Zen's POV
They said that this world have Twelve Gods, every gods represents each traits and needs of humans. I learned it back when I started to read my mother's diary. Her notebook is ragged and thick, at first I couldn't lift it on the ground and even understand what is in the pages, after all it was written in 'ancient language of the South' where my mother's mother originally came from.
It was said that the Twelve Gods were originally came from the orphans survived in the war back when ancient kingdoms were still standing. When the Kingdom of Aetheral is still not existing, no Kingdom of Leverette, no Kingdom of Heinrich and the great Kingdom of Elysium. These four Kingdoms consisting the continent called 'Tamriel' which named by one of the twelve Gods.
Their's twelve continent in our planet, each continent belongs to each gods, and the golden rule among them is not crossing the line of the barrier. So everyone here in the Kingdom of Aetheral cannot go beyond the wall that separating the four country without of the Imperial's permission. Nor anyone who was born in this continent to pass through the walls among the ferocious waves keeping everyone trapped in one land.
Our land, Tamriel belong to the fourth god, the God of Death. They said that it was originated in the Kingdom of the North, Elysium, where the god's body were resting. Despite being our Kingdom were called 'Northern Star", we were located at the east side where our land symbolizes beauty and light. But that's not what I am seeing right now.
"The twelve gods were once an orphans who survive that cruel war. The first one to die became the god of mischief. The second one, the god of pilfer, third, the life and it's precious sister, the fourth, the death. The fifth, the twins who possess the power both water and fire, the god of peace and war. The sixth, the god of beauty, the seventh, the god of wilderness. The eight, the god of betrayal, the ninth, the god of lust and desires. The tenth, the god of justice and injustice, the eleventh, the god of light and dark. And finally, the most powerful among them, the last one to die in the war is the twelfth, the god of time." stated by my mother in her diary.
The rest of the god doesn't have any other details about them, the only god that I learned more about is the fourth one, our kingdom's god. I don't believe on gods, however. I never get why people is head over heels about the idea of 'god'. I never seen one so I don't believe in one. Not until from this moment, where I tremble in fear facing the most terrifying creature in front of me.
"Our God is resting peacefully for a thousands of years in the Kingdom of Elysium, where the flowers never bloom yet blessed by the great hunt and harvest." is what my step-mother used to say. No one, I mean no one in the people I met were ever get inside of that kingdom, people said it exist but all I can see in the north were fog and mountains covered in snow.
"Life flashing through your eyes?" the creature chuckles at my reaction. And yes indeed, my life is flashing through my eyes. Maybe this is where I rest, and stop, maybe the idea of me being equal with gods is something idiotic after all.
My grip in my sword loosen as I mentally accept my faith. He was going to devour me and it was all the king's favor. At my last seconds, I pour all my emotion in rage to my father. If I were met the god of death in my after life, I'll ask him to reborn me in this land again just to get back at my selfish father. That's what I thought.
...
I remember how much my brother cried when he found out that the King send me to a exploration through the west to claim our rightful territory. Back then, the three kingdoms, except the Elysium, were fighting in territory. That's when I realized that if our god existed, he wouldn't let his people fight until death over a mere piece of territory.
Many of our knights died at that time, it was devastating in their family side to see their children died just because of the King's greed. It was brutal and traumatic, I cannot let it continue any further, I don't want my little brother to experience war when I died. It will end with me.
I was overconfident on my own skills when I was sent to the battlefield. Everyone fear me as they watch how I slain every enemy I encountered. But I was just a human, I'm getting tired. I was only eighteen years old, and I was already fighting for my life and for the Kingdom I was not loyal to.
Ten years have passed, and the war is still ranging on. Different betrayals and storm have passed on the land of the battlefield yet I didn't back down, so as my enemies. But it's not the reason I came back home, the letter were sent to me, a letter of wedding invitation of my brother.
Apparently, he fell in love with someone in the Barrel Zone. And as always, our father, the King gives his favor and blessing to them. The famous story about a prince who lives with a golden spoon in his mouth fell in love with a girl with nothing scatter through Tamriel, it was a foolish act.
"Are you out of your mind!?" I shouted at his mother, she was the first person I visit the moment I step back in the castle. She only take a sip of her tea while sitting in her chair unhinged.
"What were you thinking!? Lucian is a dumb kid!" I continued to blame her, and as always she took every hurtful words I gave to her.
There's a secret in our family, that even the closest noble family didn't know. The King was abusive in his wives, at first at my mother. He lusted over her because he thinks she was a forbidden fruit that taste so sweet, what a disgusting man. Then after, he married a woman almost as age as me just because he feels that he needs to fulfill his desires, after all he was a lonely man after my mother died. How disgusting...
The people loves him, that's give him much more power to influence. He was describe as a 'King who holds the heart of the people', kind, selfless, smart and have pride. It was all an act just to make people love him. "It's better to be loved than fear." the words he thought to me. He was a clown, a jester just like what my mother describe him.
I don't love, like and fear him. He's nothing but a gullible puppet of the councils. He's not smart, he knows nothing and I never seen him wield a sword either. I don't know his name, I don't want to know it, because if I did, I will always ask the fourth god to write his name on the ghoul's list.
The only person I care about is my brother, Lucian. Despite having different mother, he was innocent, he approach me while not having anything in return. Because of him, I felt I have a family, but he was blinded by 'love'.
The King asked my presence after I visit my stepmother. What bullshit he wants to me this time. The moment I step near the door, the imperial knights immediately block me and ask to surrender mu sword first. I clenched my fist and refuses.
"Your highness! It was the King's order!" they insisted, it made me snap. How dare they shout at me like this, I was the crown prince of their kingdom!
I was about to pull out my sword to fight these arrogant imperial knights when my brother suddenly called out to me.
"Brother!" His voice is now more matured, not like child-like sound before. I turn my head to face him, a sudden flash of his image when he was boy comes to my sight. My brother have grown, and I was no longer needed to protect him.
The imperial immediately bow their heads and greeted him, as always he was too humble to accept any greetings from anyone, he was a dumb prince. I noticed how they bow their heads and greet him when he arrived yet they didn't greet their crown prince. Now I know why my father called me in his chamber.
Lucian manage to convince me to take off my armor and my sword. I immediately complied in his request, I was a dumb prince too. "What are you doing here? Did his highness called out for you too?" I asked at him while he was helping me to take off my armor.
Ah...He is still the same as I left him.
He was wearing the latest fashion trend in the capitol, a neat looking hair and soft hands as if it hadn't hold any weapons, he was still my little brother. Compared to me, wearing an armor with dried blood of my enemies, a rough hands that used for a countless times of wielding sword and a hair that washed only if I have time.
Sometimes I envy him, unlike me, he didn't have to go through hardship just to earn the King's approval. But still, I understand that I was born stronger than him.
The imperial knights finally opened the door for me to enter. Lucian on the other side, wait for me outside the door as he was hoping for me to come out soon.
I saw him, the King standing in his balcony watching the sun goes down. It's been ten years yet he still look the same as I left him. That's when I get to start suspicious. I immediately let my 'aura' out of my body and surround the room.
"You've grown a lot, my son..." at least he still call me his own son and he never called out of my name, he probably thinks I'm insignificant to him. But I don't care, he should be grateful for me not betraying him while I'm on the battle field.
"Tomorrow is your brother's wedding..." he continued, I didn't even let out a word from my mouth saying I was still against of it, but I was trained a obedient son who don't talk back to his father.
"I see..." that's the only thing I can say as my response. He never turn his head to face me, standing still as the warm mixed with cool wind hit both if us, he still standing watching the sun goes down.
...
"What's make you fell in love with a lower?" I calmly ask my brother.
"She's beautiful and kind..." and he immediately answers.
"What makes the King allowed you to marry her?" I asked another question but he didn't answer.
"She will only take advantage of you..." I continued, he still didn't flinch.
I grabbed both of his shoulder and lightly shake him. "Why are you like this!?" for the first time in my life, I felt anger towards my brother.
"I knew it...You wouldn't approved it..." he chuckles as his face darkens. He already know from the start that his actions are foolish, yet he still do it, for what!?
"This is the only way to make you go back home, brother..." he mumbles and I clearly heard it.
Lucian was right, this is the only way to make me comeback home, other than dying in the battlefield. He left me alone in the room we used to play. I look at the big mirror in front of me, I look at the bruises at my body. My gaze shift from my dried scars to my face, I look like just like him.
I punched the mirror out of anger, another scars added to my fist. Suddenly, I remember the look at my brother's face. Should I be happy instead that he'll finally break away from the shackles of this shitty castle? But I admit, I need him because I'm afraid to be alone again. I spend hours to think what should I do to fix this, should I confront the woman who seduced my brother? Or maybe he was right, maybe she was indeed innocent and love my brother purely. That's when I heard a familiar voice whispers in my head.
I was about to go to his room to talk to him once again. But I was stopped by the imperial knights saying that my father summons me again in his chamber. As I take a walk towards back at my father's chamber, the light of a full moon that night showers me. What could possibly the reason why he's summoning me again. I was about to ask the imperial knights about it but they immediately disappeared, they were indeed trained well.
I stopped in front of the big wood door covered in gold and gems, the room I will be using soon if I were the King. When I'm about to push the door to open, my brother stopped me.
"Brother!" he gasped for air as if he came running. I didn't turn my head to look back at him. I was still ashamed at myself for scolding him earlier.
"Please..." I can feel his sorrows beneath his voice. "Just listen to me! I-" before he can finished his sentence, I opened the door of the king's chamber and immediately close it. I can't take any more of his begging and explaining, I shall talk to him later.