XUTHUS’ EPITAPHIOS

The day had finally come, preparations for the speech required some beforehand maintenance, therefore school was canceled for that day as well. It would be an understatement to say Aurora and Arian were not the only ones looking forward to the Lord's declamation. In fact, entire crowds had formed well before the oration was to take place. No one knew what to anticipate from the Lord. Some fancied he'd make a heartwrenching speech dedicated to his fallen son, and others still, thought he'd twist the tragedy into some business proposal. Only one thing could be said for certain of the public's initial thoughts: none were expecting the speech that would follow.

(It's almost time now.)

Arian couldn't wait for a second longer. He needed answers, or rather, needed his assumptions to be validated. He got ready to set off so he'd just make the event, knowing that if he went any sooner the media would jump at the opportunity to interview him. Hopefully, they'd be too engrossed in the Lord's speech to notice him in the back of the crowd.

Alin: "What a horrible series of events…"

Aurora: "Mom I told you, it's really no big deal. Besides, I'll be able to see how accurately he makes out what happened that day."

Just as soon as Aurora had woken, her mother had rushed to her with a letter in hand. From a glance, she saw the Emazonian sigil imprinted on it. After carefully opening the envelope, the two read its details. The following was a formal request, by Lord Xuth himself, for Aurora to be present when he gives his speech.

Alin: "What if he asks you to verify what he said? Then what?"

Aurora: "Then I'll do just that, and if he's missed some detail I'll fill it in."

But Aurora had no doubt in her mind that the Lord would use her only to reinstate his point. She thought he'd downplay what happened to Tifon by making them both out to be perpetrators, and her the only real victim. All things considered, she still wanted to go and see what his real motive was, in fact, it was all she'd been thinking of since that event.

('Fight back')

(He couldn't actually mean… Against the Gods… Could he?)

The crowd's anticipation was evident, Aurora, arriving a little earlier than when the speech was supposed to commence, already saw a massive gathering in front of her. As if the entire city was present for the Lord's lecture. No sooner had she started walking into the crowd did she suddenly get approached by some number of guards, evidently, she was a 'special guest' at the speech. They proceeded to immediately escort her to the front of the crowd, behind her Aurora noticed the hushed murmurs of some people recognizing her as the kidnapping victim. The Lord soon came out into the stadium, his entrance was greeted with extensive applause. The Lord, after waving at them briefly in gratitude, steadily locked gazes with Aurora. Then suddenly smiling, broke off and eyed the entire crowd. All gathered had the exact same thought, they were all wondering.

(What is he going to say?)

The Lord began:

Lord Xuth: "As you all must know by now, there has been a great tragedy on these very school grounds. It is with great grievance that I, as a father, have to tell you all that my son is dead…"

The crowd compassionately looked on at the distraught father, all the way up until he broke the silence with his next words:

Lord Xuth: "…But, it is with greater pain that I, as a Lord and leader of this community, must tell you all that Eion Emazonian, is a traitor to the people."

Those gathered suddenly fell completely silent, as the Lord paused not even a single breath could be heard.

"In his madness, my son saw himself entitled to do whatever he pleased. By taking this young girl in front of me hostage, he declared it his right to act in any matter he saw fit, for in his eyes he was greater than us all."

"And perhaps… He could've gotten away with it too, for which one of us could stand up to such power? That is if it weren't for Tifon, a young boy in the same class. And who was Tifon, really? Who could he be to stand up to such a power?"

"Nothing, he was nothing at all. In the eyes of the Gods at least, he was not only unworthy of their favor but deserving of punishment. Since birth, he's been graded V, cursed by Them. He was immortal yet not invincible, almost comical. And how did he beat this madman, if he was so weak and unloved by the Gods? He persevered, he marched through his flames, he endured bathing in the Sun itself."

The crowd was entirely engaged, completely drawn in. They hanged by every single word the Lord uttered. But there was something else in their eyes that Aurora noticed. There was hate.

Lord Xuth: "FOR HE SIMPLY REFUSED TO DIE! THE CURSED BOY FOUGHT AGAINST THE GODS THEMSELVES, AND HE CAME THROUGH IT VICTORIOUS!"

The people simply erupted after this, they all saw the enraged Lord, they all felt his wrath, and they all joined him in it.

Lord Xuth: "THAT BOY IS ONE OF US, LIKE US ALL, AND YET HE ROSE UP AGAINST THEM, HE ADVANCED TO GODHOOD, NO! RATHER, HE BECAME OUR TRUE GOD!"

"HE FOUGHT FOR US ALL, HIS SUFFERING WENT OUT TO US, AND WE ALL FEEL HIS PAIN IN OUR HEARTS!"

Aurora was amazed, nothing had gone as she had thought it would. The Lord had completely rallied the people. In an instant, he had transformed a speech of grief into a war cry.

In an instant, he had made an army.

Lord Xuth: "BUT ALL IS NOT LOST! OUR HERO LIVES, FOR HOW COULD HE NOT? AFTER IT ALL I TOOK HIM INTO MY CARE, BUT I WILL RETURN HIM TO YOU ALL, I WILL RETURN HIM AS A GOD!"

As the people exclaimed out of pure ecstasy, the Lord stepped slightly aside. The head researcher in his lab, Phrosyne suddenly made her entrance. With her, she was hauling some sort of pod. The glass on it was see-through, but it was completely frozen over from the inside. After a short exchange of glances, the Lord gave a brief nod to her. She flipped a switch attached to the pod, and suddenly it whizzed open. Two bright eyes flared up from inside the icy mist, one blue, one yellow. Aurora knew instantly who it was.

Lord Xuth: "Here he is. Alcaeus!"

The man stepped out, all of his limbs were cybernetics, and even parts of his face were covered in it. His hair too was a completely different shade of color than Aurora remembered. It was shorter, the coloring was a misty white, with no trace of the former golden lines. The man sternly scanned the entire room, he stood taller than before, more firmly too. He stood as if a warrior awaiting battle.

The crowd looked at him in awe, they cheered for him, and they embraced him as their hero.

Lord Xuth: "Make no mistake, my great people, this is war! We will fight! We will bleed! But we will not dare stand down! He has shown us the way we were all so painfully blind to see on our own. Man is born equal, equally deserving the fruit of this earth. And if we must fight for this equality, then we will fight!"

They all roared in response to the Lord's speech, all rallied under his banner.

Lord Xuth: "Our fates, from now on, will be decided by none other than we ourselves."

The Lord ended his speech to all-consuming applause, all were convinced of his creed. All, except for two.

(I was right.)

(He…He killed him…)

Arian: "Godsdamn it all!"

The crowd near Arian noticed his outburst, and they all began profiling him, recognizing him as the fellow X grade that was comrades with Eion.

Man in the Crowd: "The X grade is here, at the speech."

Woman in the Crowd: "Do you think he'll cause a scene?"

Hardass in the Crowd: "Who cares!? I say let him try, we have Alcaeus here! He's already slain one, hasn't he?"

Arian witnessing the ensuing commotion, instantly regretted his action.

(Damn, I couldn't control my temper…!)

The whispers began, it wasn't long until the murmurs reached the front of the stadium, and then, to the Lord's ears.

Lord Xuth: "It has come to my attention that one of the terrorist's followers is among us as I speak, is that true, Arian?"

Arian was beside himself, the pressure on him grew by the second. The crowd's attention was entirely on him, waiting for a reason to rise up against the Gods' favored. Their eyes edged him on to answer, and so he said the first thing that came to mind.

Arian: "He…Eion was not a terrorist!"

The crowd gasped almost in unison.

(He's defending him, of course, he is!)

They were all agitated, in another moment perhaps they would've pounced upon him. But before they could the Lord continued in response.

Lord Xuth: "And what will you do now, hm? Will you try and subjugate us? Convince us through your power?"

The Lord's words instantly switched the room, now it was as if he was going to terrorize them. They all looked at the boy horrified and disgusted.

Arian: "No! I would never…"

Arian tried to approach the crowd, but they all stepped back from him. Their fear was obvious, and he couldn't help but feel it was justified.

(What can I do?)

Hardass in the Crowd: "Just go away! Haven't we had enough of you X graders!?"

"Yea!" "Leave us be!"

Arian was overwhelmed, he had no recourse now. No matter what he said it wouldn't reach any of them. All he could do was run away from the mob.

Lord Xuth: "You see, my people! He flees. We have no reason to fear their power now, HE will protect us from them all!"

Alcaeus jumped down from the stadium into the crowd, they all rushed to him, surrounding him from every direction. Aurora who was the closest to the stadium soon got pushed back from the ensuing chaos. She only saw him from a distance, but she knew that wasn't the friend she'd had since childhood.

(Do I even have any right to call him my friend… After what I did to him…?)

Busy in thought she kept getting pushed further and further away, her eyes still locked on Alcaeus. However, the man didn't notice her. He only gazed at them all, he saw them all as equal. He held the hands of those who grabbed at him, he nodded to those who thanked him. He was their God, he finally realized what that really meant.

(I must protect them all.)