Chapter 4: Lesson for Life

And this is how the current Orders of the Noble House of Helios were evolved; the Flame Dancers of Dante's Inferno, the Steel Faced Asura of Heaven's Gates, Oracles of the Unspoken Tongue, and the foundation upon which all are built, by means of Rune Sculpting. Little Virgo would soon become familiar with all of them, as this was his responsibility being the second Prince.

…

In the late lazy sun of the afternoon, a young boy could be seen being dragged back to his classroom. Despite this being his 3rd attempt to escape his tutoring lessons, his uncle always seemed to catch him before he made it even five feet from his prison.

This young boy was of course little Virgo. He had grown a great deal in comparison to when he was a baby. His black hair is laced with hints of brown, reflecting the sun's rays in a way that is reminiscent of his divine heritage. His skin, possessing a rich shade of brown, smooth and unblemished, a blessing received from the beauty of his mother.

Though the Second Prince possesses a sharp mind, the troublemaker is known to be extremely lazy when it comes to anything that fails to pique his interest. He finds traditional methods of learning to be tedious and boring, much preferring to learn through hands-on experiences and practical engagement in his studies. Despite this, he has a gift for absorbing information quickly and thoroughly, often surprising his uncle with his knowledge and insights.

The tutor who had been responsible for the overall early education of the little Virgo was his uncle, known as 'The Old Man upon the Mountain', Captain Hassan Helios representing the Oracles of the Unspoken Tongue. The Captain has a kind and gentle face with wrinkles etched around his eyes, a testament to his age and wisdom. His bronze skin is weathered and rough, reflecting the many battles he has fought in his lifetime. His hair is a black color with snow-white streaks running through it. Despite Captain Hassan's old age, his eyes still glimmer with a youthful vitality, and his movements are agile and precise. He wears loose-fitting, flowing robes that are adorned with intricate patterns and symbols, signifying his position as the head of the Oracles of the Unspoken Tongue, though he is currently one of two members. He carries no weapons, but his abilities are unparalleled. Despite his gentle demeanor, he is a ruthless warrior, capable of committing unspeakable atrocities with a smile on his face, as he prays for the souls of his victims.

…

"I can't take this anymore!! I'm tired of learning these stupid basics. Sitting in a room with nothing but a pen and notebook writing about math, politics, and economics. My head simply cannot take this level of abuse!" complained Little Virgo.

"*Sigh* You know…today was going to be the last day before I decided you were ready to join your first faction, but if it's going to be like this, I suppose you're simply not ready yet." said Captain Hassan as he shook his head with a sad expression. The prince, as if struck by lightning, moved with such agility diving back into his classroom seat that the stunned Captain was still gripping the child's abandoned jacket.

"Please esteemed teacher, carry on with your blessing of knowledge." said the Little Virgo as he bowed his head.

With Hassan's mouth twitching, he hardly contained his laughter. This nephew of his was truly the greatest entertainment he had received in decades. But maintaining his professionalism, albeit barely, continued with the lesson.

"First, you must be familiar with the foundation upon which the three squad factions were built, the art of Rune Sculpting." started the Prince's Uncle. "Runes are a sort of code, a written language which can be used to channel, absorb and communicate with divinity itself. With the blessing that the first of the Helios family gave, the humans we came across were evolved into the Sun-Eaters, the would-be mortals who live under our rule. This blessing not only increased their potential to that of celestials, but it also allowed for them to utilize runes. This is how our family creates all divine treasures used by the three Orders, or Squad Factions as they are also called. Each member no matter the faction has a basic understanding of rune sculpting, to build rune circles, armors and tools. Any questions?"

"Just a few" answered Little Virgo with his now iconic glint of curiosity in his eyes. "How were we able to transform the chosen mortals into Sun-Eaters? And why haven't we done so again since?"

His uncle, satisfied with the participation replied, "This is easy to answer. The Divine power alone to transform a mortal into a Demi-Celestial is absolutely ridiculous. This is something that only the previous ancestors of our House were able to do. This is the same for other Noble Houses as well. Due to the increasing population of Celestials, this led to the branching out of divine power. For example, the original PRIMORDIAL SUN CELESTIAL, was incredibly powerful. This was in turn due to the Absolute authority he had over the Sun Divinity. As his family grew, the divine energy was shared with family members in order to maintain their existence. Now there are over a hundred Sun Celestials in the Cherry Blossom Cosmos alone, not to mention other planes of existence. You can see how this further splinters the percentage of Authority we each hold over it."

The Prince was lost in his thoughts as his questions continued, "So is it possible to gain a greater percentage over a House's Divine Authority?" Despite such an innocent question. His uncle flashed his same kind smile, but the young prince felt something very different than the familiar warmth from it. Captain Hassan's usually closed eyes opened slightly as he answered "Of course! If you have a lake where you go to fish, but aren't satisfied with your harvest, you merely need to drown the other fishermen. And then magically, there will now appear to be more fish in the lake."

The prince continued, "But doesn't that mean that there will be more divinity for the rest of the surviving…fishermen as well."

The genuine warm smile returned to Uncle Hassan's face as he replied, "A brilliant observation my nephew. This is correct! So, make sure to be careful otherwise you may not live to regret who you end up empowering, alongside yourself."

Deciding it was time to change the subject, "The art of Rune Sculpting can vary greatly depending on the Order, so let's begin breaking them down to understand them. First, the FLAME DANCERS OF APOLLO'S INFERNO."