Luciella, the Saintess of the Prophecies

It was a memory from long, long ago. So long ago that most other memories from then have long faded away. 

It was the day of my rebirth.

"Today, we welcome lost souls into the embrace of the Goddess."

As the archbishop's voice announced the beginning of the ceremony, the cathedral's gates opened.

"Let us cheer on the lost lambs as they embark on the journey to salvation."

Among the gathered, I was the first one to be baptized. And so I walked the long hallway—the so-called "path to salvation". I stopped just before reaching the altar and kneeled.

"What is your name?"

"Luciella."

"Luciella, do you pledge your life to the Goddess's divine providence?"

"I do."

The archbishop nodded and stretched his scepter forward. A holy light illuminated the cathedral, bathing my body.

"Luciella, I baptize you in the name of the Goddess. From now on, your new life begins. May the Goddess guide your soul."

And that was how I was reborn. 

But to this day, no matter how hard I searched... I could find neither the salvation nor the guidance I was promised.

***

Thirteen months after the departure.

After I opened my eyes, the sight of an unknown yet familiar wooden ceiling was the first thing that greeted me. My mind still foggy, I tried to remember where I was. Slowly, the memories of the past month started reappearing in my mind.

***

One month ago, I made an announcement to my party.

"I saw a new prophecy. A terrible tragedy is going to happen in Luxia."

Alan didn't respond. He just nodded and we started heading south—towards Luxia, the capital of Aureatia Kingdom. No one spoke against it.

Ever since the day I got baptized, I started making prophecies.

Without fail, I predicted the future. I knew both fortune and misfortune in advance. Once the Church realized the power I possessed and the accuracy of my predictions, they conferred onto me the title of the Saintess of the Prophecies. At first, it started as a moniker spread around by the masses through gossip and rumors. But soon enough, the Church officially accepted me as a Saintess.

The reason for that was my blessing. Only the blessing given onto the hero candidates could be called the Goddess's Blessing, as it was special and it made the Church's artifacts resonate with the hero candidates, but of course, other types of blessings existed as well. Those were gifts that possessed special powers of varying degrees, but you couldn't determine them with as much confidence as the Goddess's Blessings and so they was a veil of mystery around them. Quite frankly, neither the Church nor anyone else in this world truly understood blessings.

Saints and saintesses were members of clergy who were officially recognized as possessing either powerful blessings or truly extraordinary holy powers; sometimes both at the same time. While my holy power wasn't enough to be called extraordinary, the ability to predict the future more than justified the title.

As did every saintess, I received special treatment. Their watched over me carefully and diligently, making sure that all of my needs were met. At the same time, it was suffocating as they never left me alone.

They listened to my words like they were holy gospel, clamoring that it was Goddess's will that allowed us to see the future.

But soon, they all turned away from me. The reason for that was very simple. No matter how hard they tried, no matter what they attempted, and no matter how much they struggled... they could never prevent the prophecies.

As I said, without fail I predicted the future. My prophecies were often vague and not certain in details so there was room for interpretation. But the core part of them always came true no matter what, so their attempts at changing it failed. Despite that, they were sure that Goddess would never give them a blessing for naught so they tried again and again.

And yet, the future remained set in stone. I knew everything in advance, but I could never achieve the future I wanted. That was my fate.

The church couldn't go back on their decision. And so, at least officially, I remained a saint. People either derided me or feared me like I was a bad omen. I was avoided like plague, and soon, I remained completely alone.

There was only one person who remained by my side. A certain powerless hero candidate.

A hero candidate without a proper blessing and a saintess in name only. One could say that was the sole fortune that was given to me. Except the Goddess had nothing to do with it.

***

Finally, I remembered where I was.

Oh, that's right. This is Troll's Demise at the Road of Sun.

The familiar wooden ceiling belonged to an inn.

Troll's Demise was a relatively famous establishment located near the border between the Kingdom of Aureatia and the Holy Kingdom of Rauford. It was said that over three hundred years ago the infamous troll, Man-eater, was defeated here. The battle between the Hero at the time and the troll was so grand that monster's lair—an entire underground system of caves and caverns—was completely destroyed in the process. To celebrate the liberation of this region, the inn was founded in place of the troll's former lair.

And if you follow the legendary Hero's journey further—travelling along the Road of Sun—you will reach the site of an even more historic battle. 

The City of Light, Luxia. It was there that the Radiant Hero, Aurelius, defeated the Demon Lord three hundred years ago.

And that was our party's destination.

***

Fourteen months after the departure.

Luxia wasn't quite as massive as the Royal Capital of Rauford, Paladea, but it was a big city nonetheless. Long time ago, this area belonged to the Holy Kingdom, but it was overrun by monsters, outcasts, and eventually demons. During the so-called Dark Age, people called this territory and its surroundings the Lost Lands as they were overrun by multiple Calamities—a situation almost unprecedented in human history.

It was then that Aurelius appeared. He slayed the Calamities one by one and led the charge against demons, fighting tooth and nail to liberate these lands. Just when he was about to complete his campaign, the Demon Lord appeared, pushing back the human armies.

But after five years of strife, Aurelius was able to defeat the Demon Lord. That was the shortest and least destructive Demon Lord reign in all of recorded history. Only five years, confined to a single corner of the world.

But the price of peace was high. The Golden Sword that was forged from the Lightning Dragon's horn was shattered, many soldiers lost their lives, and crucially—the Hero gave his life away.

It was said that Aurelius had disagreements with the Church, and in the post-war times it became a source of conflict. Eventually, that caused a split with the Kingdom of Luxia, following its own denomination of faith in the Goddess. 

They called themselves the Radiants.

And our destination was their Sacred Lair.

***

After we entered the main gate of Luxia, we immediately headed to the Sun Palace, the religious center of the Radiants.

The city was clearly ravaged by war. Even the farmlands outside of the capital seemed more barren than usual. On our way to the palace, we saw many beggars and slum dwellers lining up the streets.

"Please, travelers, I beg for your merciful hand!" an old man pleaded to us as we walked by.

Unable to ignore the beggar, Alan crouched down and passed him a handful of coopers.

"Thank you, thank you, oh merciful traveler!" he exclaimed as he held onto the coins like they were his lifeline. "My gratitude knows no bounds."

While the old man sang his praises, Alan's brows furrowed in thought.

"Sir, tell me how did you end up on the streets? From your words and your bearing you seem to be well-educated."

A sad smile clouded the old man's expression. He looked down, almost shamefully.

"Oh, yes. This mind of mine was all I ever had" I used to help manage a large farm to the east of the city," he spoke, reminiscing on the past. 

Then he chuckled in self-derision.

"But the climate has gotten colder. The crops were worse and worse every year, and yet the dues to the palace remained the same. Twenty years ago, the owner no longer had enough money to pay me to manage their estate. I ended up working labor jobs until my body could hold out no longer. And now, as you can see I'm naught but a shameful beggar."

"I see..." Alan replied somewhat thoughtfully. "Thank you for your sharing your story. I will not forget it."

He neither offered the old man empty platitudes nor spoke words of comfort. For Alan considered it his duty as a hero candidate to make the world better, and actions spoke louder than words. That was the kind of man Alan was.

We continued making our way to our destination. Finally, we could see the two beautiful peaks towering over everything else.  A surefire sign we made it to the heart of the city.

Luxia was oftentimes called the City of Two Palaces. The Radiant Square was a massive central area of the city. The Sun Palace occupied its eastern side, while the Moon Palace lay in the square's western side.

The Moon Palace stood in direct opposition to the Sun Palace. It wasn't a religious building but rather the political center of the kingdom. The king presided there as well as all of the officials. One of the philosophies of Luxia was that, despite the kingdom's deeply religious origins, the Radiants never participated in the political decisions.

The church and kingship were completely separated. Complimenting each other but never meeting—like the Sun and the Moon. 

The palaces were as beautiful as if they were only built yesterday which made a stark contrast to the impoverished city.

Luxia was the complete opposite of the Holy Kingdom of Rauford where politics and religion was deeply intertwined. At the time of founding, the Radiants and its supporters heavily criticized the corrupt Church for possessing too much power over the world's governments, and shifted to the system they have now where they separate the two. At the time, many country leaders and politicians supported the Radiants in their quest to undermine the Church's authority.

As for whether that ideological shift improved people's lives... Well, I'll leave that up to your judgement.

When we reached the Sun Palaсe, we were warmly welcomed by the priests. The Radiants didn't get along with the Church very well, but they did respect the hero candidates blessed by the Goddess. Well, of course they did. Hero lay at the roots of their religion after all.

At the head of the priests, stood a man in his thirties. He had blond hair that gave golden sheen and he wore grandiose robes that clearly spoke of his class.

"Welcome, Lord Alan. My name if Edward, one of the Radiant Cardinals. Today, I'm going to be your guide."

Radiant Cardinals were the religious leaders of the Radiants. Technically, the True Hero was considered the head of the Radiants. That's what they called the Hero who defeated the Demon Lord.

What a farce

"Greetings, Lord Edward. We are honored to have a person of such high esteem as yourself serve as our guide," Alan replied as the leader of our party.

"No need for that." Edward chuckled. "It is my honor to serve as a guide for someone bearing the Blessing of the Goddess."

In that moment, his gaze traveled to Zephyrus and his expression shifted slightly. But before I could even blink, he was back to his cordial smile. In response, Zephyrus slightly furrowed his eyebrows but remained quiet.

"Lord Edward," Alan continued pretending that he didn't notice what happened. "I couldn't help but notice that there were a lot of beggars on the streets..."

Edward's features drooped in an expression of sadness.

"My apologies. I hope they weren't too bothersome..."

"Not at all," Alan replied. "I was just curious if there was any... particular reason for that."

Edward sighed.

"Lord Alan, you know how it is. The war has ravaged our lands. Everyone is doing their best to stay afloat. That includes us, of course."

In response, Alan showed a face of understanding.

"I see... It is true. The last ten years have been difficult for everyone."

Our leader seemed to come to his own conclusion, but he didn't say anything and we moved on.

After the greeting, we were guided inside the cathedral. There, in the reception room, we were met with beautiful frescos, depicting the Radiant Hero's many legendary battles. Ornamental fixtures and luxurious furniture lined up the walls. Everything seemed to exist for the sole purpose of representing the radiance of their legendary idol.

And together with them, a certain unexpected person also waited for us.

"Oh, if it isn't Reyes? Now that I think about it, you have graduated by this point, huh? How have you been?" Elias asked as if he was greeting an old friend.

"Gah!" And Zephyrus made... whatever that sound was.

As the frontline had moved from further to the west, on the southern front, the hero candidates had begun gathering in Luxia. Currently, there were four hero candidates here, including Alan. And more were going to arrive later. That, apparently, included Reyes Augustin who had recently graduated the Royal Academy and arrived before us.

In contrast to my party members'... mixed reception, Reyes's response was surprisingly reserved, almost conflicted.

 "I've been... good."

He looked over us, seemingly puzzled.

"Regardless, what are you doing here? I thought you were meant to be on the northern front of Rauford?"

"Oh?" Elias replied with a slight smirk. "You sure are knowledgeable about our movements."

"Of course I am. I know the positioning of every hero candidate who's out on the frontlines," Reyes replied curtly.

"I see, I see. Hey, don't you have anything to say to him, Zeph?" Elias said and then spoke to the golden haired knight who stood like a dummy.

Zephyrus looked away, trying his best to ignore the conversation and quite possible Reyes's existence entirely. As if mirroring him, Reyes did the same.

Seeing that, Elias laughed heartily as if he was having the time of his life. I had no idea when or how, but somehow along the past year, Zephyrus became more open towards our party, especially Elias. And the same was true for the rogue. Although in his case, he was open to everyone from the get-go.

That's when Edward clapped his hands, interrupting Elias's fun.

"If you excuse me, it's about time to wrap up your greetings." he said with a pleasant smile. "It is now time to see the main exhibit... Of course, Lord Reyes you are welcomed to join us as well."

Uncharacteristically, Reyes's face lit up, befitting his age.

***

Our destination was the so called Sacred Lair. And the main exhibit in question was none other than Radiants' sacred relic. The last remaining item of the Radiant Hero. We, alongside Reyes and two other hero candidates arrived in the lair where it was displayed. All off the hero candidates in Luxia were gathered in the same room.

We waited for a bit and then a man in his forties greeted us.

"Greetings, dear Hero Candidates. My name is Oliver, and just like Edward, I am one of the seven Radiant Cardinals."

Oliver had short brown hair and a gentle air about him. He wore the same robes that Edward did, but weirdly enough, they made for a different impression. Unlike Edward who felt gave of an impression of a rich aristocrat, but on Oliver, the robes made an unearthly, almost sacred impression.

Both cardinals, Edward and Oliver, led us to the center of the room. There, encased in an altar and hidden behind the glass, the relic of the Radiant hero lay. I could feel many protective spells layered on top of the glass, reinforcing it and making it virtually unbreakable through normal means.

And beyond that glass, were several pieces of a shattered sword. The blade possessed an unmatchable golden sheen with light blue linings adorning its outline.

Oliver stopped by the altar's side and began speaking.

"This is Aurelius's Golden Sword. They say that when he activated his famed blessing, Radiance, to its fullest power, the shine of this blade reached the heavens themselves. Even the Demon Lord could not withstand his power."

In response to his words, the reactions differed. Some showed amazement and others skepticism, others yet didn't pay much attention to the cardinal's words. That included Reyes and Alan. Instead, their eyes were fully occupied by the relic in front of them.

"So that is the legendary Golden Sword..." Reyes murmured as he stared at the blade's fragments, mesmerized by the weapon's shine.

Alan remained quiet, but he was definitely affected as well. He stared at the blade as if lost in its golden sheen.

"So what? Isn't it just a blade made out of a dragon?"

And only a certain blond-haired fool was tone deaf enough to ruin the moment for them.

"Zephyrus, you..." Reyes shot him a glare. "It's not just any dragon—it's the legendary Thunder Dragon! They say he was so powerful that no being in the lands could fell it! Only the Radiant Hero could defeat such a beast!"

"So... A really strong dragon? No matter how powerful and intelligent that thing is, it is still no match for the Demon Lord. If you want to become the Hero, you should stop feeling overwhelmed by some lizards."

Reyes clenched his teeth in frustration. He clearly wanted to give Zephyrus a piece of his mind but he also understood that the knight was somewhat right. In the end, he couldn't find the right way to retort so he just remained quiet.

Zephyrus, meanwhile, turned his attention back to the relic.

"Anyway, should it really be collecting dust in here? It's a weapon and a pretty powerful at that. Shouldn't we make use of it?"

Hearing Zephyrus's words, Edward's face twitched, but he quickly recovered, albeit not as quickly as the previous time, and responded.

"Well, we cannot risk our Holy Relic being lost on the frontlines..."

"But none of that will matter if we lose, you know? When you're going to run out of hero candidates there will be no one left to even use this sword."

With every word Zephyrus said, Edward's smile crumbled further and further.

"...Do you even understand how much this sword means for us? You—"

"That's enough, Lord Edward."

Oliver interrupted him.

"There's no need to fight over this. We cannot be disrespectful to our guests that are companions of those who bear the Goddess's Blessings."

Edward stared at Oliver in defiance for a moment, but soon, his agreeable smile returned, and he backed off. Seeing that, Oliver continued.

"Lord Zephyrus, I apologize for our rudeness. I agree with your judgement, and if we had the chance, I would be the first one to release it from the seal and make use of it. However, as it is right now, the Golden Sword is nothing but a broken relic. It carries significant religious meaning for us, but it no longer possesses the power it once had. There's nothing to be done about that."

Hearing Oliver's unexpectedly reasonable answer, Zephyrus nodded with understanding.

"I see... I understand now. I'm also sorry for speaking out of turn."

Uncharacteristically, his reply was meek and polite. Was that in response to Oliver's unexpected reasonableness? Or perhaps, a sign of change within Zephyrus himself? I couldn't honestly tell you.

After that, we spent some time in the Sacred Lair, listening to stories about Aurelius and the importance of the Golden Sword for Radiants.

As we were leaving, I heard a single mutter in the back. It was so quiet that I was sure no one else picked up on it.

"...It's broken, huh?"

***

Next, we were led to our lodgings. Sun Palace had dedicated housings within its walls. All of the cardinals and their families also lived within the palace. There were also guest rooms that they used primarily to let hero candidates live in the palace.

Lord Edward had already left us with a priest who was guiding us to our rooms. On our way there, Alan spoke to Zephyrus.

"You know you really should refrain from speaking your mind here. How should I put it... I don't think your views quite align with the people here."

"What?" Zephyrus replied. "You think they don't like me? I guessed as much. Frankly, I don't like them either. That Edward guy could at least hide his hatred for me a bit better, don't you think?"

"So you knew that and were provoking him on purpose...?" Alan answered exasperated.

"I wasn't provoking. I was just speaking my mind. They really don't understand it... If you let the resentment accumulate all you'll end up with is—Gagh!"

Zephyrus's words suddenly stopped halfway through. He crouched, his head in his hands, and groaned in pain as his breathing became erratic.

"Zephyrus!"

"Zeph!"

Alan and Elias quickly rushed over to him.

"Kgh... It's... It's fine... It's just happening again..."

Slowly, he recovered his breath and replied.

"I'm fine," he continued. "It's just that..."

He looked around as if seeing this place for the first time.

"I think... I think we shouldn't stay in the palace."

***

Throughout this year of our journey, Zephyrus would sometimes have intense headaches. It happened often enough for it to be a cause of concern, but my holy arts could neither pinpoint the cause, nor cure the pain. In cases like these, headaches were often caused by a mental or a psychological issue instead of a physical one.

Zephyrus himself seemed to have a clue what was going on, but he never told us what it was. But after recovering from those headaches, he would often follow up with a sudden idea or suggestion. Most of the time, they didn't really make any sense, and none of us could see how they would benefit our party, but since they were pretty harmless Alan often decided to follow along, if only to give Zephyrus a piece of mind.

But this time, the situation was a bit trickier.

"I don't understand, Zephyrus. I know that you don't really like it here, but this isn't the time to throw a tantrum," Alan said, confused at Zephyrus's sudden change of mind.

About twenty minutes had passes since Zephyrus's headache subsided, and this entire time, we had struggled to come to a conclusion.

"Listen... I have a bad feeling about this, alright? There's something in the air... The atmosphere here is just..."

His words only caused Alan to grow more confused. 

Alan was young, kind, and somewhat naive, but he understood the importance of Radiants and Aureatia very well. Without their support, it would be difficult to operate here, and it was his job as the hero candidate to ensure that wouldn't happen; he was afraid that refusing their lodgings could offend them and jeopardize their cooperation.

They continued going back and forth for some time without any progress to speak off. It was then, that I got fed up of it and decided to interfere.

"Why don't we agree with Zephyrus's suggestion? We could stay at an inn in the city. I saw there was one very close to the square."

Alan and even Elias seemed surprised that I spoke up since I usually left all the decision-making to our leader.

"Luciella? But we can't afford to antagonize them..."

"It's fine," I replied immediately, "You just need to think of a half-decent excuse. For example, you can say that you want to observe the city and keep watch for anything that might happen. We live in uncertain times, and it wouldn't be surprising if demons infiltrated the city, or worse..."

I paused, waiting for Alan to process my words. He was deep in thought, but from the fact that he wasn't arguing back, it seemed safe to say that he deemed my argument rational.

"And besides," I continued, "there's my prophecy to think about... Quite frankly, I'm also worried that something might happen in the palace. If there was an attack or a surprise from the demons, it would definitely be aimed at one of the palaces."

Hearing that, Alan seemed uncertain and his face was slightly scrunched as if he was about to swallow something.

"But isn't that all the more reason to stay here?"

I sighed and replied.

"Alan... Remember—you are only human. You cannot save everyone and everything."

For a moment, his face scrunched even further. But he closed his eyes and nodded.

***

Sixteen months after the departure.

We ended up staying at the inn I mentioned. It was called Sunny Inn. It was located near the palace and was a pretty neat place and cheaper than you would expect from an inn right near the Two Palaces. Although, considering that this city wasn't too far from the frontlines, it was perhaps not surprising.

In the last two months that we spent in Luxia, nothing much happened.  More hero candidates had arrived and now there was a total of seven hero candidates in Luxia. Human alliance was gathering force here for a grand campaign that was meant to push back the demonic invasion. We didn't know for sure, but the rumors were that only a couple months was left until the operation.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the rising tensions, we went about our daily lives like usual. Zephyrus trained whenever he had free time and went around looking at weapons and armors; deep inside, he was a bonehead through and through. Alan had gone around, collecting information from beggars and helping keep the public order in check. Elias assisted Alan or went around with Zephyrus. Well, at least when he wasn't drinking.

It happened suddenly. One day, in the middle of the night, a terrific, booming noise resounded. 

We quickly got ready, prepared our equipment and went outside. There, when we looked in the direction of the Radiant Square—

—we saw the Sun Palace and the Moon Palace lit in flames.

Contrasted against the blackness of the night, the blaze was especially blinding.

"The Sun Palace is under attack!?" Alan exclaimed in surprise then threw a glance at us, making sure we were all ready.

We all nodded in response and rushed to the palace.

On our way there, more explosions and panicked screams resounded. With each second, the Sun Palace and its surroundings lit up with more flames. The cacophony of noises and cries covered the area, and smell of blood hang in the air.

"...This is hell," Elias muttered under his breath as he clenched his fist.

Once we arrived, at the Sun Palace we saw a group of people, gathered in front of the entrance. 

A lot of them were dressed in priestly robes, but some were soldiers. They were mostly in our direction except for a boy who stood at the front of the crowd, furthest away from the entrance. He was speaking with a robbed man, his back turned to us. It was Reyes, accompanied by his party as usual.

"Reyes! What's going on?!" Alan shouted as he ran up to him.

That shout took Reyes out of his conversation. He turned around and relief showed through his features.

"Alan? The Sun Palace is under attack! An explosion suddenly occurred, and by the time I knew it, the demons had infiltrated and filled the palace," Reyes started his explanation, trying his best to quickly get the point across. "As you can see, I've regrouped with the priests, and I'm preparing to push back the invaders. Are you coming with us?"

Reyes's eyes were lit up with resolve. A hint of unease and anger on his expression conveyed just how tense this situation was. As he looked Reyes in the eyes, Alan responded.

"Of course, I'm with you. You can count on our help."

"Thank you," Reyes replied and took a step in Alan's direction.

Suddenly, A flash of light appeared in the sky, right above our heads. It illuminated the night, overshadowing even the blazing fire. All of our gazes gravitated to it.

"A firework?!" Elias shouted in surprise.

But the light's purpose wasn't pursuit of beauty or entertainment. 

It was a signal. This is where it all started.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a glint. It appeared from behind Reyes for just a single second. But the red-haired boy couldn't see it.

All of my party members were shocked. Even when the realization what was happening hit them, they couldn't get over their disbelief. And so they were all too slow to respond.

"Reyes!"

Zephyrus was the first one to react appropriately. He dashed forward as he shouted the red-haired boy's name.

But the distance was much too long.

A sound of pierced flesh resounded.

"Eh?" Reyes exclaimed as a red bloat appeared on his chest. Dumbfounded he looked down only to see a sharp blade protruding from his body. Of course, the beings present were our party, Reyes's party, and the group of priests and soldiers that regrouped with Reyes.

Reyes twisted his neck and took a look behind him. There, he found a smile. A human smile.

He wasn't stabbed by a demon or a monster. He was stabbed by a human. A normal human you could find anywhere.

When I took another look at the crowd, everyone's expression changed. Or maybe it was our perception that changed. Illuminated by the blaze of the palace, they all were carefully watching us as if we were their enemies.

No, there was no if—we were their enemies.

That night, was the night of a great tragedy. That was the night where many hero candidates met their demise from the hands of traitors of humanity.

And so another prophecy came true.