8 Chapter 8: Promise (Part 1)

It has been a week, since Fiore became my Royal Tutor. 

I did say so, but, he isn't teaching me much and the Emperor isn't saying things about it, as well.

Well, Fiore did tell me his real intention. 

"Let me get this straight. My intention for becoming your royal tutor isn't to teach you, but to study you, your highness" 

When, he told me that I felt my soul leave my body.

"The Emperor is well aware of it, as well. You see the reason why you had raged that day a year ago was left unknown, right?"

It was his intention to learn the reason for me raging like that, that's why he became my royal tutor and was assigned as one.

Well, it has been a week, I said. But, Fiore wasn't here for a week, now. 

That day when he told me that he is going to search about my Element, he left the palace quickly and went to the place of his convenient acquaintance, or so he called the person.

"And hasn't been back since, so you are alone reading a book here as usual" Thor interrupted my monologue. 

I sighed.

"You always call me lonely, but it's not like I hate being alone, Thor. I am already used to it, anyway" 

I flipped the page of the book I was reading to another.

"There, there. Don't you cry, young master" he patted my head and I gave him a blank stare, "I would appreciate your words if you really pitied me, instead of being sarcastic" 

Well, like Thor said, since Fiore wasn't here for a week, I am spending my time at the library, like usual.

Still, was my Element that hard to know? To think it would take him this much. 

To be serious, I really think that it is nothing but a cheat skill most of the protagonists of this kind of stories has.

"Ed!" a familiar red haired guy entered the library, while panting. 

I and Thor were both surprised that we didn't recognize him at first. But, as a few seconds passed, we both came to notice that it was Fiore.

"What is wrong with you? Why are you panting?" I asked, as I approached him. "I finally solved it!" Fiore quickly grabbed my shoulders and I jolted.

Thor asked, "Solved what?" and Fiore gasped.

"It's nothing, just a small bet we did…" Fiore lied, as I looked at him with a blank stare. "Let us go, Ed! Let's start the discussion!" 

And like that, he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the library, and disregarded my own will.

I shouted, "Wait a minute… Fiore!" 

…

He brought me to the gazebo we sat down the first day he became my royal tutor. 

"Hmm, Ed. What is that book on your hands?" Fiore asked, as he pointed at the book I was carrying, and sat down the chair.

I showed him the book. 

"It is the book I started reading yesterday, which is titled, "Premise's Promise". A story about a promise between a prince and his knight" 

I thoroughly told him the story.

Fiore tilted his head to the side and asked, "Why do you have it with you?" 

"Did I have a time to put it down the table, earlier?" I asked him back and he flinched. "Sorry, my head was filled with one thing" 

Fiore rubbed his nape and looked away from me.

And without blaming him anymore, I sighed and put the book on the table between us, and I sat down the chair, as well.

"It's fine. It is about my Element, right? Then, you should hurry up and explain it to me" 

Fiore nodded.

"But, first. Ed, do you know the fairy tale about the twin Gods?" he asked, as he crossed his fingers and put it down the table.

I tilted my head to the side and asked,  "The Goddess of Light, Exelia and the God of Darkness, Ghart..?" 

Fiore nodded.

"Well, I do know, but what about it?" I asked him another question. "Care to tell me?" he stated, and without any questions, I fixed my way of sitting. 

It was a story about a twin that lived on the mountains, hiding from others. The little sister's body was frail, so she catch sickness easily.

One day, the sister's cold still didn't get well, even though many weeks had passed already. So the older brother went to the village down the mountain to ask a healer to heal his sister. 

No one gave the brother what he asked for, more than that they shoved him away, no matter how many times he asked.

So, the brother didn't have any choice and he went back to their small home, up the mountain, only to see his little sister's cold corpse. 

Seeing her, the brother remembered the villagers who didn't gave him any help. He then cursed the world, who took his sister away, and nearly destroyed it.

The one who prevented him from destroying the world was his sister who was revived with the people's prayers.

I asked Fiore, "Right?" as I finished telling him. 

Fiore nodded and I leaned my back on the chair. "But, this is one of the many versions about their story. I don't know the original one"

"That version you've told me is quite near to the original version" he stated and pointed a finger up. "The only difference it have, is the way Exelia died"

The way she died..?

"Exelia didn't die out of illness, but was killed by a demon" 

Upon hearing his statement, my eyes widened up and the words, "She was killed by a demon..?" unconsciously left my mouth.

Fiore pressed his chin.

"Ed, do you know that there is a barrier casted upon every realm?" he asked, and I was reminded of the book, which had that explanation on it.

I nodded.

"This barrier weakens when negative emotions fill the whole realm. And that is precisely the reason the Second Holy War had occurred" 

I gasped, and pushed the table to stood myself up.

"Wait a minute, are you going to say that Exelia had died on the second holy war?" I asked, and Fiore nodded.

My jaw nearly fell down, but I kept it shut.

"But that would bring a conflict on the history" I mumbled, as I slowly looked down.  "After all, the story about the twin gods was already here, before the second holy war happened" 

Fiore looked at me.

"The second holy war that you have in mind, is the war that happened 24 years ago, right?" he confirmed, and I nodded.

Fiore leaned his chin on top his palm, before he mumbled the words, "That is the third holy war, Ed" which made my nose wrinkle.

"But it is written properly as the second holy war" 

I was about to continue the argument, but Fiore raised his right hand and stopped me with a sentence, "I'll explain that to you, properly" 

A breath left my mouth and I sat down. 

"Go on" 

He then continued, "So Exelia was killed by a demon and Ghart started grieving, as negative emotions like hatred filled him"

"Then, he started raging on, as if his emotions controlled him one-sidedly. Ghart then saw the root of Yggdrassil and remembered the "Forbidden Fruit" that can grant any wish.

He then climbed Yggdrassil. 

Upon reaching the top, he saw the forbidden fruit and ate it, whilst wishing for his little sister to be revived" 

I continued for him, "His wish was granted and Exelia woke up, right?" and he nodded. 

"Precisely, but time had stop for her. Meanwhile, her brother became an immortal as a price for his wish" Fiore added, "And they were forced to part with each other"

I asked, "Why?" and Fiore's mouth opened up, which soon formed a grin. 

"Why, I wonder?" he beamed a smirk at me. "Don't suddenly show your creepy smile, dude!" I complained and Fiore started laughing

He quickly fixed his face, and crossed his legs.

"Maybe it is because they became Gods?" his statement made me gasp and quickly ask, "Right, why is Exelia called the Goddess of Light, while Ghart is called the God of Darkness?" 

Fiore answered, "That is because of their Element" 

"Exelia had an element that allowed her to use the entire Sol Origin, while Ghart can use the entire Luna Origin. But, they mostly use Light and Darkness, that's why they were called so" 

I gasped and mumbled, "They can use an entire Origin?" 

"Although, it is different to your Element, it is quite rare, as well" Fiore nodded, as he fixed his way of sitting. 

Slowly, my head fell down the ground, as I tried to organize the knowledge that he suddenly put inside me.

"So, why did you suddenly bring them up, when we're supposed to talk about my Element?" I asked Fiore, after finalizing my own conclusion.

Fiore took a deep breath in and out. 

"Ed, you asked me earlier, why I called the so-called second holy war, the third holy war?" he said and I nodded.

The words, "That is reality" left his mouth, along with a stern face, which made me look down the ground. 

"If that is reality, then why did they hide the true second holy war?" I asked, as I raised my head up.

Fiore raised his index and middle finger, "There are two reasons" 

"First, because it would prove that Exelia was revived due to her brother's wish, not because of the people's prayers like they told everyone" 

I pressed my chin.

"It would prove that she wasn't a saint that saved the world, but was a normal person who got revived by her brother.

Fiore nodded, as he put his middle finger down.

"Then, what is the other reason?" I asked him and Fiore beamed a smirk, before answering, "A forgotten guy who has the same kind of Element as yours" 

Huh?

"Your Element allows you to create things and magic itself, right?" Fiore asked and I nodded at him.

"If you would compare your magic with the others', the difference would be the way you are activating your magic" 

I gasped and the words, "I "create" my magic while others "use" their magic…" left my mouth, on its own.

Fiore nodded at me, and put down his hands.

"And that guy that you are talking about has the same Element as mine. He can create things and magic, as well" 

Fiore nodded, once again.

"Although, unlike yours, that forgotten guy can't create Darkness and Light. But he can create the other part of both the Sol Origin and Luna Origin" 

I remained silent, as I found myself struggling with organizing knowledge, again.

"Hey, just what do you mean by forgotten?" I asked Fiore, with my hands grabbing on my chin, and he leaned his back on the chair. 

He mumbled, "Like the word itself states…" 

"There was a guy that had this Element" that was the only thing written in the history. His name, family, status, everything about him wasn't written" 

I tilted my head to the side and asked, "But having such person wouldn't be a reason to hide the true second holy war, right?" 

"Well, that's all I've learned" Fiore fixed his way of sitting. 

The knowledge that I thought I had put a conclusion on already, kept on bursting out from side to side.

I sighed.

"Why do they need to pose Exelia as a Goddess?" I asked and he pressed his chin, before answering, "Perhaps, that is because of the First Holy War?" 

Having the Gods fight a war against each other years ago, which resulted great calamities and all, might had resulted with having some losing faith on them.

So, they needed to use someone as a bandage to hide those scars, and that was the Goddess of Light, Exelia, huh?

I sighed.

Well, if I will sum it all up, my Element is just an easy thing. It can create magic and things, that's all there is to it.

Then, what made Fiore spend a lot of time, researching about it?

Its existence and its history. The fact that it might have any connections to a hidden history of this world… or so I put a conclusion on it, on my own.

Fiore spoke up, "Well" and I looked up at him.

"This story is a thing only a member of Gunrlink Family knows and is kept a secret by them. I told you about it, because it seemed to have some connections with your Element"

Hmm, somehow his words are kinda weird.

"Since I told you this story that has some connections with your Element, surely it helped you a lot"

Yep, it is weird.

"And it helped you a lot, so I would appreciate if you keep quiet about it" he stated his last sentence with a slight glare and pressure.

I-I see…

Wait, isn't that more of a reason to ask, why the hell did your family fell into ruins, if they have such secret?

He called me, "And Ed" 

"You should also keep quiet about your element, since it is rare. You wouldn't know when someone would try to use you for their own circumstances" 

I really don't know whether Fiore is a fraud or a nice guy…

…

"So, why are we about to ride horses?" I asked with a blank stare. "Because, talking seriously made me want to move my body, so horse riding!" Fiore answered

I sighed.

"If you want to move your body, isn't fencing a better choice?" He shook his head and said, "I am weak at that. I heard you were good at it, though" 

A sigh left my mouth once again, as I looked at him pat the horse.

"But I guess, it is not bad to expect that Emerald palace has some places for horse riding, like this" Fiore said, as he looked ahead the trail.

He putted his helmet on and looked at me, "By the way, have you ever ridden a horse yet, Prince Edward?" and asked.

"Y-yeah…" I nodded and hid my face with the helmet.

Surely, if I were to tell him about my motion sickness he'll laugh, so I lied. You can say that lying is a strategy.

I tried to climb the horse, but no matter how high I stretch my arm, I couldn't reach it. 

"Still, you can't climb the horse by your own, yet" Fiore chuckled, as he held out his hand to help me.

I took his hand, without being reluctant. "I can't do anything about that. I'm still a kid, enough to be this little" 

He helped me up, before he went on and climbed up his horse.

"Ed, how about we say the loser gets to follow one order of the winner, ey?  What do you think?" 

He beamed a smirk at me.

"Why?" I asked, as I look at Fiore with a face that was a mixed of disgust, blank one and confusion.

Somehow, I am getting a bad feeling about this.

"Well, it's kinda boring unless we put some tense on it!" he grinned and I nodded, "Fine…" as I felt shivers down my spine.

Why is there any need for a bet like that? 

Fiore signaled, "Ready, set…" and went on ahead before saying, "GO!" 

"Ah, you cheated! Wait..! Fiore!!" I shouted, as I chased over him with my horse. 

He laughed as he looked at me, "Hahah! Sorry, Ed but this is all for the dare's sake" whilst riding on his horse ahead.

I clenched my fist, as I grab on the horse rains with both hands, and gritted my teeth, before shouting, "You cheater..!" 

…

And so the race began, as we rode our horse. 

The trail starts from the palace's back gate to the forest not so far from it, up the top of the hill where a tower stands.

We soon entered the forest.

The trees were big enough to cover the whole forest in shadow, without letting any shred of sunlight in. 

I panted, as I put my strength and balance in a firm stance.

"Are you tired, Ed?" Fiore shouted, as we nearly reached the end of the forest. "Like hell!" I shouted and rushed on ahead him.

Well, the truth is I am barely keeping my conscious and my mouth, so that I won't show my shameless side to him.

The next path was very dangerous. 

It was the way up the hill, a very thin cliffside, the knights use to train their horses in narrow paths like this. 

To be safe, I slowed my horse down.

I spared a glimpse behind and saw Fiore running behind me. "He's a bit near me…" I mumbled to myself, and looked back ahead. 

My body is slowly becoming heavy, making me unable to keep my firm stance, and I am also starting to lose my conscious.

And before I noticed, I was about to fall of the cliff with my horse. 

The scene where I died that day and the words, "This is how I am going to die…" appeared on my mind, as I looked up the sky.

"Got ya!" Fiore spoke, as he grabbed me and put me on my horse.

Fiore then looked at the horse that he didn't managed to save, fall down the cliff, before looking back at me.

"Are you al--… I guess he was tired. Well, I can't blame him, no matter how great his magic is, he is still a kid" he mumbled to himself.

He looked down at me, with a bit serious face that looked a bit sad.

"That guy won't never get tired out just with this, though. Is my suspicion about this kid, wrong, perhaps?" 

…

I was out cold from the fatigue I felt, as I kept on holding my puke back.

And as my consciousness drift off, I dreamt of my usual dream. Maybe, it's more suiting if I call it my usual "Nightmare".

There in that dream, I am always forced to remember the things that made me miserable.

The fact that my parents abandoned me, my one and only sister betrayed me, and my first and last love rejected me…

I could only vaguely remember it all. 

Although, now, ever since I read that book, I always get the feeling that everything ended like that, because of…

Because of me…