The Murder Case (I): Young Love

THE WAR CITY OF PARABELLUM

CASSIEL

13 SEPTEMBER 10 N.U.E

It's been over a week since my father woke up and took revenge for the loss of Michael's eyes, a loss that I now find out was totally and completely my fault. To be honest I don't really know what to feel about it, what to say or how to apologize.

I've been calling him a cripple but bow it turns out that it was my own fault that my brother lost his eyes, my own negligence in hiring a personal trainer without properly checking his background, I felt foolish and stupid, not at all like the wise girl I thought I was.

"You know blaming yourself for anything won't turn back the hands of time. You remind me so much of your father is almost comical seeing you moping there. You have a fight to win, it's the finals of the Beast Master Battle league, and you have to face three other opponents. Get your head in the game my sweet."

I was a little shocked though, this was the nicest and most kindest tone of voice she's ever spoken to me with. And she wasn't blaming me, not even when it was my fault. My mother Asha has always been strict as compared to my mother Xaseah, but right nowhere words gave me a little bit of comfort even as it made me feel even more guilty. I cried, I cried really hard, and she held me through it all, and rocked me as she whispered kind words to me. I never knew there was such a side to her, so it might be that the awakening of my father was what brought her out of the shell she's been keeping around herself.

Somehow that made me even more angry, maybe being injured was not really his fault, maybe being stuck in a coma for thirteen years was not really his fault. But he left his family, there are a million and one way for him to have carried out that operation and avoided being injured by a God killing weapon, but instead he charged right in like a fool, and caused pain to everyone, I can't forgive that kind of character, it's just not me.

Though there wax one thing about him that I admired and was very much terrified off at the same time, and that was his disposition to killing, especially if the person he decides to kill is his enemy. He's one of the most ruthless and sadistic person I've ever met, way up there in rank with my masters David and Ye Chen. I've been having nightmares of that day ever since.

"Try your best my child, we will all be cheering you on the stands."

My mom's presence faded away and I was left in my preparation room alone. I looked at the mirror in front of me, my silver hair with streaks of red and black seemed to glisten under the bright light above me. I had a lighter shade of skin than my twin brother, and my eyes had changed to red from our normal golden brown, the moment I got my class. Michael doesn't have to worry about his eyes ever changing, he doesn't have one.

• [NAME: GRAND PRINCESS CASSIEL CASTITAS COR] [AGE: 12 AND 8 MONTHS]

• [CLASS: DRAGON RUNE PRINCESS] [SUB-CLASS: BEAST MASTER(+)]

• [LEVEL: 4 (56%) ][ENERGY LEVEL: 100%/100%]

• [STRENGTH E(25%)] [AGILITY E(98%)] [PHYSIQUE D(77%)] [ENERGY C(99%)]

PASSIVE SKILLS:

• ROYAL AURA (RANK III) LEVEL 2

• FIRE BORN (RANK I) LEVEL 8

• BEAST AFFINITY (RANK II) LEVEL 6

• SPEAR MASTERY (RANK II) LEVEL 3

• RUNE WEAVE (RANK III) LEVEL 5

ACTIVE SKILLS:

• SHAPE FIRE (RANK II) LEVEL 9

• FIRE DRAGON'S VAMPIRE SPEAR MARTIAL ARTS (RANK II) LEVEL 6

• BEAST FUSION (RANK II) LEVEL 1

• FIRE BLESSINGS (RANK III) LEVEL 6

• SUMMON FIRE SOULS (RANK IV) LEVEL 1

BLOODLINE SKILLS:

• SOUL MASTER (RANK II) LEVEL 5

• RUNE SPEECH (DORMANT)

• NATURE CHOSEN (RANK IX) LEVEL 3

• SHIFTER (DORMANT)

SOUL RUNES:

• [FIRE/SHIELD/DOMAIN/STRENGTHEN/]

I was ready, looking at my stat page it's obvious I'm a little more stronger than other girls or boys my age. People with stats like mine were already officers in either the military, and once I hit thirteen, which is in just a few months I would be given a chance to serve. But that was for the future, today my wyrmlings and I have a fight to win. Today would be one of the most important day of my life, because finally I would have the chance to become a champion. There were a variety of contests in the war city, but the most famous were probably the Beast league, starting from its lesser division of beast trainer, beast master, beast lord, beast King and then finally the beast god battle league.

At the end of every season, the top ten from the league below, would be advanced to the next ranking list and league. Being the champion of your league and division would net you sole special privileges once you've ranked up. Then there's the one on one arenas, the obstacle course arenas, and then the ultimate challenge second to none and the only place where all of the competitors come together; the chess games.

The chess games is basically a real life chess battle. You have a commander which of course is the king, and then 15 others each holding a particular chess position. But it doesn't just end there, more often than not, the chess games can he held in a virtual world, or sub dimension where armies would be built and trained and sent to fight, making it so that some of these games could last for months at a time. And even more extreme cases, they're sent to the battlefield, left to fight and prove their skills against the Avian alien race the Toroth, or the coalition of the dark gods and their twisted armies.

I'm not yet qualified enough for the chess games, and that's mainly because I don't have much people ready to be a part of my warband. I only have Ariel, a Nephilim, my best friend and the former betrothed of my brother. I have plans to start recruiting, but I need to become champion. I've made my way to the top four already, and becoming champion would give me the bragging rights and credibility needed to recruit really powerful and talented soldiers for the chess games. This would cement my legacy and make it so that no one looks down on me and think I'm just a princess.

"Your Highness? Sorry to disturb you, but it's time. Two of the other fighters have already made their way to the arena."

"Thank you Jacobi, I'll be right there." I replied to the guard outside my door.

I advanced from the trainer to the master league ranked number 2, I'm not really a fan of being second to anyone else, and this time I have to become champion, to prove to everyone, and most especially HIM, that I was strong, stronger than they would have ever imagined. I made my way past pristinely polished corridors with my spear wrapped in a deep purple cloth, and hung over my back. My red leather jacket, pants and boots felt incredible comfortable and snug. And the black armored vest I was wearing gave me all the protection I needed, I was ready.

"Laaaadies! And Gentlemeeeeeeeen! Welcome! To the finals of this years Beast Master battle league. And unlike the previous years, this year's final would be a free for all battle royal. The rules remain the same, no killing or fatal blows allowed to both the master and their summoned beasts. Anything goes, as long as you don't kill, mentally scar, or dismember your opponents, of course we can fix all that, but you would be disqualified, so don't do it. The ranking would be decided by order of who's eliminated, so if you're eliminated first, your would be ranked fourth in the entire league, and so on and so forth.

Now the moment you've all been waiting for! It has arrived and I can feel your anticipation! I can feel the rush! The adrenaliiiinnnnnneee! Introducing first! From the war city itself, our very own Duma the Untamed!"

The crowd went wild, screaming and shouting as a young man about 19 or twenty years of age walked out of one side of the arena, a wooden but tuned war hammer in his hands. He was dressed in animal furs, and he walked in with his tamed beasts, two Shriek Panthers. They're really rare beasts, and are well know for their sound based attacks and speed. A strong enough sound strike from them could completely turn the brains of beasts a higher rank than them into mush. I had to be careful of that.

"And coming in next, from the underwater city of Hesperia, Salar the Undine Undead!"

Salar wasn't really an undead, and neither were his beasts. But Salar had an ability that was rare, an ability that's a part of my bloodline thanks to my father. He's a weaver or according to new universe terms, a rune master. Which gives him access to soul energy, and as such access to soul beasts. He also had two beasts, in accordance with the rules of the beast leagues, with every increase in league, the fighters are allowed to increase the number of beasts they can have in a fight by a factor of one. Trainers could only use one beast, and masters are allowed to use two. The next league which should be lords, allowed three.

Salar's beasts were called the Naraka, a special class of elementals with the ability to manipulate and control soul energy, or even souls themselves. Narakas are always usually water elementals, which was why I wasn't surprised that he had two ghost like dolphins with sabretooth like fangs floating around him. The seemed to blend well with his blue skin tight water suit, and his grey skin.

"And coming in next! You all know him as the champion of the previous division! The dare devil nobody who against all odds defeated all his opponents and even audaciously decreed that he would marry the grand princess herself. Ladies and gentlemen, the underdog from the underground, Malik! The Iron Bull!."

The crowd cheered and screamed and raved and went wild for a good five minutes. But he was no where to be found, maybe he chickened out. Which was good and fine because Malik was not someone I felt that I could beat. He was smug, and rude, and vulgar and well quite handsome too, plus he's a really good kisser, which of course shouldn't matter at all, since he's my opponent. But he's really sweet and nice, and even though he sort of stole a kiss from me, he was still someone I would really like to be around.

He was funny and smart and unlike my brother or his dumb friend Max, he was strong. It would be easier to admit that I had a crush on my opponent, but can you blame me. Every single female in this arena would probably drop their panties for him in a heartbeat. And sure he was a little older than me, but it was just seven years! To a vampire or a dragon age doesn't really matter and I happen to be both. We have an agreement though, after this tournament was over, we would be going out on a real date, like a real couple. It would be fun, but I need to focus now. Until this tournament is over, he's an opponent standing between me and my championship title, love can take a break for now.

"Ladies and gentlemen…..I'm afraid I have terrible news. At around 5:31 am this morning, the underdog from the underground Malik son of Karim, was found murdered along with his tamed beasts. This has become and ongoing police investigation, and as such the finals of the beast master battle league would be suspended until more investigations have been made, and his killer found or at the very least it's confirmed that none of the other fighters are targets or suspects. Please have a lovely day."

I was dumbfounded, Malik was dead, my first true love, gone, just like that. So this is what heartbreak feels like, wow….…. it sucks.