The captial city in the Rafflesia Kingdom was always a fun place to visit. Surprisingly, it was not where the Royal family resided. Since ancient times the royal family lived in a town nestled between two mountains. It was raised above the capital city and it seemed as though the castle its self was carved right out of the mountainside. The interior of the castle was full of smooth lines and large arching supports, displaying the incredible craft of those who built the castle. It made quite the visual note when things like the stone throne were angular and edged with hard lines, it did the job of drawing the onlookers eye.

None the less, the capital had been restless since Adam Frost made his first appearance there at the annual interkingdom meeting for the kingdoms that held alliances with Rafflesia. Many of the people seemed unsettled and on edge, shying away from supporting Frost. Some supported Frost whole heartedly and accusing the crown family of many things. Zafiria was unable to go anywhere without more than the usual escort. She remained ever courteous with the men that accompanied her around but she grew irritated with her position. Today, for example, she was irritated that she couldn't walk along her favorite garden path in the capital due to the unrest. It was hard to find green and growth when you lived in the mountainside. However, she was able to convince her company to go outside of the castle, along the main road to the patch of wildflowers that grew where the water tended to pool and run off during heavy rain seasons.

Here, she breathed deeply. Thoroughly enjoying letting the natural wind play with her loose strands of hair.

Zafiria looked to her side as the guards around her drew close and stood ready for trouble.

"My Lady, we should go back to the castle." One of the averagely sized guards said to her. Zafiria stood but made no move to leave with the guard, which is no doubt what they wanted her to do. She continued to hold the bunch of floweres she was gathering with one hand resting underneath the bunch and the other on top, looking at the oncomer. Best to use her small frame and 'cute' looks to her advantage. Surprise and underestimations were her greatest allies, allowing her to use her honed skills in an even more powerful manner.

"You, traveler, state your business on this road." The lead of her guard called out. He was very authoritative and intelligent. He had earned his rank and more many times over. The guard moved to guide Zafiria away but the hardening of her eyes made him take a pause. She wanted to see this. Especially since they all knew that this man did not look at all like Frost. The gust of fridgid air that came down from the mountan to pass by the group felt like a comeforting threat to Zafiria. In these mountains there was power, even if her gifting was in the currents of air.

"The calm before the storm". How many times had the young ninja heard that phrase? Well, Princess Zafiria of Rafflesia, a rather prominent individual - she always had that 'Chosen One' aura around her and that meant a bit of a hassle for Chris Falcon, who was always dragged into the most awkward situations because of his martial arts skills and his ties to the 'Blades of the Storm', which was a pompous title for the twin katana he carried with him.

Once he heard Zafiria's voice, he turned to her. She sounded and looked attractive and charming, making him fluster for a brief second. "Uh, you know... I am just a swordsman from the eastern lands, lady." The ominous winds did not cause him to falter, however. It just kept his senses sharper due to the sight of the two bodyguards along her. "It appears to be you are from the nobility, judging from those two men following you. I am Christopher Falcon, and I was once called Yasuke of Ashihara." He bowed at her, in the typical eastern fashion, a sign of politeness and genuine interest in getting immersed into the society and world he found himself in.

This Mr. Falcon spoke with an odd accent as he introduced himself but one that Zafiria recognized from some of the more boring events in the King's court that she had to attend. He was indeed an Easterner. Ashihara was an incredibly strong and political place to have come from, giving him a certain degree of credibility. She found herself, however, unfamiliar with his title.

"You should move along then." the lead guard spoke sternly to Christopher.

"My lady, It's high time we head back to the castle. We have tarried here a long while and should move on to other duties for the day." the other guard spoke softly.

Zafiria paused before nodding her head. She would go back to the castle and continue with her duties of the day but she didn't specify that she would go right this moment. She took the opportunity to address Christopher herself. Zafiria, though having good posture all the time, drew herself up ever so slightly more than she had already done.

"Mr. Falcon, I assume that I need no introduction as an educated person such as yourself would know the nobility that resides between these mountains." she began, trying to do as she had been previously instructed to do. "Are you here for the sights of the city, to find work, or to meet with the King?" she asked, wondering what he would be doing walking into a known area of political unrest.

Adam Frost was busy in his mansion. Sitting down on a chair, looking at a mockup of what he thought of as an integral part of his ultimate goals. A miniature of a stone circle, carved with runes all over its surface, spinning softly and smooth. During the days of the Dark Clouds, he was able to get a fraction of the power from the Gate of Nemesis. As a side effect, he turned himself into a ghoulish creature. His white hair and pale blue skin were menacing enough, but he had his own ways to hide that from the never suspecting humans from Rafflesia.


He was a respected alchemist and he knew about such influences in living beings outside the mysterious land. He became obssessed with that strange power when he realized that turning into a vampire was nothing more but a small side effect of harnessing the energy that the gate emitted.

"This is going perfectly as planned. This marks the third month ever since the Dark Clouds from the eastern Kingdom had been vanquished, and this gloomy and gruesome form of mine will not be for long. As long as the key remains untouched, I can patiently wait for when the moment comes..."

---

"My apologies, sir. I had no intentions of standing in your way." Chris replied to the guard in the most polite way possible. He then turned his eyes to the princess. "I am here for the sights of the city. I heard many words on how the flowers of Rafflesia are considered a natural wonder in this world."
That said, he decided to give way for Zafiria to walk.

The guards were not convinced on how that feminine-looking lad was a swordsman; the long black hair, blue eyes and somewhat frail figure were not enough to persuade someone on that matter. However, when one of her bodyguards looked at his eyes, he felt a deep, cold sensation on his chest. Something akin to a cut or a stab. When Chris turned away to mind his own business, the man in armor was shaking and sweating a bit.

"Then I suggest the public gardens just outside the main gates." Zafiria suggested as a closing to their interaction. Even a warrior needs a place to find peace and beauty, though her homeland was a strange place to find either these days. "Goodbye, Mr. Falcon." She and her guard left him to continue along the path and headed back towards the overbearing mountainside castle.

"Hurry up!" she heard the captain of her guard chide one of the others. Zafiria cared for those who made up her wall of protection, but she also understood her place. It was important to not let on that she did care, otherwise a weakness would be exposed and for her, that could be havoc. Especially with Frost on the loose. He hadn't explicitly said he was after her, but the implication of what he was after putting Zafiria directly in his way. One could never be too careful about what in the environment had ears.

Over the course of the next half hour, the troupe arrived back at the castle. Zafiria was directed to her studies and tutor. It wasn't her favourite thing to do however she prided herself in the intellect she had and it was her most favourite room of the castle. If the window was open, the wind often came in to play with stray papers. The study had a beautiful view and was filled to the brim with both academic and leisure literature. Zafiria knocked, entered, and settled down by the window upon selecting a book on agriculture she had been working to.

Once he got away from the guards and the princess, he left the place. Things were being very normal and nothing interesting was happening at the moment.

This meant he had two things to do right now: The first, was to find a place to settle himself, as he had some previous knowledge of the place and a somewhat good level of fluency with the language of the country. Noticing some conversations, he eavesdropped on bystanders mentioning something about the gateways of Nemesis.

That sounded really familiar.

While the bystanders did not look suspicious at first, the natural tone in conversation they had while talking sparked his curiosity. He tailed them, following stealthily, eventually finding a couple of hooded individuals entering in a building that looked like a library. A third hooded man appeared and Chris tackled that individual from behind, knocking him cold and taking his clothes. With his skill, the male would wake up with only his underwear, headache and incurable amnesia.

That was all he needed to grant free access in the library. Amazed by the quantity of books and the incalculable knowledge that Rafflesia had to offer, one of the few things that slowly pushed Chris Falcon and Zafiria together was nothing more but curiosity and a man who has plans with her...

Zafiria read for a while, her book slowly lowering closer to her lap and her nose following closely behind. She smiled as the wind tugged at the pages playfully. It wasn't long until the chapter bored her and the posture she had sunk into became uncomfortable. Zafiria closed the book and looked down on the town. It was good to see that the people were able to move freely despite the uproar Frost caused.

There was a somewhat large copper-roofed building close to the western gates of the town which was Zafiria's favourite building. It was a library that in their prosperity she had initiated the building of. It used to be a brothel mansion that was converted and a new roof put on the older, broken one. Though the building retained most of the same materials it was originally built with, Zafiria had gotten permission from her father to use the royal masons to craft gorgeous, smooth, stone pillars to decorate the place. It meant a lot to her to be able to provide a place of learning for all education levels. It meant that their community could better themselves as long as they could read and produce better items which would eventually filter into the kingdom's economy. Being the capital, this had a somewhat significant impact. She was proud of it, and she could always find it from her aloof perch.

The town was not without a house of pleasures, but they had long since moved to a smaller location. This had made Zafiria happy since she found the whole notion of mistresses to be immoral but she couldn't deny the economic asset that having such an establishment in the town was. On top of that, though she may have been a mage gifted with the ability to connect with the wind and supposedly the key to opening the gate of Nemesis, one day she would simply be a king's daughter in need of a spouse. Mistresses were rampant in high society since many married for political gain and not attraction, not love. Chances are, her future husband wouldn't be entirely faithful to her and it was a potential reality that hurt.

A particularly playful gust rushed past Zafiria, swirling around the desk where spellbooks lay open before dissipating. The good thing about being so close with the wind is that it almost felt like a friend, distracting her from some more of the harsher realities of her pedigree. She got up and walked to the desk, abandoning her current book on the edge of the mess of spell books. The largest one always rested in the middle and often it was that book the wind used to teach her. As much as she had a tutor, who was late, she found the wind to be much better at teaching spells. This one was fairly simple, using an incantation and some masonry dust to cause a local dust storm. The book suggested it as a tool to get away, similar to that of the smoke bombs Ninjas used. Zafiria loomed over the book after pulling it closer to the edge and began to practice the incantation, knowing that without the dust nothing would happen.

The sight of the library was a feast to the eyes of every onlooker. Disguised as a scholar, Chris managed to enter the place and gaze at the wonderful place that it was.

He patiently walked on the sea of books -- knowledge that would be considered a privilege in the eastern lands of which he was raised.

Little is known about his past, save for the fact that he was raised in Ashihara no Nakatsu no Kuni, an archipelago in the far east that was known for its rigid social structure and the beauties of the unique architecture. The Ninjas, or Shinobi, as they were called, formed a secret order of protectors of which had feats extrapolated by legends and folktales. But he was trained in this art and it's possible for anyone to attest that most of the rumours and speeches from people are, indeed, truth.

The architectural and aesthetic traits of the library offer an atmosphere no different from any of the luxurious castles he was accostumed to visit, courtesy of Zafiria's dreams and goals in providing education for all. Scholars and students in all areas of knowledge were attracted to this place, making the place to be a bit... crowded.

The first thing that Chris got his hands on was a book which explained some of the customs and traditions of the country. The explanations were rich in details and had a language accessible even for those without formal education in the delicate nuances of the Rafflesian dialects.

"Fascinating, indeed." He thought, easily getting himself immersed by the explanations in how everything came to be in the kingdom. A gentle breeze coming from the window he was close to helped him to familiarize with the pleasant atmosphere of the place and it gave him a few thoughts on Zafiria.

Though, all of his dreams about her were to be interrupted with a loud slam on the door. A group of ruffians entered the library, and from their shouts and erratic behavior, Chris noticed they were drunk, trying to make some disturbance.

To make matters worse, they came after Chris, unaware of the fact that he was a guy, attracted by his androgynous looks. One of them grabbed his wrist and tried to kidnap him, "Hey, darling... let's take a ride. I like pretty ladies like you." In self defense, the ruffian was knocked on the table, breaking it. When the other bullies came to take revenge on their buddy, he realized he made a mistake, and fighting on a library could bring him problems. He picked up a smoke bomb from his bag and tossed it.

"Pulvis, vento, nubes, celare." Zafiria repeated to herself. The words were Latin, an old language that was considered dead to all except the magi that practised the older spells, other than the basics. Not all of the words were known and so some spells might have a word within it that no-one knew. Those tended to be the more dangerous spells as they hadn't been passed down for a reason. Of course, Zafiria knew one or two thanks to her ranking as a princess, the ability to protect herself against Frost and the wind's guidance. This spell looked like she would throw the dust into the air after the last word.

Zafiria looked to the closest clock. If the tutor didn't show up by then she figured that they weren't going to. She thought she might head to the outdoor training grounds within the mountain castle and try her new spell. She would have to stop by the masonry first, but after the long walk to it, she should have no trouble gathering the dust. Zafiria had felt that her situation was always a little bit strange. The magi from her area were often gifted with wind abilities, and yet their most abundant resource was stone. It created a rather interesting relationship between the elements of the landscape and the people closely associated with either element.

She walked the halls of the palace alone, taking the least used hallways for it to stay that way. She found comfort in the solace of the halls today, many other times she would find them cold and oppressive. Today the cold felt liberating, giving Zafiria a heightened sense of freedom despite the fact that she was confined within the castle walls. While walking she began to think back to her encounter with Mr. Falcon. He seemed like a man on mysteries, but harmless to the kingdom as a whole. She had to admit, he was an attractive person despite looking a little feminine. She would like to learn more about him if she could, but that wasn't often an opportunity that came to Zafiria often. She continued on her way down a winding set of stone stairs, headed towards the masons currently working in a conference room.

"Pulvis, vento, nubes, celare." she muttered to herself, practicing different inflections as she walked.

It did not take too long for him to get away and leave a cloud of dust. While most people were trying to understand what was going on, the smoke faded away and they saw a broken table and a drunken man complaining about his arm and back being hurt all of a sudden.

"Ooh... what happened? Is that lady a wind magi like the Princess?", the man muttered agonizing from getting slammed with a judo flip.

In the meantime, Chris walked slowly out of that place, remaining in a low profile. It was not a bad thing, as the man that hit on him was drunk, he barely would recognize anything and the people were upset with two euphoric strangers making noise in a place of learning and studying. People thought he was a wind magi tutor with the robes, and the ninja took advantage of the situation.

One thing that he realized is how tutors were put in a higher light. He knew the wonders of investing in universal education, Zafiria seemed to have an influence on that feel. In an interesting irony, the use of theatrics, one of the most common traits of the ninja, led everyone that talked to him to believe that "she" was a thaumaturge.

"Looks like not everyone knows about ninjutsu. That's good." He thought with a grin as he walked on the streets. However, he could feel the atmosphere of something bad going on, as the crowds, while doing their daily chores, kept constantly talking about Adam Frost and how the things could get really troublesome.

Not far from there, a man was rushing to the castle. He wore silky, white robes that seemed to fill his body from head to around his heels. He was Zafiria's tutor. However, he did not notice that someone was stalking him from behind a wall.

"Oh... I need to hurry. Is the princess safe? If the princess... wait!" He gasped, noticing that not only he was late, but also he forgot his magic books. "Oh no, I need to go back and..." His speech was halted when he felt something pull him. A firm grip, and claws. The tutor looked behind him from above his shoulder and he nearly died from the shock of seeing a gruesome ghoul clawing at his shoulder and pulling back to the alley.

To make matters worse, the tutor wasn't even able to speak, as the creature used its claws to bind him. While the tutor didn't die, the monster's poisoned claws were powerful enough to cause a severe case of ghoul fever. Then, it disappeared, as the tutor was agonizing, unable to call for help and sweating profusely from the symptoms.

Upon arriving at the conference room she was greeted by both the head mason and her father, the king. Keeping to court courtesy, Zafiria dipped and swept into a well-practised curtsey.

"Good Afternoon, Zafiria." The deep voice of the mountain king rumbled, pausing his conversation with the head mason and allowing her to rise from her bent position.

"Good afternoon, Sire, Mason." she responded in turn. No-one but Zafiria's mother called the king by his first name, Ozias.

"Where are your guards?" king Ozias asked. He was a kindly man, but firm. With wisdom beyond his years, he managed to rule the kingdom with compassion and fairness that gained him much respect and just as many enemies.

"I left them, I was to meet my tutor in the private study but he never showed up. I taught myself a new spell but I was in need of masonry dust to practice it. I thought in the short walk here that it would be safe enough to come on my own." Zafiria breathed. She held herself up hoping that the confident presence she had would be enough to sway her father a bit but she knew full well that such court tactics didn't often work well on her father.

"Hm." king Ozias grumbled, before turning to one of the nearest guard captains. "Captain Ammiras, please take a guard with you and go to look for Zafiria's tutor. It's not like him to neglect his duties." It was an order borne of concern, both for the tutor and for the safety of those in the palace.

"As you command, Sire." the captain said before signaling one of his own and walking off to look for the tutor.

"Now, dust you say?" king Ozias quirked an eyebrow at Zafiria. "I don't think it would hurt to give some to her, is that correct head mason?" he asked. The mason could hardly say no but he laid down the plans he was holding and retrieved a small sack full of masonry dust. It was large enough that Zafiria should be able to fit her fist into it to pull the dust from it, perfect. She smiled as the mason handed the bag to her.

"Thank you, head mason." she bobbed.

"Now, the head mason and I still have some plans to discuss. Take a set of guards with you when you leave, Zafiria." king Ozias turned his attention back to the head mason, watching her from the corner of his eye to make sure that she did take guards with her.

Zafiria curtsied before leaving the room, two guards flanked on her sides before walking the main halls to get to the training area.

Walking calmly around the capital streets, Chris Falcon found something curious. A tattered rag that was used by scholar magi, with a few bloodstains on both the fabric and the ground. Looking carefully at the clothing, he saw a man breathing heavily and moaning in intense pain.

"Help me... please... it hurts me so much!"

Chris quickly rushed to the alley where the man was agonizing. He saw Zafiria's tutor suffering from the heat of the fever and the wound inflicted by the ghoul. Luckily, he had some spare medicine on his pocket and used on the magus. Soon, his body temperature lowered and the pain was dulling.

"Thank you... who... who are you?", muttered the man, as he struggled to move his body as Chris made a sign for the man to halt. He noticed that the young ninja had fierce, vivid blue eyes and he widened his own eyes. "Oriental blue...?"

"Please, rest." The young wanderer's tone of voice was calm, yet firm. The magus asserted with a smile to his savior. "Stay here, for I will slay any of the enemies you shall have in this world." Chris led the man to a place where he could rest, and he heard another hissing growl. Nearly panicking, the man screamed, but the attack was easily intercepted by a quick strike of a sword.

"M-monster!" Finally, the mentor saw the ghoul that attacked him. Some guards came to see the commotion, but froze in place with the sight of the ghoul looking furiously at them. Their fear kept them at bay, but only Chris stood firm, staring deep into the eye of the creature. A flame burned deep within his heart, and a smile formed on his face.

"Come, show me your comrades, fiend. I know you are not alone." The shock was bigger when the guards and the mentor witnessed three other ghouls appearing. Instead of running, the guards stood there, trying to figure out what was going on. Chris in the other hand, closed his eyes. A whirlwind formed around his body, and the three other men looked in awe as they witnessed that the cute female magician apprentice was, actually, a mysterious masked warrior with a majestic red scarf flowing with the wind.



Zafiria's mentor was mesmerized with the sight. He started to mutter quietly, "In a time of which great evil roamed the lands... people called the heavens for help. The falling star was revealed to be a warrior as mysterious as a shadow, with eyes that sparkled with the flames of Justice..."

To which Chris remained silently. On that moment, the Ghoul jumped to attack him. "OH, BE CAREFUL!" A loud shout was heard, and everything went black for a moment.

Then, a loud hiss was heard. The ghoul that attacked him was sliced in half, his dead body vanishing into a small smoke of ashes as the scarf kept swinging with every movement. Panic turned into amazement as the swift movements of the ninja warrior countered every single slash and his swords moved in a fearsome dance of death.

The second ghoul was less subtle and stealthy on its attack, charging furiously and aiming its fist towards Chris' heart. However, he was prepared, and two clean slashes were more than enough to annihilate the monster. Realizing defeat, the third ghoul tried to run, but it was intercepted with an explosive kunai that turned his body into ashes with the blast.

As he finished slaying all of his enemies, Chris returned to his civilian clothing with the whirlwind again. When he looked to see the men who were watching him, he smiled. The guards shook hands with him and soon the mentor got up, coming close to the ninja.

"You... you saved me! You're a hero! Yes! A hero! Your eyes don't lie. I know it."

"Hmmm... thank you, but who are you, sir? I mean. I was just passing by and heard a commotion."

"I'm Ramirez. I'm a magus and the mentor of wind magic to Princess Zafiria."

"I am Chris Falcon. Pleased to meet you."

On that moment, the tutor was more than amazed.

"Then you are..."

Zafiria had made a large space for herself in the training area after greeting the caretaker and notifying him of her intentions. It was a rule that her father enforced for her to practice respect, protect the training warriors, and to have a healer on alert in case a spell went wrong. She stood tall in the open air, enjoying the chill of it as it rolled down the mountain and over the castle. Breathing deeply, Zafiria reached into her little bag and retrieved a small handful of dust.

"Pulvis, vento, nubes," A gail of wind rushed past her, yanking at her loose clothing "celare!" she called, throwing the dust at the floor. Immediately the wind plumed upwards, carrying and multiplying the dust with it before settling into a thick dusty cloud that rested like fog. Zafiria coughed, astounded by the thickness of the cover and the stillness of it after such a violent beginning. It seemed that it would be a very handy defensive spell. The others in the training area were beginning to make noise after their own stunned silence, making groping and bumping sounds.

"Where is the edge of the spell?" Zafiria called into the smoke. She had to know where the edge was, assuming that she was in the centre of it. A few calls came back but it sounded as if the dusty fog rolled around them and off the side of the mountain, covering the entire training area. Putting her hands out in front of her, Zafiria began to walk slowly towards where the castle should be since she could only see about a foot in front of herself. She could hear others doing the same and after a short while, everyone was into the main hallway inside the castle that leads to the training area.

Zafiria got the attention of all the trainees, warriors, the caretaker and a healer before making a formal apology for interrupting their work. Of course, they responded positively though encouraged her to be careful in the use of spells such as that which effect such a large area.

~~~

Captain Ammiras heard the uproar and rushed with his two comrades towards the upheaval. It wasn't long before they caught sight of the royal tutor, and of a foreigner standing over him.

"Hey!" the trio jogged up to them, surveying the aftermath. "Many thanks for protecting the people." Ammiras said, holding his hand out to shake Chris' while the other two helped the tutor up. The tutor sprung into a description of Chris' heroics, leaving out the more sensitive details. The guards didn't need to hear that, the king however needed to hear all of it. He pressed the guard to bring him to the king immediately. Captain Ammiras relented, sending one of the crews ahead to the king. The Captain, began to escort both the fanatic tutor and Chris back to the castle. "Sorry about this, I appreciate your coming calmly. It will make everything go faster."

~~~

Zafiria began to walk away from the training group when a page rushed up to her.

"Princess, the King wants you in the great hall." she paused, "Shall we go dust you off before you go to the great hall?" she asked. Zafiria nodded in agreement, moving swiftly with the page.

Zafiria soon stood outside the main doors of the great hall. She must be in big trouble for her father to summon her like that. Breathing a sigh, she squared her shoulders, donned a court expression and smoothly opened the door.

Adam Frost stood carefully watching the spectacle that Chris had did with his ghouls. A grin formed on his face. "This is splendid." He replied to a curious servant spirit that stood by his side, pointing that his skills were unexpected. Frost looked at his familiar, and snapped his fingers. In a matter of seconds, the ghouls became dust and scattered away.

Frost walked on a room of his manor, watching as different creatures that stood in suspended animation were sealed inside what could best be described as cocoons. He knew he was being feared as a villain in Rafflesia and made sure that everyone in the kingdom knew about his megalomaniac desires of trying to harness the power of the gate of Nemesis to himself.

The dark shade that stood beside him started to talk telepathically to his master, "I think that the eastern warrior could be more trouble than he's worth, my liege. Do you think he could be an useful asset in our plans?"

"Yes. Judging from his movements, I can tell he uses the power of Qigong. Eastern ways of combat never disappointed in that aspect, spirit development is taken so seriously that even the descendants of Maya didn't gone far with it. Speaking of which, Ozias still owes me that favor..."

"Master, I'm sensing a slighter disturbance in the air. Someone is using magic."

"That is irrelevant, Spriggan. I need to prepare myself for now, our beloved and benevolent king seems to have forgotten the pact he made with me to marry a Sorcerer, and how he caused me to be like this."

---

As Ammiras required his presence in the castle, Chris quickly stood firm and nodded in agreement, following the captain. As the whispers increased, they followed. However, Mentor Ramirez was more than ready to stay at his side and give him all of the details in the fight he witnessed. They walked around and the young ninja looked to the great gate. Two guards raised their spears and Ammiras announced himself, "I am captain Ammiras of the Silver Lion division. I request a meeting with my superiors", he politely curved himself. The guards opened way, and the trio followed to a hallway with several people, one of them wearing a large blue cape and dressed in a grey armor. He also had a thick beard and several scars on his face, wore an eyepatch on his right eye and the other was a fierce, brightful tone of green. This man turned to captain Ammiras as they arrived.

"Ammiras. What does bring you here, amidst these times of uncertainty and fear?"

"Master Wulfrick, a thousand pardons for this unexpected arrival of mine, but... this young lad. Some men during our watch claim to see him slay three ghouls with precise strikes."

Wulfrick didn't flinch. He looked at Chris and analyzed the posture. The seasoned swordsman walked around and made the young ninja be a bit worried. Ramirez, in the other hand, observed the situation and he would simply say everything he saw, and how Chris was supposedly some sort of super hero. However, both remained silent. Until Wulfrick looked at Chris and sat down on a chair.

"Your name, Kid."

"Christopher Falcon, Sir."

"Birthplace?"

"I don't recall, but I was raised in Ashihara."

"Ashihara?" Wulfrick raised an eyebrow. "With that name, and the blue eyes, I can tell you're from some other country. Like Bombardia, Silverland Republic or Iselian States Commonwealth. But you don't seem to be an Ashihara-Jin."

Taking a deep breath, Chris explained how he did get such skills. After a detailed description, Wulfrick looked at him. "If there are any witnesses in this precinct, please present yourselves."

Ramirez stood up, "Master Wulfrick. I've seen with my own eyes what this young lad can do. He manifested an armor and a crimson, wavering cape. His sword danced beautifully, the fierce determination on his eyes, everything was a sight to behold!"

"I take responsibility for the uproar, and yes. I had faced the creatures you call as 'ghouls'. I sensed some twisted energy, like their spirits were corrupted or tainted by some strange energy. They attacked Ramirez and I stood up to him, and..." His explanation was interrupted shortly after.

"Master Ramirez, I heard you reciting the first verses of the 'Legend of Oriental Blue' poem. Mind if..." Wulfrick raised his hand shortly and he stopped talking.

"You see, young Christopher. Right now, we are facing a crisis. Have you ever heard about a man named Adam Frost before?"

"Some rumors about him, but nothing that sparked much my interest."

"Some sorcerers from the National Guild of Magi discovered that the Gate of Nemesis is directly linked to the Royal Family. While princess Zafiria is training herself to be a Magus herself, she needs some help. We are afraid that her knowledge will not be enough to deter Frost's wicked ambitions..."

Chris stood still.

"Gate of Nemesis? I've heard about that. We call it 'Gateway to Makai' in Ashihara." Zafiria came to his mind, and he blushed softly. He was happy nobody noticed that he got flustered.

King Ozias greeted his daughter warmly upon her entrance, much to her surprise. The main hall was uncharacteristically empty, giving Zafiria an ominous feeling. He motioned for him to sit in her throne beside him and gave her a quick talking to about being respectful and careful when practising her spells. He included that the next time she develops an area of effect spell, that some guards take her down into the grassy valley where it should do less harm.

"Now," he rumbled. "Wulfrick and Ramirez will be bringing someone to us soon. Based on Captain Ammiras' description, he is likely to have more knowlege on the Gate of Nemesis." Zafiria watched her father's face turn grim and felt her own blood turn to ice. "They are questioning him now and then they should be with us." No wonder the hall had been cleared out, and she was dressed as if she was attending a court meeting. It was not a happy topic for their family, as they didn't know what it would mean for her in the long run. Zafiria knew she was in mortal danger but what they didn't know was the specific conditions the gate needed to be open, if it required her life and that's why she was in mortal danger or not. There was also the chance that she was to be a guardian of the gate in a truer sense than they had anticipated.

Zafiria wished her mother was here. Unfortunately, the queen had gone to a nearby kingdom on a peace envoy to clear up some legal issues between their two kingdoms. It was customary that the princess would go but because of the current political climate, Zafiria stayed within the boundaries her parents deemed safe as they handled the rest of her world-stage responsibilities.

The air felt heavy with silence as the king and his daughter prepared themselves for grave news, and to meet this knowledgeable person.

A meeting just finished. Queen Carmine walked away towards the exit of the palace, and she was more than happy to see that her diplomatic abilities worked on her favor. Her rather extravagant clothing called for attention whenever she walked on, but people paid her due respect because they knew who she was. Besides that, she exhaled pure charisma and charm. A single smile of hers warmed any cold hearted person that came to talk to.

A descendant of the Grand Master of the Wind, Maya, who sealed the Gate of Nemesis with the power of the Wind Dragon, Sylph. While she walked to the airship that brought her to the Iselian territories, and calmly walked inside.



The ship started to sail and drift through the skies, circled by a convoy of armed airships that stood close to the Queen's main transportation at all times. She wondered about her husband, and her daughter. Carmine created a small sphere of wind on her hand and smiled, thinking about the progress her progeny had after all the training and studies. To her credit, she was very supportive of Zafiria and everyone in the family knew the benefits of offering universal education.

Being a sorceress herself, Carmine knew that a society which everyone benefits from knowledge was necessary to protect her family and her homeland. Her thoughts were cut down when she received a report on an Emerald Orb that she carried with her all times. Ramirez started to talk to her.

"Greetings, your Majesty."

"Greetings, Ramirez. To what I shall owe your request?"

"Your Majesty. Adam Frost manifested himself again, and..."

"About that, I know", Carmine cut him coldly. "Now, what exactly is the reason for why you called?"

"Recently, a wandering Vagabond claiming to be raised in Ashihara Islands had destroyed three ghouls, single-handedly!"

News that made Carmine be dumbfounded with shock. She heard about the mythos that the warriors from the eastern had. Hanging from the Flower Knights from the Kingdom of Silla, the ferocious warrior monks from Shanghai Republic and the legendary Ninja warriors from Ashihara.

Ramirez and Carmine talked about the situation at hand, and the conversation ended with the queen being mesmerized with the idea of a handsome young lad being able to do what entire groups of elite warriors and mages of Rafflesia could not.


Wulfrick and Ramirez escorted Chris to the room where both Zafiria and Ozias were waiting him. The young lad's breath had became intense and he felt some strange, gloomy aura in the air. Eyes always facing forwards, he walked retaining his composure and soon they were at the court.

Zafiria's mesmerizing beauty was nothing compared to the imposing figure of her father. Something that he knew very well in the eastern lands, is that any Daimyo - a "governor", had a greater rule in the land due to the strict differences between the aristocracy and the peasantry. Trying to keep cool under the pressure that he felt in that moment, Chris bowed down to Ozias, respectfully.

"Your Majesty, King Ozias of Rafflesia. It is an honor for this humble vagabond to meet such an honorable man."

As he went back into a standing position, a thick purple smoke started to spread across the room. Everything froze, with the exception of Ozias.

Adam manifested himself in front of Ozias, smirking in a very frightening way. "Greetings, Ozzy old chap. How's it going? After all... it's thanks TO ME that you managed to marry a descendant of the Grand Master Maya... and your daughter, hmmm... such a beauty you have here. However, I couldn't forget the little aggression you did to me. You disappoint me with your ingratitude."

Frost snapped his fingers, and everyone in the room was busy trying to understand what just happened.

Zafiria's shock at seeing Chris was one thing but the icy chill of feeling her blood flood to her feet at the sight of Frost was another entirely. The court mask slipped ever so slightly, she felt it as much as she felt her face pale. Frost shouldn't have been able to do that. It seemed to be effortless, if he could do that then none of them was safe at any moment. It was the kiss of death to her freedom and marriage to combative studies. Her father seemed shocked and furious, he was as afraid as she was. It's a scary thing to know that even your parents, even a king can't protect you any longer.

King Ozias stood.

"Ramirez, inform the queen immediately. Tell her of Frost and this swordsman." he boomed. It wasn't a request up for debate but a direct order.

"Wulfrick, who is this man and what information does he have?" the king demanded.

'we need it now more than ever' Zafiria finished for him in her mind. Her father was right, Mr. Falcon would be an incredible ally if his information was as helpful as their top generals said it would be. She knew better than to speak for Wulfrick, so she stiffened her squared shoulders and adjusted her facial features. A bead of cold sweat rolled from between her shoulder blades down her spine.

"Speak quickly."

Queen Carmine of Rafflesia approached the place shortly after her arrival in the kingdom. She could feel the vampire's aura in the air as she calmly walked in the place. A warrior, a sorceress and a descendant of a hero of yore before anything, Her Majesty maintained her composure while witnessing people being shocked by Frost's display of intimidation. Frost however, vanished shortly after. Carmine barely had time to face him.


After the demonstration of the evil spell, everybody was trying to know what was going on. The young wanderer however, kept his composure and started telling the knowledge he shared. As soon as he started to talk, the queen arrived. She gazed upon him and the two crossed eyes. Carmine felt a strong heat on her heart as well as a cold, flinching aura that was common amongst adventurers like him.

And then he started to speak...



As he was about to finish, Carmine cheered. "You do seem to know a lot about the story of the world, young one!" She had one of those exaggerated sweatdrops and an embarrassed look as everyone gazed upon her, recomposing herself shortly after.

To which Chris calmly replied, "So... after I've explained what I know from the myths of our ancestors, there's no one that needs to be sacrificed in order to keep the Gate of Nemesis from opening."

Ammiras then looked at him. "And the reason for why you bested the ghouls at the streets earlier is..."

"Ramirez mentioned the term 'Oriental Blue' out of a sudden. It's a book of Heroic tales common in the eastern lands. After the place of which I learned martial arts was burned to the ground, and its name forcibly erased from the records, I've decided to use my knowledge to be like one of the Heroes from this book to fulfill my vows of never using my arts for evil."

Everybody remained silent. The young wanderer sat down on a chair and Wulfrick was the one to break the silence, "We are at a loss of words. Your Najesty, King Ozias, has his concerns for his daughter, her highness."

"And I am aware of her status as a descendant of Maya - I had explored and read a few books regarding the culture and story of this Kingdom, as you see, Master Wulfrick. I am only here on behalf of orders from his Majesty, but I don't believe to be fit or in proper condition to stand in front of two Wind Masters..."