Kings and the Decay They Inherit: Chapter 1 – One Heart, One Family

Chapter 1 – One Heart, One Family

Two kingdoms loyal to Genus, a Pillar of Cognizance, are crowning their new kings. These kingdoms are called Fidelis and Benevolus, which were both founded by two brothers who had different ideas of how justice should be conducted. Aziel is one of these new kings from the kingdom of Fidelis and is about to be crowned in a ceremony.

“Aziel, do you accept this crown and all its burdens upon your shoulders?” the head bishop of the kingdom says.

“I do,” Aziel responds.

“Then take the Flame Cross of Cognizance and be blessed by its embers.”

Little flames come out from a staff with a fiery cross on it. These flames dance around Aziel and singe parts of his face and hair as they bless him with their energy.

“Genus is the Pillar of Cognizance that holds up the others. Without it, Gloria would not have kings or subjects, and Ecclesia would not have its laity or clergy. Family is the root of all and as the new root, you will lead not only our family, not only our kingdom but the world to Heaven. Take up your spear that you will lead your flock with Tool of God, King of Fidelis, and son of mine.”

The crowd prays while choirs sing for Aziel as he lifts his spear skyward. Meanwhile, Gabriel from the kingdom of Benevolus is christened by embers in much the same way by his father.

“Genus is the Pillar of Cognizance that holds up the others. Without it, Gloria would be forced to bend to the will of the people, and the Church would be in shambles. Without family, there can be no order, peace, and love. Family is the Pillar of Cognizance that bears the heaviest weight. Take up this weight and make your people proud, crush your enemies, and lead us all to Heaven!”

Gabriel’s crowd cheers and chants war psalms. Both kings are told to visit the archbishop to receive their final blessing that will help them be better kings. The two go together, as is tradition, in the same carriage together with members of the royal guard and family traveling with them.

Inside the carriage, Gabriel asks, “How did the ceremony go?”

“It was wonderful. What about yours?”

“Exhilarating, thrilling, invigorating. What other adjectives should I use to describe it? We’re kings now, Aziel. Shouldn’t you be more excited? Oh, wait that’s right. Your kingdom celebrates crownings differently than mine.”

“We just act more reverently than yours is all.”

“Giving a lot of energy in our ceremonies show greater reverence in our opinion. We should be putting our all into our service for God and family, so why wouldn’t we show it in every aspect of our lives including our ceremonies?”

“I’m only saying that we prefer it to be quieter and subtler. We let the silence of God speak to us. Do you put your all into your sleep as well?”

“If we could, we would. Just look at our weapons such as this mace that I wield. It can both stab and crush. It’s a tool for all occasions.”

“That’s true, but it can’t be the best in all occasions. This spear can get in the eye holes of armor and the gaps in it. If not, it can go right through it because of how strong it is and I am.”

“Whatever you say. A jack of all trades is typically better in all situations than a person who’s only best in one. How’s my uncle doing?”

“He’s doing good. He’s going to be resigning himself to a life of daily mass, penances, and teaching. What about your father? How’s he doing?”

“Great as always. Still training the new soldiers and keeping the people below him in line. In our system, the old king still has the power to make changes just in case we stray from the righteous path.”

Aziel and Gabriel talk about the way their kingdoms operate while also talking about current events and the state of their family and friends. By the time they reach their destination in the kingdom of Gratia, which is one of the kingdoms allied with Ecclesia and the place where they will be blessed by the archbishop. The drivers and guards thank God that the two cousins’ rambling has stopped.

“That’s our boys,” Gabriel’s father says with a laugh.

Aziel’s father agrees then says, “We were like that too when we were their age.”

“Speaking about that, do you want to duel when this is done?”

“No, you know I don’t like dueling. It divides our kingdoms, our families further apart.”

“How so?”

“Whoever wins gets bragging rights that one kingdom will hold over the other as if one is better than the other because of it. This will lead to conflict or at least an evening of the score, but you know that the kingdoms are not content with having the score evened. You remember all the fights we had until our fathers had to settle the score for good through a battle of their own that ended in a drawn.”

“Ah, it’s nothing but a friendly competition between family. Let the sore losers kick dirt and hold their grudges. We’ll deal with them if they cause trouble, so why don’t we duel? I’ve gotten better since our last duel. You won’t win this time.”

“I’ll consider the duel. Ask me later.”

“You always say that when I ask you to duel or even play cards with me. Fine, but this time, I’ll find you after the blessing and keep pestering you about this until you say yes.”

Aziel’s father is smart enough not to continue the argument and instead walks away. Everyone gathers to see Aziel and Gabriel be blessed by the archbishop. The archbishop is followed by his cardinals who hold up his robes so they do not touch the floor. Embers seem to dance around the man as if the graces within him cannot be contained in his soul with the staff that he’s carrying floats alongside him as if carried by his guardian angel. These flames then manifest as arms of black flame where his arms used to be. Before the two kings can be blessed, someone screams as a fight breaks out seemingly between those of the kingdoms of Genus and Ecclesia.

Aziel, Gabriel, and even the archbishop join in the fight. To end it quickly, the archbishop uses the flames from his arms along with his staff to target the aggressors and incapacitate them. Everyone else touched by the flames is unharmed except for the sinful who get burned a bit. In awe of his power, the two new kings ask the archbishop how he used his flames as if they were both children.

“I trust in God to use the flames. Do you really think an armless sinner like me can use this amazing power on my own?” the archbishop explains.

Once the bodies are taken away and the injured sent to the doctors, the ceremony resumes while the investigators look into why this happened.

“I bless you in name of God. The one who lights the flame of our conscious. The one who makes our darkness bright. The one who is truth and goodness itself. Together, you two bear the crowns of your kingdoms. Go, and glorify God through your actions. May He grant you the graces necessary for your noble duty.”

The kings are blessed by the Flame of Cognizance as their sense of good and evil and wisdom are enhanced by it. They then immediately go to the investigators to find out why there was a fight.

One of the investigators looks at the others before saying to the kings, “We think that this fight was started by members of the Benevolus kingdom, and it appears that the royalty of Benevolus was instrumental in this.”

“What?! That’s impossible! My father is very thorough in cutting out those who are disloyal to God, family, and state,” Gabriel says.

“This is just what we can see from the evidence we have so far. The assailants have been identified as high class members of your kingdom by their peers and your father. A deeper investigation will reveal more, but as of right now, the royalty of your kingdom is suspect.”

Gabriel takes Aziel aside then says, “We have to clear my kingdom’s name from this.”

“Of course we will. We need to know who the assailants were by getting the information from the investigators.”

“They have to give us the information. We’re kings after all.”

“But your royalty is suspect in this crime. I should be the one to retrieve the information from them.”

“You may become suspect in their eyes because you’re my cousin trying to help me out. Besides, kings aren’t meant to get involved in investigations like this and take it into their own hands.”

“Who says that we need to play by their rules?”

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Yes. As kings, we have a duty to clean up messes like this. The same witnesses the investigators talked to should give us the same information.”

Aziel’s assumption is proved right when the kings question the witnesses and Gabriel’s father.

After giving them the information, Gabriel’s father says, “I don’t like this one bit, boys. This feels like a setup to ruin our reputation.

“That’s what I think too, father,” Gabriel says.

“You too should conduct your own investigation if you feel it necessary.”

“Where should we start?” Aziel asks, “The assailants don’t seem to have any connecting factors and everyone we talked to were shocked by their actions.”

“I do know that they were close friends and met at a bar every Sunday. I suggest going to that.”

Aziel and Gabriel decide to do as Gabriel’s father says, and visit the bar where the assailants frequented that’s located in Benevolus. By the time they reach the bar, a shadowy force has already made its move to hide their actions. The kings draw the attention of everyone in the bar who whisper to themselves while others get their attention. Two people within the crowd then attempt to stab the kings but their assassination attempt was seen through as the kings parry the blades and stab the assassins with their own blades.

“My father didn’t raise a naïve boy,” Aziel says.

“Did you really think that my father didn’t teach me how to see through distractions?” Gabriel says before a fight breaks out in the bar.

The kings fight off everyone in the bar until there is no one left in it. Both their royal robes and the walls are splattered with blood. Those who witnessed the fighting cheer for the kings before guards finally come by to get rid of the bodies.

“That was just like the group training we did together,” Gabriel says.

“Yes, but with more blood. This is the first time I took a life,” Aziel somberly admits.

“Your first time? Your father didn’t train you to kill?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“My father did. We went out raiding dens of criminals. It wasn’t to get used to killing because every lost soul is a tragedy. It was just so I wouldn’t be afraid to kill if I had to.”

“It was wise for him to train you that way. Let’s search the bar to see if we can find out why these people attacked us.”

Gabriel and Aziel look through the rooms of the bar and find hidden rooms. These rooms contain plans and weapons along with symbols that belong to Fidelis.

“Aziel, what is the meaning of this?” Gabriel says with a tone that suggests he’s ready to fight him.

“I don’t know. I have no clue what this is about,” Aziel says.

“From what I’m seeing it looks like these people were from your kingdom trying to frame mine so that ours could be put to shame while yours is glorified.”

“Why would they try to kill me then?”

“It looks like these were defectors who want to drive a wedge between the two brother kingdoms. They’re loyal to their idea of what Fidelis should be rather than what it is.”

“So what does this have to do with me?”

“You are your father should’ve been on top of this.”

“Like how your father should’ve been on top of your royalty?”

“Don’t tempt me to fight you. I’m not in the mood for sarcasm.”

“Then I’ll let you know that these weapons aren’t from my kingdom.”

“How do you know?”

“Because our weapons are crafted better. Like I said before, we focus on specialties. Our blades are sharper and our hammers are blunter to fill their specific roles while these weapons are oddly basic in comparison. These knockoff katanas and maces would’ve been scrapped and reused to make something else. We are very stingy in our craftsmanship.”

“What else can you tell from it?”

“I can tell…huh. It looks like it was made in Gloria.”

“Gloria? Why would the kingdom of kings and royalty be involved in this?”

“Maybe they aren’t as a whole or maybe their supplies were just stolen from. Let’s look around a bit more.”

Shifting through the documents more, Aziel finds notes by some of the residents detailing their lack of control in their actions and thoughts along with something about a flame.

He shows these notes to Gabriel who determines that, “These are the ravings of madmen.”

“But it could be something more. Do you remember the golden flame?”

“That heretical flame created by that self-proclaimed goddess so many decades ago?”

“Yes.”

“No sinner has been able to create anything like it. Do you think that this is the flame that these people are talking about?”

“It would explain why our own would turn on us so suddenly and without a good explanation. This along with the weapons from Gloria suggests that the true culprit lies within there.”

“But where in Gloria and which kingdom that’s associated with it? Perhaps these weapons are just a red herring.”

“Perhaps but we have to try.”

“Sure. Let’s see how these weapons got here. I may not pay attention to all news in the trade business, but I am sure that we supply our own weapons and don’t bring in any foreign made ones.”

Questioning everyone around the bar reveals that the weapons came in by way of fancy looking carts. Among the carts of alcohol were the crates of weapons and guards who paid people to be silent or made them disappear. The kings try to interview a witness who is said to know more about the mysterious weapon traders, but this person tries running from them in fear. Thanks to his knowledge of the city, Gabriel is able to catch up to the witness and capture them for their investigation.

“Why did you run?” Gabriel asks with his hands on the witness’ shirt.

“I was afraid that you would kill me! There were so many times that I thought I was seen when I was spying on those weird people going in and out of the bar. I thought maybe this was the time that they finally decided to punish me for my snooping.”

“Tell us what you saw,” Aziel says as finally catches up.

“I saw many things! Heard many others as well. Men with golden black flames burning in their eyes. Talk of war, power, and manipulation.”

“Elaborate for us.”

“I saw…I saw…I see the death of two kings.” Before they can react, several people surround Aziel and Gabriel and restrain them. “You saw through our first trap, but not this one. It appears that neither of you is as bright as you seem.”

“Why are you doing this?! I demand an explanation!” Aziel says.

There’s a spark within Aziel’s eyes that the witness’ soul registers, but his own mind doesn’t.

This spark makes the witness spill the truth and say, “We were trying to give our home in Gloria more reasons to get the luxuries you enjoy so much. Family is everything and Genus profits and takes advantage of that more than anyone and hogs. Why give more money to kings and priests when you can give it to your mom and dad? It’s not like the other kingdoms are comprised of families or care about their own like you do, right?”

“But why us?”

“Because there’s already a rivalry in your kingdoms or did you forget that both kingdoms used to be one? It’s very easy to comprise a story that two kingdoms who have a rivalry between them became violent towards one another. I don’t know why I told you all this. Maybe you are graced by God, which is good. You’ll go straight to Heaven.”

“You won’t get away with this!” Gabriel says with a fiery passion that shows in his eyes.

This passion actually scares away two of their assailants, but that doesn’t stop them from being killed. Their bodies are taken to the authorities and false witnesses accuse them of a conspiracy to divide the kingdoms. Their killers say they are dead is because the killers accuse the kings of attacking them first for being witnesses to their so-called crime. Before any more can be said, flames begin to dance around the bodies of the dead kings before they begin to rise. A red fire burns within Gabriel’s eyes while a golden fire burns within Aziel’s eyes as the kings are resurrected. The crowds gathered around them watch in amazement while their killers try to hold their ground as some of them unwillingly stay as fear has grounded their feet.

Frightened by this sight, the conspirators use the power of the golden black flame to take control of several people to help them while others heed their call for help.

“Be careful not to kill the possessed ones, Gabriel,” Aziel says.

“You worry about them then. I’m going to smash these liars to pieces!” Gabriel says as he charges forward.

Gabriel stabs and smashes everyone he chooses to fight. The flames within him tell him the sins of all he focuses on. He is also granted knowledge of which are sinning intentionally and which are not in control of themselves. His strength is also increased by his flame as he effortlessly separates his enemies’ limbs from their bodies while his mace also burns them at the same time. Meanwhile, the flame within Aziel shows him the sins and virtues of those he focuses on. Aziel’s voice allows him to command people to stop or at least freeze like a strong temptation from a demon. At the end of the fight, the crowd cheers for them.

The kings then report back to their fathers and the archbishop what happened and they believe every single word of theirs because of the flame that has ignited within them, however, their fathers are a bit upset at the fact that they died even though they’re alive again. Both kingdoms of Fidelis and Benevolus conduct an investigation sanctioned by Ecclesia into Gloria to not only find further culprits and conspirators but to also start a dialogue with them to fix the problems that started this mess to begin with. Aziel and Gabriel are further blessed by the archbishop and give a speech to the crowd after the mass.

Aziel says to the crowd, “Friends and family. Let us come together as one people, one Church under God, and not cause divisions between each other. We are all sons and daughters of the same God, so let us treat each other that way.”

“We will only get to Heaven if we work together. We are each other’s keeper. This is our trial by fire. We stand together, help each other when we fall, and crush our enemies when they oppose us. Together, we will move past the sins of yesterday and into the glory of tomorrow.”

Their short speeches get the crowd cheering. As of right now, the kingdoms have never been closer to one another, and yet, they are still not the singular kingdom they once were. Still, both Aziel and Gabriel vow to work together and use the power of their flames for the glory of God and good of their people and not just their families.