Chapter 1: Inheritance
Eighteen years have passed since the siege of Faregy. Dailan, the child that was adopted by Rikku, was named after his father. He grew up as an Angel and trained with them. His father, Rikku, now leads the Counsel of Elders and commands the Angel forces fighting on Colterris. After Faregy was captured the bridge was rebuilt by the ShadowSpawn and Maykolar was renamed as the capital of Colterris. When Coren turned sixteen his true heritage was revealed and on most days the boy walked to the Tomb of Echoes often and spoke to the grave of his father. It is now Dailan's eighteenth birthday and a great surprise awaits him. As he was growing up his interactions with the Angels changed him greatly. He grew wings and became very powerful with magic. He also gained their strengths.
Dailan, a voice sounded in his head, meet me at the Great Hall. The voice was his father's.
The Great Hall is a palace where the Counsel of Elders holds all of their meetings. From where Dailan was at now the hall was only a few minutes walk.
Dailan saw Rikku outside the entrance of the palace. “Hello father.” Dailan greeted.
“Hello to you too son.” Rikku looked similar to all Angels his age. He had silver hair that fell to his shoulders and blue eyes. He was tall too. Dailan himself was different from others his age because of his heritage. He has black hair like his father, and green eyes like his mother. “You remind me of your father every time I look at you.” Rikku said. Dailan had been told by many of the others that had seen his father. “I've been told.”
“Come son, and walk with me.”
“Where too?” no reply came to Dailan and the pair began walking.
“As you know your father was king, your mother the Queen....” It was a story that Dailan was told twice before. After his father died Maykolar became the new capital and Jeremy, Coren's younger brother, became the king. Over the years more land was lost to the ShadowSpawn and there was speculation that the Dark Brotherhood was behind the war. All the while during the walk the two spoke about Dailan's past. They ended up at the Tomb of Echoes.
The Tomb of Echoes is an above ground catacomb. Everyone buried inside was either a Chancellor, leader of the Elder Council, or performed a great feat. Dailan's father was the first human to ever be buried in the tomb. “I've been here countless times.” Dailan said. “I know, but this I have something special for you. Unknown to you though what I am about to give you you have never known about.” Dailan was puzzled. Out of the many times he visited this place he never once saw something that he didn't know was there. “You know of oversight correct?” Rikku asked Dailan.
Oversight is a talent that every mage, and Angel can use. It was one of the first things Dailan was taught when he showed a magic ability. It allowed the chanter to see in a special way. People and animals were cloaked in an aura, the brighter an aura the more energy one had. Other things that were connected to magic, whether it was being cloaked, or a mage, would glow. Colors were more vibrant and images seemed more defined. When a mage does go into oversight his or her eyes turn a silver color.
“Well, yes.”
“Good. I want you to use oversight and tell me what you see.” Rikku commanded Dailan when they approached the coffin of his father Coren. Dailan did as he was told and what he see surprised him. There was a sort of hole near the bottom of coffin, and it glowed red, signs of Rikku's magic. “Th- There's a hole.” It never once occurred Dailan before that he should use oversight when he visited the tomb. “Exactly. Now use your vikur and reach into the depths of the hole.
Vikur is a special talent that can be used by anyone who can wield magic. The mage converts his or her magical energy into a sort of mist. This mist is a solid substance and has many uses; lock-picking, fighting and more.
Dailan did and he saw his shwalen, the color of one's magic which is affected by the person's moral decisions. His shwalen was a bright white in color. The vikur allows the caster to see what the vikur sees. Dailan controlled the vikur's path and moved it inside the hole. It looked like some sort of lock. “Expand and pull.” came Rikku's voice. Dailan did so and pulled the hole toward him. After a few seconds of straining and nothing happening the thing gave way opened. Dailan walked backward so he would not get hit and what he saw when left oversight shocked him.
He expected to see his father's corpse, rotten and stained with age. Instead there was an assortment of weapons. “Pick them up, their your inheritance.” The drawer held a yew bow, strung, inside a quiver with about fifty or sixty arrows. There was also a heater shield with the royal coat of arms painted on it. The coat of arms was a great blue dragon, wings outstretched, and blowing fire towards the sky. In his talons he held a sword and he was laying flat against the horizon, with the sun setting. Under the shield was a black, steel scabbard. In the scabbard was a on onyx longsword, with a golden hilt, cross guard, and pommel. In the pommel was a nara, which turned white with Dailan's touch. As a royal family member Dailan, his father, and the rest of his ancestors were equally trained in swords and bows. Inscribed along the middle of the blade were the words prima luce nova crastinum erigat vincere. In the language of man it meant; with the dawn of a new day, we shall rise and be victorious. “The weapons were repaired weren't they?”
Dailan asked. “Yes, and the painting was also renewed.” In the bottom of the drawer was an item that Dailan nearly overlooked. It was a signet ring, the only thing that would prove his birthright. “I don't know how to thank you.”
“There is no need to thank me. Without your father, I would never have lived. Thank him, every time you use the blade.”
A nara is usually a mineral that holds magical energy. The nara is the color of the wielder's shwalen. The rarer a mineral is the more energy it can usually store. Rarely, if a nara holds too much energy it will begin to crack, and eventually explode.
“Now take the rest of the day off. Tonight we will celebrate your coming of age.” Rikku said. Dailan smiled and looked at the man he had called father all his life. “I will.”
The coming of age ceremony was celebrated the day an Angel turned eighteen. A party is thrown and many people are invited. It is at the party when an Angel receives weapons and armor, because it is then that he or she is inducted the Guard. At this party an Angel also receives a Foragok. Dailan was no angel, and this troubled him. He would probably not receive the usual gifts, but be sent to the earth to fight.
The Foragok are the trusted mounts of the Angels. They are usually in their birth form, an oversized wolf, but these animals can change their form. These allows them to be very flexible and useful. When a Foragok does change his or her form they are always stronger than the original.
The Great Hall was a magnificent building. It was taller than all of the other buildings in Angeldom. The dome, and the rest of the roof is covered in gold and the outside of the building is embroidered with jewels and stained glass windows. The inside of the Great Hall is filled with benches, pillars and much more. As the son of the Chancellor Dailan's coming of age ceremony is celebrated here, with a few friends and family present.
The party kept to the tradition. A feast was served and a toast was made. The family and friends joked, made fun, and made casual conversation. The host of the party, Rikku, sat at the head of the table, and Dailan sat at the opposite end. Rikku tapped his fork to his glass and the table silenced. “As you all well know, Dailan is now eighteen, and has come of age. I wish to make a special toast. To him, in hopes that he will always know what to do, and that unfortunate events never come his way.” Many shouts were heard and glasses were raised in agreement. “As everyone here also knows there are a few gifts that will be given to him at this party. Armor and a Foragok, he has already been given his weapons, but unfortunately he will only be receiving one gift. As he is not an angel.” Everyone knew that that would happen. As a human he was not allowed a Foragok, since his kind was never chosen. “Come.” Rikku looked to the sky and spoke.
It was a single word, but one that had an unknown event. From the ceiling flew a great bird, an eagle. It circled and circled around the table and eventually landed on the shoulder of Dailan. A bird? Dailan thought. I am no mere bird human, a strong, deep voice rang in Dailan's ear. “Foragok.” Dailan mumbled, shocked that this was his gift. The bird transformed into the normal shape of a Foragok, which was an over sized wolf. “Yes boy, and my name is Coda.” The beast, who's name is Coda, spoke to everyone at the table. The guests wore an expression of surprise. “Coda chose you a while ago. How and why he refuses to tell me.” Rikku said. “I have chosen, because he is different. I know he is a different race, neither completely human, nor a full angel. His destiny is clouded, even by our powers. Inside of him though, is something more pure than anyone I have ever seen.” Everyone was appalled. This was the first time anything like this has ever happened. Dailan's father, Coren, was the first human to be buried in the Tomb of Echoes, and now Dailan was the first human to be picked by a Foragok.
“But you forget you're other surprise, Rikku.” Coda said. Rikku grinned. “As everyone here knows, and most of the other angels, you are special. You are better than most in combat and magic. The council has offered you a place in the Brotherhood of Guardians.”
Dailan was dumbfounded again. Now he was the first human to join the ranks of the Brotherhood of Guardians too. The Brotherhood of Guardians, usually called the Guardians, are a prestigious group. They are the best of the angels and have only been inducted into the other because a council in the brotherhood decides so. To be inducted now, at such a young age, was definitely something special. “I think I'll accept.”
“As I thought. Two days from now, you are to meet Garus, a senior of the order, and he will give you your trials.” The trials are a series of tasks an initiate must pass in order to join the order.
The day continued and the party ended not long after midnight. When Dailan reached home, on his new companion Coda, he fell asleep before his head hit the pillow. He would need to be well rested for the trials, which meant taking it easy for the next two days.
