He looks out the window, it was another peaceful morning. Not a single violence in sight. He looks hard and long to the outside world from inside his large and richly endowed room. He squints to the mountainside, where the Tenzan pass is. Ironic how his room's view is exactly where he can see his latest handiwork. Not that he can actually see it from this distance, but he can still imagine the view.
He stands at the window, holding the curtain up, so he can see the view clearly. If someone were to see through his window now, they'd see a barely dressed Ruka Bright, prince of Highland looking out the window, looking not much like his maniacal evil self, but more like a confused man, who's searching for something. But no one dares to even try to look at Ruka Bright's window. It is much too scary for these weak-minded, manipulated fools.
The form under the cover of his bed moves slgihtly. He takes a look at the woman who's still sound asleep on the bed. What was her name again? Claire? Blair? Who cares, she's just someone who can satisfy his lust for tonight. Someone he cares not for, nor does he love for. Even for her, he would assume, that all it was, was just pure lust. No real love has been concocted on the night before. His face suddenly turns into a frown.
He goes to the bed and slightly stroked the woman's face. She had a clean face. One could say that she was beautiful. Of course, now, one can ONLY say that she WAS beautiful. Ruka took no time in snapping her neck in half. She is of no use to him anymore. He had enjoyed the time he had with her last night, but that was it. She had satisfied him enough.
He picked up her limp body off the bed and goes again to the window. With the woman's slumped over his shoulder, he squints again, while looking at the outside world. Still all peaceful with... what's this? Birds are chirping? Near his window. No. On his windowsill. He opened the window and cooed the bird to come into his room. Ahhh, such an innocent little thing. Without a care of the world on it's back. No burden, no troubles. He would even say that this bird is cute. Until he slammed the woman's body on the bird. Blood oozes out from the side of the limp body that is now on the ground. He hold the woman by the hand, and looked at it. Soft, small hands. Too bad.
In an instant, only charred remains are left on the ground. He stands up again and then looked back to the outside world. He closed his window and then puts both his hands on the side of his waist. A devillish grin is slowly creeping up his face. He no longer squints to the view that he sees.
"High Priest" Sasalai will arrive soon... and then... the fire will be ignited...
His mouth opens up to give way to his maniacal cackling, a cackling so terrifying, that the guards that were posted outside his room was shivering with the sudden chill that crept up their spines.
"Lord Ruka, I have returned from Harmonia, escorting the High Priest Sasalai" said the silver haired knight, who has just arrived back at L'Renouille that same morning that the woman, Claire, as Ruka later found out, has been turned into ashes.
"Good, ask for him to come meet me as soon as he's finished his settlements in the castle, Krugan."
"Yes, sire," agreed Krugan and leaves the room immediately, leaving the Prince alone in his little office. Ruka proceeds behind the lone table in the office and sits down on the chair present to it. Papers were stacked everywhere on the table. Requests for handling of weapons, new recruits papers, some are even retirement papers. He looks at the retirement papers and frowned. Cowards. Even if they retire, they would still have to fight. His face, etched with frown wrinkles that originate upon his readings of the retirement papers. He stacked the retirement paper together and placed it in the middle of his table. In a second, the papers that has been stacked there was suddenly replaced with a pile of hot ashes. Ruka smiled.
No retirements for the peons
He then proceeds to sign the requests of more weapon handlings and weapon requirements. This he would approve of. If all his little soldiers needs is weapons, he'll give them more. After all, they have to be extra ready for the upcoming "war".
He was just about to sign the last paper, when a knock was heard on his office door.
"Lord Ruka, High Priest Sasalai here to see you sir, as you requested," Krugan's voice can be heard outside. Ahhh, finally, the young priest have finished settling down in his temporary accomodations. Took him long enough. "Enter," Ruka said with a little clairvoyance.
The door opened to reveal a young man, wearing a blue priestly garb, with one of the most silliest hat that Ruka had ever seen. The symbol on the hat almost made Ruka puke as he knows the meaning of that insignia. Tho upon seeing the symbol on the garment that the High Priest wears, he smiles. The symbol of the Beast Rune.
"Lord Ruka, you wished to have my presence? We are only hours away from our official meeting with the Highland political figures," said Sasalai to Ruka, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. As how even the great Solon Jhee speaks to Ruka with fear, this young upstart have the nerve to be annoyed by Ruka's presence.
"Yes, and my wish for your... presence, is of a far more importance then that of our little tete- a-tete with the Highland commitee," Ruka starts off his part of the conversation, "You see, 'High Priest' Sasalai, the City-State of Jowston have declared war against us by breaking the 'Peace Treaty' in their actions against our Unicorn Youth Brigade. And I don't think, my father sees the importance of me, being in the battlefield, supervising my soldiers in the war. What I need for you to do, as my father has the utmost respect for you, is to... convince him, that this war has escalated into a seriously grave matter, and we need all the men we can get on the battleground. This would include yourself. I have sent an envoy to Toran so that they can, help us in this war, and soon enough, I will send an envoy to the Grasslanders. I wish to wipe the City-State of Jowston clear off the map. They are a... how should I put this? A stain, in our world."
The High Priest listens to Ruka's statement very carefully and frowns for awhile. If all he wants is just to convince King Agares of this, all Ruka needed to do was just ask for his written letter. The King would follow just on that letter alone. He wouldn't have to drag himself down here and tire out his horses, then. But still, knowing Ruka, he has more up his sleeves, Sasalai thought to himself.
"I do intend to do that upon my arrival to Highland, Lord Ruka, for it is our forsworn duty to uphold the holiness of our world," Sasalai replied. Ruka grinned at this reply and then gave a hearty handshake to Sasalai, "Good, wonderful, we share the same goal, at least"
The flint is ready
"We are grateful that you can adorn us with your holy presence, High Priest Sasalai," King Agares started off the meeting.
The meeting room is now filled with political figures, with King Agares in the middle, the High Priest Sasalai on his right and a couple of old coots, stretching through the round table, all the way to Lord Talon, Ruka's loyal follower and Ruka himself, sitting on the left side of the King.
"It is always a pleasure to be included in the Higland Commitee meeting, your highness," Sasalai answered back with the same hint of annoyance in his voice. At least Ruka knows now that Sasalai is easily annoyed. That would be a fun feature to poke at in upcoming events.
An old man, wearing a noble garment, with medals etched on the left side of the chest part of his coat, stood up and starts off, "If I may be the first to sound, I say we should forget about this war. It is probably done by City-State Mercenaries, who have no say in the political judgement between us Highlands or the City-State."
Lord Talon then stood up fast and scowled at the old man, "NO! I say that, no matter whether it was the Mercenaries, or if it was Lady Annabelle herself, these Jowston people are asking for their own impending doom upon their tresspassing of our territory."
"But we must look at this matter calmly, it is not even yet a month since the peace treaty has been signed, and now we are back at war. I do not think that attacking the Jowstons are the way to go even if it is war they were looking for" the old man tried to back his word against that of Lord Talon, but his words are so jumbled up that he failed to make a sense in it.
"I see what you mean, Lord Grayton, but what of the family involved? Are their sons going to be left unavenged? These people call for blood, if we do not do as they say, they will overrule us and then the Higland royal family will be no more, do you call for this then?" said another man, sitting at the far end of the table, not old but not young either.
"No, I do not wish for that to happen, but what use is war? Who even remembers why we're fighting anymore?" Lord Grayton said with a sympathetic voice. But this sympathesizing doesn't work with Ruka. He slams the table hard and practically yelled at Grayton.
"They were the ones who started it! They did that the last time, and they're doing it again this time! We are the victim of THEIR treachery! Even their hero, Genkaku, refuse to accept them anymore and as been living the remainder of his life in the exact place where the war was of reason! We cannot let these 'stains' cover us anymore! It is time to finally take action! I say, we invade them with all the men we have!" he turns to the King as he finished this sentence, "Your 'highness', let me off to the battlefield where I can be of use and supervise the soldiers we have trained hard and long for this exact reason, we don't need to cower in our territories anymore, it is time we move the battle to them!"
The King looked at his son in a bewildered manner. Almost surprised to see such fierceness. Ruka was a smart man. He shows his mad self to the rest of the people he controls, but never to his own 'father'. He was always careful to see to it that his father doesn't know of his insane mind. But he thought that this would be a good time as any to show a more fierce side of himself, so to say that his father would be 'convinced'. If his father is convince by his act here, then he doesn't really need Sasalai in the first place, and this would annoy the high priest greatly, coming all the way to Highland for nothing.
But he fails as his father's word arrived to his ears, "What do you think, High Priest Sasalai?"
He sits down calmly, though under the table, his fists are trembling, not of fear, but of anger. Damn the fates, can things ever go his way? "The man does make sense, the Jowstons are to blame, or have you forgotten what they almost did to your knight, Han Cunningham?" the High Priest answered and smiles at Ruka. Ruka does not see this smile as an agreement from Sasalai but more of mockingment, "I believe you should have the Military Leader do as he bids well, we should take the first assault on the Jowstons and I will have my people assist you in it as well."
Things didn't go perfectly as he plans, but at least it's still going his way after all.
Ruka arrives at the camp of his Military General Solon Jhee as nightfalls. He signals to his own men to set up camp. They are so close to the borderline of the North Sparrow pass, where a heavily guarded checkpoint awaits. It doesn't matter, those people are weak peons, and they will pass through easily.
"My lord, what are you doing here?" a question arose as he was staring at the end of the North Sparrow pass, below them. He looked up to see the Military General himself, "Ahhh, Jhee, good to see you again so soon," he remarks and gives out a smirk, "I am here of request of the King, that I personally supervise the invasion of Jowston."
"Invasion, but my lord, I have yet to receive any word of this," Solon said, his words full of wonderings and questions.
"I am the one who has personally came down to give you word of this, Jhee"
"Oh, I apologize my lord, but I wish you would send of a messenger first so I can have this camp all presentable to your taste," Solon Jhee apologetically remarks of the untidiness of their camp as they just set up camp that same afternoon. His face, as Ruka can see, is full of bafflement as he is probably wondering how did the prince arrived to his camp site so fast, "After all, it was only yesterday that we were given the message to leave Kyaro town and camp out somewhere near the border."
"It doesn't matter to me how your camp looks like Jhee, I am here to supervise an attack." Ruka replies with an almost eerily calm look on his face. His eyes has shifted back again to the checkpoint below them.
Ruka then lifts up his hand, as if he was about to give a signal. Apparently, he was giving a signal, because just as his hand reaches up, a rain of arrows occured behind the camp and landed on the checkpoint below. The Muse soldiers down there didn't even see this coming. They were so busy wondering what Ruka was doing at the camp that the arrows swiftly cleaned them out without a single one of them trying to escape it. Pity, Ruka would have loved to see them scurrying about trying to save their lives. Well, more pigs will dies, so it doesn't matter now.
Ruka looks at the surprised Solon Jhee, "Now, the fire has ignited."
Though the closest town to the pass was Ryube, Ruka wanted to attack a place a bit farther from where the Mercenaries are. This way, they'd be too shock of the attack in this other town, they'd send people to investigate and lighten up security on that little town closer to them. What was this town's name again? Toko? Joto?
"We have arrived at Toto, sire!" a soldier exclaimed, almost shouting, in which was his mistake, as that soldier soon realised that his head was no longer attached to his body.
"Fool, we want to surprise them, not warn them of our arrival!" Ruka scowled at the head that now lies bodiless on the ground. He looks at the head and got an idea. He picked up the decapitated head and the rune on his hand ignites, scorching up the head. At this, Ruka then throws the head onto a roof on the town. A maniacal laughter then bursts out of his mouth as the house with the decapitated burning head now starts to burn.
"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Attack, my wolves, and destroy everything that moves!" Ruka shouted as the soldiers then begin to move out and kick down doors. They entered the houses and soon after, screams and shoutings can be heard. Ruka is not just going to stand ildly by, he will also enter in the fray.
A couple of houses then suddenly beamed with lights and question arose among the people inhabiting the houses. 'What's happening? Is it an earthquake? What? What's that light? Oh god, FIRE!!!' and all other sorts of words come shouting out. The people started getting out of their houses in a panic only to step into steel blades and be chopped into halves.
Ruka walked down the chaotic street and grinned a most vile and gruesome grin. A door beside him suddenly opens and an old lady was about to step out until Ruka drove his sword into her without remorse. As his sword is now dugged deep into the old woman, Ruka pulls it out from the side, cutting the old woman's body. The old woman's body opens up and falls to the left side, and Ruka proceeds to slash the other uncut half of the body to make it a perfect to half. A child saw this and shrieked in terror for about two seconds before Ruka drove his sword into the child's open mouth, bursting her neck open at the same time. Ruka laughed as he lick the blood that now resides on his sword. An old woman and a child. What a perfect combination.
He gets out of the room and saw a man shouting right at the door of his house. "Run Pilika, run!" the man shouted. Ruka grinned. That man must have asked his little child to escape. A little girl then can be seen coming towards him. Just as the girl was about to pass Ruka, Ruka grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her up. He though he heard a snap, but it doesn't matter, Ruka still slashed the girl into halves anyway. The girl's eyeballs popped out of it's socket as Ruka threw her lifeless body onto the ground. It rolled a few metres away until Ruka squashed it as he comes closer to the man who saw what Ruka did. The man has a absolute shock expression on his face. The long, blonde haired little girl Ruka just killed must be his daughter, Ruka thought as the man screams out, "YOU SCUM!! YOU CHILD MURDERING SCUM!!" to Ruka upon his little spectacle. The woman right beside the man was screaming in terror and tears rolled down her cheeks. Heh, your little 'Pilika' is no more, sir, Ruka mocks the man in silence and laughed while he strangles the man. The woman beside him, his wife, Ruka assumes, starts hitting Ruka on the hand that is now strangling this man. The hittings does not hurt, but Ruka must admit that it annoys him. He uses his free hand to swing his sword right at the base of her neck, so that he wouldn't decapitate her, in hopes that she would suffer for annoying him so. The man was strucked into a horrified terror at this and tried to scream out a neglection. But Ruka's hands was wrapped around his neck much to hard for him to come up with anything but a gurgle. The man's eyes, which was closed just now, suddenly jerked open, his face turning into deathly shade of purple, and his cheeks, puffing up. Ruka laughed as the man loses his will to fight, and his breath, and then threw the man onto his own door, right before his death, and decides to cut his stomach open instead, so Ruka swings his sword, just enough to open up his stomach, where guts and arteries start to fall off. The blood oozing out and flowing slowly onto Ruka's feet. Ruka raised his hand and his head to the sky, as if he had triumphed, and gave out a mad cackle.
Hours gone by. The madness has passed. The Highland soldiers now starts to take off from the apocalyptic-like street they have made happened. The houses are still burning, the night lit up brightly with the fires. Ruka starts to walk away from the town, the fires still going strong behind him. Solon Jhee has, what Ruka saw, a regretful look on his face. He closed his eyes and then laughs. The Highland soldier are fearing their lord all the more. It almost seems like his laughter have arisen into a new level of insaneousness.
The fire ignited, comes down hell that is feared so