Secret of the cube
A cold breeze blew in the Vestigog mountains. The landscape covered in a blanket of white. The sky darkened with clouds to match the somber mood.
A man dressed in full samurai armor; his face adorned with a red demonic mask watched. Akai Shi, a name whose loose translation meant Red Death looked over the area.
In the distance he heard the sounds of fighting still going on. The last of the Mercurio Kingdom’s forces were still fighting the Apocalypse Legion. They’d likely die before the night was out.
He turned to see the thirteen-year-old blonde girl who was sitting at the fire, her face cast in shadow. But in the light of the fire, he could see the streaks of tears that still adorned her face.
Poor girl, the feared samurai of the Tri-Crowns Alliance thought. Her parents, the young man who was to be her brother-in-law, and her sister all gone, a pain I know too well.
“I can hear your thoughts Lord Arthur Reginald.” The girl explained.
The man stated, “I told you not to call me that! I am no Lord, and that name does not apply until after I’ve found those who slaughtered my family and the one who ordered it!”
The girl turned her sad yet angry glare on him. The man bowed and said, “Forgive me Princess and Priestess, I forget myself sometimes. You’ve been through much pain and suffering tonight. Much as I was so long ago.”
The Samurai walked back to the fire and sat down with the young girl. The 13-year-old looked on him.
“You do don’t you Akai Shi. Your thoughts are very clear to me. I am sorry about what happened to your family.”
The girl moved to her robes and took out the strange glowing cube with lines of white light all over it. Some of the intricate lines reshaped themselves into a single word before their eyes. ‘Kindness’ the wording on the cube read.
The samurai raced through his memories as a thought came to him. “Princess Kiana, where did your family get that cube from?”
“It’s been in my family’s possession as far back as I can remember.”
“If you would allow me, may I touch it?”
“I don’t see why not,” she said with a shrug.
The samurai reached out a hand to the tiny cube in the girl’s hand. When a finger touched it, he pulled away as a snap of lightning shocked him.
The youngest daughter of the Mercurio royal family furrowed her face. “That’s odd,” She observed.
“That was the reaction I got when I touched it for the first time. With others there was no reaction at all.”
The two looked at the cube and watched as the lines of intricate light reshaped themselves. ‘Guardian’ the reshaped letters spelled out. “It can’t be!” the samurai gasped recognizing that he was staring at a legend.
“What do you see Akai Shi?"
“I'm glad my sensei was knowledgeable in both history and legend. Some of the stories I read from his library tell of cubes like this from the Era of Wonders.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “The time before the War with the Chaos Lords?’ she asked in stunned awe.
The man nodded. “It’s said that devices like these powered the great metal birds the races used to travel to Evara!”
“How does this affect us samurai,” she asked curious and fearful.
“One of the legends said in a time beyond that Era there would come a final reckoning. One between the people of this world and the last Chaos Lord. These devices would play a role in that reckoning.”
The girl put the pieces of the puzzle together. “And since the Apocalypse Legion serve Akeesha, the Queen of Chaos and Intrigue that means...”
“Kiana Mercurio, you and I have become two of the most wanted people on Evara. We're involved in events far bigger than ourselves. And I fear the Legion will not stop until we, everyone and everything on Evara are dead.”
The pre-teen girl’s head fell into her hands. “Roka Goddess of Nature, why me?” she groaned.
She looked up. “Is this why the Apocalypse Legion weakened the Tri-Crowns Alliance and want me dead?”
The samurai nodded his confirmation. “But…but what can we do? I’m no great hero.”
The samurai stated, “Our lives are now intertwined young Kiana Mercurio. Do not fear young priestess, I will protect you! But it would be best to start our search for the other cube holders in the morning light.”
The girl nodded, but the samurai could see the fear and uncertainty on her face.
“I will not lie to you Kiana, before this journey ends things will get ugly and bloody! Guard yourself young one, I fear there’s trouble in the wind for both of us.”
The girl shivered, and deep down the samurai was also afraid. He knew he was now a part of something bigger than himself.