Exotere

There are some that wish for redemption, love, and sometimes even the power that comes with great hardship.

With this world's energy called "Exotere" things like that can happen, and it may even cause wars.

In the East resides the region of fire, life, and inner strength, the Han region.

In the North region resides the power of ice, snow. A place of duty and honor.

The region in the South that resides the powers of earth, steam, as well as brute force which will light your way, the Solsu Region.

Finally, the region in the West, the area that carries the power of wind and solitude, as well as law, the Region of Romesome

Our two royalties reside in the region of Romesome, let's see what will happen on their journey from here on out as they will soon realize the destiny they will have in this rude, crude world...

"Alice, soon you will realize—"

I sat up swiftly from my bed and looked around with wariness. I calmed down a bit after being startled.

"It was just a dream..."

I slid off the side of my bed and went to my desk. I began brushing the side of my head. Although most of my hair is black, on that side my hair has strands of white hair as well.

I looked into the mirror and stared into my white eye. Sometimes, on days like this I question myself. Why was I born with this eye?

Well, no matter how many times I question it I will never get answers doing nothing. Despite that, what do I to get answers?

I exhaled a deep sigh whilst beginning to wrap the left side of my hair into a one sided ponytail with a hairband.

You know, I don't mind my hair. I actually really enjoy how it looks, I just feel disgusted by my white eye. This eye makes me feel like some wicked witch… ugh just thinking about it gives me the shivers.

As I'm getting ready I heard a knock on the door. A young girl in maid clothes peaked out the corner of the door. I saw a fraction of her shoulder length red hair and instantly knew it was just Marcella.

"Princess, what's the point in me being a maid if you get ready yourself?", she said

"I've told you plenty of times that I like to get ready myself."

"Well at least let me dress you."

I shifted my eyes to the side, stood up and let her do so, she undressed me with haste. After getting me undressed she put in an expensive dress. I don't like dresses, but I don't mind since it's what you'd expect a princess to wear after all.

"What are the things I have to do today, Marci?"

Marcella concealed her blush as she heard me call out her nickname until she regained composure.

"Enough with the nicknames, Princess. Anyways, in the morning you'll need to work on swordsmanship right before eating breakfast, then in the afternoon you'll work on swordsmanship before tending to your princess duties, and in the evening you'll need to work on history and literature."

"Ugh not another boring day."

I sigh with displeasure. Marcella giggled at my reaction to my dreadful day.

"Another tough day for the Princess once more~"

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Marcella coughed lightly, composing herself.

"N-no I'm not enjoying it"

Yea she acts just like her sister, I shook my head with displeasure. Soon she finished getting me dressed and began walking out of my room with my dirty clothes

"Well, have fun my princess~"

I then replied with "Yea.. Haha more fun for me.."

I looked at the outfit she put on me, it was a black skirt with an expensive top that had sleeves with white and black colors and black high heels.

I went through the door and began taking a deep inhale and exhale before walking down the hall. *click clack* went my heels.

I hate these shoes and doing the duties of a princess... "Augh!" Why must I do it anyway? I sighed with my head down. How are you able to do this, Youm? I wonder what he's doing anyways? Heading down the hall. I get welcomed by the other maids whispering to themselves.

"Oh look over there, it's the useless princess."

"How can she even call herself a princess without learning her magèia element?"

"Can she even fight?"

I'd say something to their whispers but what they say is actually right. My Exotere output is too little in order to learn a magèia element so I can't use it like the King, or Flare, I can barely even wield the shortest sword, despite that I still practice. I wonder why I even bother? But, on a different note, I'm absolutely hungry.

King Boumen POV-

The windows were wide enough making the wind come through my office, as the wind settled in, it made the papers I was working on fly down to the floor. Panicked, I try getting all the papers before giving up and closing the windows.

"I just can't get a break, huh?," I said while mumbling to myself.

Shortly after, I heard a knock coming from the other side of the door "Come in!" I said calmly, "Low and behold, it's Rubert."

His face was old but gave the demeanor of a butler rather than my right hand man.

"King Boumen, I have more paperwork for you."

I sighed with a look on my face that said Ugh more paperwork slouching on my chair I gazed at my desk then to Rubert.

"How are they, Rubert?"

Rubert's eyes widened at the question "Do you mean your children?" I nodded and replied with, "Yes, is that strange? I hate to say it but I forgot the last time I ever spent time with them."

Rubert scoffed at the question saying. "Youm gets along with everyone, however Alice on the other hand..."

Boumen's face gave some confusion when he mentioned Alice.

"What about her?"

Rubert sighed "She's not good at relatively anything, the maids and citizens don't have much faith in her."

That girl always did seem sad… being so different and all. Marianne, what would you do in this situation I wonder?

Youm's POV-

The wind passed my legs going *swoof* from the footwork of me swinging my sword, it was a sword made out of wood that I got from the armory so I could train with it.

I huffed and puffed, feeling exhausted from each swing until I decided to take a break. No matter how hard I swung this sword I see no improvement with my training.

"Something just doesn't feel right," I say out loud.

"What doesn't feel right? Prince Youm?"

I turned my head seeing a girl with flowing red hair who had on a black and white maid outfit. "Oh, it's just you Flare."

Flare pouted. Is she angry at me? I thought to myself

"You could've addressed me more formally for a change!"

I turned my head ignoring her while going back to my training

"Yea, yea. Anyways. I just lack experience from proper duels or fights so it feels like I'm not getting anywhere."

Flare smirked and said to me "wait right here!"

She bolted out the door and shortly came back with a wooden wand. Did she get that from the armory?

I thought only swords, spears, and axes were in there well, whatever.

"Let's have a duel, my Prince. You wanted experience, right?"

Whilst Giggling, She bows her head and gets into a fighting stance.

"If that's what you wish, then alright."

I got into a fighting position. I held the sword with both hands. With it being in front of me above my waist, I clenched the sword and dashed toward Flare.

Upon me dashing at her she jumped back, flinging her finger from left to right chanting hastily.

"Now become this user's source of destruction: Fire line."

Fire spat out of the line that she casted as it flew towards me. Just barely I dodged it, however it grazed my cheek.

Are you trying to kill me?!

Was the expression I had on my face. Regaining my composure, I finished catching up to her and swung my sword diagonally, however she blocked it with just a tiny bit of her wand.

While still blocking, with her other hand she swayed her finger diagonally chanting to herself

"Be the lightning that zaps even the gods: zapping volt."

Suddenly, she shifted her wand from my attack and tapped my shoulder upon using her wand. She Sent volts of lightning onto my shoulder as if my body was being electrocuted, leaving me unconscious…

I woke up. I wasn't fully awake, however, I could hear a girl's voice in the distance.

"AHHHHHH WHAT HAVE I DONE?! I used way too much Exotere on him! Actually… It was kind of funny seeing him like that hehe~"

She's such a sadist sometimes, I just wish she'd bully someone else other than me.

I bolted up from a laying down. My hair was frizzed up from the electricity Flare casted on me.

"Ugh, how long was I down for? And why do you look so satisfied?!"

I said in a frustrated manner, however she had a beautiful smile it was hard to be mad at her.

"Oh nothing, just payback," she said

I'd say something… But I really can't think of anything, I'll just try changing the subject.

"Well, I guess I know that I still need more training."

"Why are you trying so hard to get better anyway?," Flare asked of me with a curious look.

"Well why else? So I can be a King."

Flare giggled silently, however she had a heartfelt look.

"Prince Youm, you're gonna be King even if you don't train, You're the Prince of Lavosh you know? Until that ceremony happens in the near future nothing is stopping you from being king."

"Well, yea i know but… something just tells me I'm not ready, like there's a wall preventing me from starting that path. So I'm gonna start practicing my swordsmanship more, a king must know how to use a sword after all."

Flare's expression went from a gigglish demeanor to a calm smile.

"Well, you need to do more than swordsmanship in order to become a great king, Prince Youm."

"Yea, I guess you're right."

Alice's Pov-

Some time passed so I headed over to the dining room. I was waiting for the maids to get done cooking from before.

"Ahhh I'm so hungry, I could eat a cow if I could— actually I probably could eat a cow."

My stomach grumbled as I thought about food the entire time. I finally began opening the door to the dining table where I saw my father and brother sitting at the table, instantly my slouched expression turned into an uptight one as I sat down at the table a few seats down from my brother.

My father's seat was on the other side of my brother's. My brother looked beat up.. He must've been training, but with whom?

"How did you get beat up so badly, Youm?"

The one who said that was my father, Boumen.

Supposedly, my father is a tough, like the title says he controls lightning. Despite him using lightning and having a title I've never actually seen him fight.

"Y-you see... I uhh got beat up by Flare"

"HAHAHA she's one hell of a servant right?"

"I don't think you should be laughing at me getting beat up, Father."

She teases him so much, so I'm not surprised if she beat him up just for her own enjoyment. Now that I think about it I should make sure Marci doesn't do the same thing to me.

"Maybe she should be your Queen, my son." The king said jokingly while giggling to himself.

"No! never! She teases me way too much for me to get along with her, let alone marry!"

The King sipped on a glass of wine before putting it down, he smirked and said to my brother "I don't know. It looks like you two get along just fine to me. Especially when you two were little."

My brother pouted with his arms tucked in not saying a word. I'm guessing he couldn't think of a response to say right away.

Soon the maids brought out the dish that was being served this morning, it was steak with leaves covering the side, there was as well cheese next to it.

It was a simple meal, but it looked freshly done. My eyes sparkled from the food as my mouth drooled. I finally began eating the food, gently savoring each bite.

"It's good ain't it?" The King said.

"Y-yes it is... Sir."

Once I said that his face slouched–clearly, not satisfied with my response. He turned his head to the side and whispered to himself. "Still not calling me father, huh?"

I heard some of it. I could call him father.. but it's just hard to see him in the same way as I once did when Mom was alive. A few minutes go by, I finish eating the mea and begun to wipe my face with my handkerchief then got up from my seat. I walked off since I was finished and tucked in my chair.

"Well, I have to do swordsmanship now."

"Good luck on your training," my brother said.

I wish something would just happen already, everyday is the same. I have so many questions as to this hair and Mom that I'm not getting any closer to.

End of Alice's POV-

Outside the kingdom of Lavosh and deep within the nearby forest resides a group of tents.

In one of those tents was a group of mercenaries that were surrounding this giant table–two on the left and two on the right, in front of the table was a man using a smoking pipe.

The table held a map of Lavosh's surroundings.

A girl on the right then said with a halberd-like spear on her back.

"So how do we get in, Boss?" A big man almost the size of Boumen said with anxiousness.

"Just wait until nightfall, my friend. Soon enough the entire kingdom will be ours for the taking." A tall man said, gazing at the map ahead.

"Yes sir!" the mercenary man, and many others acknowledged the boss's confidence.

"So then, how about a drink tonight?" The boss said as happy as a man winning gold.

But then they all soon regretted showing loyalty and sighed.

"A drink when we're about to attack the enemy!?"

"Sometimes he never changes."

"And today of all days, too. Do you have no dignity?"

He'd been left with comments by his comrades. The comrades in question belittled him in a joking-like fashion

"Hey what can I say? I love to drink, after all it's a drink of the gods, haven't you heard?"

They all chuckled and marched forth out of the tent and drank until nightfall.

Alice's POV-

In the training outside of the castle walls, I had begun meditating, with my legs crossed sitting on the floor. My arms were placed around my legs. With no avail I showed no signs of unlocking my magèia element.

At the start of my training when I was around seven I struggled to even conjure up my Magèia element, so how come even at age twelve I'm getting nowhere!

"Marci, how did you reach your magèia at such an early age?" I asked in curiosity.

"It wasn't too hard, maybe I'm just talented. All you have to do is imagine the shape, size, and heart of your Magèia element."

I sighed plain as day and said sassy-like, "Yea, yea I know that, you've already told me these past 5 years. Honestly, it'd help more if I knew what I had to imagine anyways."

Marcella giggled,putting her sleeve against her mouth. Having a smirk on her face she closed her eyes saying.

"Oh well, you'll figure it out Princess~"

I clicked my tongue gazing toward the side in an annoyed manner. "Tsk you're doing that again."

Time flew by as I worked on history and finished my training.

End of Alice's POV-

Somewhere on top of the castle walls resided soldiers gazing off into the distance. One of the soldiers squinted his eyes.

"What is that light..?" The soldier recognized the light as a Fire. His eyes widened. " WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" and alerted the other guards, some were sleeping and woke up while some were alerted and on guard.

Archers came out of the forest and began to launch a fire attack with the bows having fire attached to the arrow. The arrows rained down.

The guards that were securing the gate looked at each other and nodded their heads.

"That's the signal." one guard said.

"W-What signal— agh!" The two guards speared the other nearby guards that were stationed there. They begun pulling the lever opening the gate.

"WHY IS THE GATE OPENING?!", a panicked soldier said

A random guard who appeared to be the captain said, " Who was on top of the walls?"

"NOW CHARGE!" the leader of the forces said.

In the back of the charge were spellcasters creating the shape of a cube with their fingertips, the cube started to expand and shoot out fire that rained across the kingdom.

Inside the kingdom were townspeople that got caught up in the spellcasting which made them burn alive.

"AHHH!" Screamed one person in the city which turned into multiple screams.

"Now, now, don't burn the whole city, we need it for later," said a tall gentleman that looked out of place to be part of a mercenary group. His appearance was that of a rich prideful noble. That same person could sense the leader of the mercenaries glancing at him with a concerned look.

"Tsk, damn mercenary!" the noble said while clicking his tongue.

The boss went ahead charging head first into the city on his horse, the noble followed him giving off a gloating stance.

"You should've died back then, mercenary. No matter since there's no way you'd win against Boumen Vi Raijin."

The leader of the mercenaries brushed off the noble's comment and picked up the pace with his horse. Soon another mercenary headed beside the leader, it was a girl that had a knight's sword attached to her back. She looked very pretty and not someone who could fight.

"Are you sure you should've brought him along? He doesn't look like he could do much," the girl asked in concern.

"It's a pain in the ass but he's the only reason we're able to do this, besides if he gets in the way I'll just kill him."

"K-kill him? Taichou— I mean, boss. He's the son of that king who rules over Homuze, if we kill him we'll be targeted by them."

"I know that Koko, which is why we'll have what you see in front of you."

Koko looked in front of her, it was the castle they saw before them. Soon Taichou galloped across the hill reaching the city known as Lavosh, leaving behind Koko.

"Surely he doesn't mean to become King himself, right?"

Youm's POV-

(5 minutes before the attack)

I had a sudden headache upon getting out of my seat from the library within the castle. I knelt down on the floor in pain.

"Ugh.. What is this feeling?"I asked aloud. Upon me saying that Flare quickly came to me.

"M-my Prince are you alright?" Flare said, with concern in her voice.

"Yea, I'm alright, I just don't feel too good at the moment." I placed my hand on my forehead in pain.

Without warning I began to see a flash of light, I felt like my head was spinning round and round. Flashes of events come circling in my mind

What are these memories?

I took a peek into one event. She was wearing a dress of great fortune, after taking a closer look

"W-Wait that's mom! What's she doing here?"

I felt a bit further but apparently I can only see the memory, not the sound.

Mom was walking around the garden until my sister, Alice came into view, Alice seemed to be 4 at the time.

From what I remember my mom never seemed to dislike Alice, rather she favored her. This takes me back, she'd walk us around the garden on a full moon, a night just like this

She bent down and stroked Alice's hair, she especially messed with the white part of her hair, and with a concerned look patted her head.

"So then why did she look so scared?" I asked myself.

The memory disappeared and a white flash unfolded. When I opened my eyes I became witness to a log cabin. Sitting at a table was a cheerful woman waving at me while my sister was on the other end having a sip of tea. The woman had strange purple dreadlocked hair coming down to her waist.

I looked all over the place, but it feels so realistic as if it's an illusion of some type, wait! Am I in an illusion right now?

"Oh, don't look so perplexed son of raijin, have a seat." The woman said.

I guess I don't have much of a choice in the matter. I sat in the seat looking oddly uncomfortable.

Alice seems to be relaxed already, is it okay for me to be relaxed too? But what if this isn't the real Alice.

"Okay, so I know you seem uncomfortable, and that's okay. Let's get down to business then. I am here to unlock a gift the two of you have," the woman said

"Uhm… What do you mean by a gift?", I said

"I already gave your sister here the memo, but it's basically what it seems. I made this alternate dimension made by your consciousness, all I had to do was interlink it with mine. Once you wake up it'll all feel like a dream, I'm just here to give you a hint on what it could be about"

I can't tell if she's telling the truth or not, but actions speak louder than words here, and I can definitely tell as of now that she's not lying. I might understand why Alice is here. She's the more mysterious one than me when it comes to her bloodline, even though we share the same blood it feels like we're miles apart. Not that we don't get along, but still…

"I understand, so what's my power?", I said hastily

"Woah, woah kid already getting right to the questions. I thought you'd be freaking out by now. Okay then, you, son of Raijin have focus of endings. Your sister has the eye of beginnings."

"The focus of endings?"

"Yes, the focus of endings is… let's just say you can overcome any situation with a steady mind, how's that for a hint?"

'with a steady mind?' I mean, it kind of makes sense… I thought my mind was already steady. And to overcome any situation? With a steady mind I guess that can be possible. I'll have to think more about it later.

"Okay… I think I might understand… maybe?"

"Haha you'll find out eventually, I have hope you'll be able to figure it out darling."

I'm surprised Alice hasn't said anything at all… did something happen before I was here? I wonder what the eye of beginnings is, could it lead somewhere from her white eye? Maybe that's why she's being so silent.

"Uhm, so what's the eye of—"

"Oh, it looks like our time is up, Alice and Youm, I hope you two fulfill your destiny"

"Wait I still have—"

My consciousness came back to me as if I was resurrected as I am now back in the real world.

"Questions…"