It's always been my dream to meet her as only my grandmother has ever met her."

"Ahh, I see," I nodded, crossing my arms and closing my eyes. "But how would one know if it worked?"

"The flames will turn blue, meaning the Goddess will bless us with her infernal presence, and Pyroc would be awakened. The festival isn't as easy as that though. We need offers if we want our chance at meeting Vesta and Pyroc," Inoka answered, looking off into the distance and pointing at a volcano in the distance.

"We need a rare ore named the Diamond Pyrock that comes from Hearth Mountain," Inoka continued, then pointed at a floating island above the clouds. "We also need an item that only falls from the sky, a Blazing Star. From that same island we need a flower named the Soldew, a type of flower that only grows from the many sky islands around Uthea."

I nodded, looking interested in the conditions that need to be met for the festival to work. "Have you all gotten the chance to gather any of the materials?"

"No not yet. I've been sending some Soldiers to Hearth Mountain, but I haven't heard anything back from them and we don't have any retainers so we're out of luck on that aspect..." Claire said, gently holding the rails of the balcony. She stared off into the distance, letting out a soft sigh. "I've been wanting to go there and check on them, but I know it's too dangerous and if I die, no one else would be able to to awaken Pyroc...or even perform the Festival Ritual.."

Inoka glanced at Claire, knowing the truths in her words. "She's right. Claire is the last of our Ancestor's kind...the last descendant of Vesta actually so we need her alive.."

I listened to their words then smiled, glancing at Hearth Mountain. "I can go there."

"What?" Claire asked in shock, quickly looking at me. "You will?"

"I have no problem in doing so. Besides it would be nice to explore what all Pyroc has to offer and I want to make sure you all have an easy time. If you all can avoid battle, it would make life a lot easier. That's why I offer to go to Hearth Mountain," I said, looking at both Claire and Inoka.

"But you need special fire proof armor to enter such insane heat," Inoka exclaimed, still in shock of my words.

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. "I'll be fine without it, my Infernal Princess..~ I've gone through eternal cold and unbearable heat before. This is nothing new to me."

Claire stared for a moment, her lips soon stretching into a grateful smile. She gently placed her hand on my arm, looking up at me. "I trust you...if you can, bring home any surviving soldiers please. They are more important to me than the Diamond Pyrock.."

I smiled at Claire, nodding my head. "I promise, my Blazing Queen..~ Now I shall head off, time is of the essence."

Claire nodded and watched me walk away, holding her hand to her heart. She closed her eyes and sighed, melting in happiness. Inoka caught Claire, chuckling at the fact that she was becoming knees weak for me.

"Emperor Ryoma is so amazing in the flesh..~ Meeting a living legend like him, my heart can't take it..~" Claire said dreamingly, her eyes fluttering shut.

Inoka giggled softly, holding Claire up. "Careful now, Sis..~ You don't want to get too excited or else your Soulflame will grow out of control."

Phoenix chirped at Inoka, pointing her wing toward me and Nebula riding off into the distance.

Inoka watched Nebula's retreating form, her gaze returning to Phoenix. "You wanna help them? Alright, I'll allow it. While you're gone, can you bring some Soldews?"

Phoenix nodded, flying off at blazing speeds, leaving behind fiery feathers.

"Be safe, Lord Ryoma," Inoka said quietly.