We were supposed to board the plane at three, but we didn't get on the damn plane until five. Five o'clock, TWO HOURS after we were supposed to board. We should have been in the air by that point, but Charles de Gaulle airport was never the most efficiently run place.As we were at last allowed to board, I took one last look at the City of Lights. In terms of architecture, Paris was my favorite city in the world. I didn't get to visit often and I realized I was going to miss it. The three days of relaxation had gone by in a flash and I wished I could stay just a little bit longer. It was a very beautiful city and these days I never had many chances to relax.My life was my job. At least my sacrifice was about to pay off...***"Of course, sir. Please, enjoy the complimentary-"I waited for her to continue, but she didn't. My eyes were on the Paris skyline, but her silence drew me over. She was standing by my chair, holding the wine bottle. She was frozen. Not moving."Enjoy the compli
Calixte Arc: FinaleThe plan was simple: divide and conquer. Once we finished dealing with the Roslachnian soldiers, it was a simple matter of planning the attack. Because of the vision, she showed me, I knew where to find that room and we were going in guns blazing.Bian and Alphonse were in first, charging power to their shield gems. The hail of gunfire was deflected from the shields and all the focus was on them.Rolo and Sasha followed, making another loud entrance, to draw the rest of their attention.I was sneaking in last. As the room was filled with the sounds of bullets and magic, I sprinted in under the power of a cloaking spell. It should have been called a camouflage spell because that's what it did. In the chaos of the assault, no one was going to notice me sneaking in.The plan played out perfectly. As I slinked in pressing myself to the wall, I looked around for her. For my enemy. Emer Gallagher, the woman who's haunted my nightmares since she almost killed me in Morocc
I always knew my life was going to come back to bite me, but I never thought I'd go to prison. That bastard cellmate of mine stuck me in the back with a shank on my way out.It was a tale as old as time. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before I was arrested, I was a traveling salesman. The company I worked for paid for gas, gave me a stipend for food, and paid me peanuts. I barely had enough to eat most nights and I sure as hell wasn't saving money.Still, life on the road beat prison. A cop pulled me over. I fit the description of a pedophile who had assaulted a young girl. I was a Texan, born and raised, but the Californian jury didn't show me any mercy. They locked me up and threw away the key.I spent two years in prison as a know pedophile and sex offender. Everyone hated me. I had no friends to watch my back. I don't know how I survived. My lawyer was a public defendant, but he never gave up on me. He fought for me to the end and I'll never be able to thank him for i
When I turned five months old, I could crawl. I almost cried. For months I had been at the whims of my mother and the maids if I wanted to move. They had to carry me everywhere. Otherwise, I was left to stare at the roof of the room for hours on end. The freedom to move on my own power was something I hadn't considered before my death, but it wasn't something I would ever take for granted again.By nine months, I could walk. Relearning was a pain, but it was worth it when I didn't have to drag my knees over the stone. My new mother took great joy in watching me walk. My father, on the other hand, didn't seem to have time to watch me walk.By the time my first year in this new world came to an end, I was starting to understand the language. There was still a huge gap in my knowledge, but I could follow most conversations.From my language acquisition, I learned more about the world around me. I learned I was Calixte Arc, the third prince of the Aquitaine Empire. My father was Francois
One of my favorite things to do was explore the castle. Ever since I started watching Game of Thrones, I had been obsessed with old-world architecture. The stone streets of Kings Landing, the Red Keep, and the free cities. It was a completely different world from the one I had grown up in and never getting to see Europe was my biggest regret.Game of Thrones Season 3 ended on a high note. The Red Wedding and the Lannister consolidation of power. It was a shame I would never get to see Season 4 and beyond, but I was practically living in Westeros. 1920s Westeros.The palace was huge and even after two years of life, I still hadn't memorized my way around. Luckily, as a prince, servants were lining up to get on my good side, so I always had a guide.My home was called the Phoenix Palace, and it sat straight smack down in the center of Aquroya. Aquroya was the imperial capital, the fantasy equivalent of Paris I suppose. Though I guess I shouldn't keep calling it a fantasy, since it's my
Chapter II Part OneWhen I turned two, my mother convinced my father to allow me to study the healing arts, but I had to learn the more traditional forms as well. So the day after my second birthday, a full mana examination team was summoned from the city. It was imperial law that every child was tested for mana when they turned five. Any with mana was recorded and any commoners born with mana were forced to sign up to the imperial draft in the event of war. Children of the aristocracy were exempt.Most people born with mana in Aquitaine ended up becoming healers. It was a far safer profession than the military anf tended to pay very well. Every nation had signed a treaty to not attack healers, so even when they served with the military, it was considered a safer.The man who came from Aquroya wore a white lab coat. He brought a machine with him that was large and clunky, hardly portable. According to him though, that machine was the portable version."Please, take a seat here, your h
Chapter II Part TwoA week later I was out of my sickbed, and working under the High Healer and one of my father's Imperial Knights.The High Healer would oversee my training in the healing arts. Despite my mother's boasts, he outstripped her in almost every field. He was the most accomplished healer in the empire and arguably on the continent."We will begin this lesson where all novice students start. The first law of this art states that it is impossible to heal from a distance. This is an unbreakable rule of healing. We, healers, stitch wounds, cure disease, to grant relief to the suffering. To do this, we manipulate our mana to a fine point and use it to help our patients. Only by physical touch is it possible to share mana, your highness. That is why it is our one unbreakable law."To start with, I will teach you how to sow basic skin wounds. You must keep in mind that this skill will only affect light cuts. Deeper wounds require different skills. Before we can start on the basi
Chapter II Part ThreeWhen Master Kieten began teaching us geography, my jaw dropped. The map he unfolded was a familiar one. A very familiar one. I had heard about the war with Prussia, the fall of an empire, and the rise of the fantasy Soviet Union, but until that moment I hadn't laid eyes on a map.The map was far too familiar but so different at the same time. There was Europe, Asia, Africa, the middle east, Australia, Antarctica, and North and South America.Aquitaine occupied the place that France had on Earth, only it was a lot larger. Aquitaine had colonies in Africa, Asia, and North America.I couldn't find any country I was familiar with in the America's. Not even fantasy versions of them. It was seemingly colonized by several European and Asian powers... Even Egypt had a colony. Was Egypt an independent country?I looked at the top of Africa and there it was. Egypt. Officially the Sultanate of Egypt. It occupied the territory of Egypt in my world, Libya, as well as the midd
Calixte Arc: FinaleThe plan was simple: divide and conquer. Once we finished dealing with the Roslachnian soldiers, it was a simple matter of planning the attack. Because of the vision, she showed me, I knew where to find that room and we were going in guns blazing.Bian and Alphonse were in first, charging power to their shield gems. The hail of gunfire was deflected from the shields and all the focus was on them.Rolo and Sasha followed, making another loud entrance, to draw the rest of their attention.I was sneaking in last. As the room was filled with the sounds of bullets and magic, I sprinted in under the power of a cloaking spell. It should have been called a camouflage spell because that's what it did. In the chaos of the assault, no one was going to notice me sneaking in.The plan played out perfectly. As I slinked in pressing myself to the wall, I looked around for her. For my enemy. Emer Gallagher, the woman who's haunted my nightmares since she almost killed me in Morocc
We were supposed to board the plane at three, but we didn't get on the damn plane until five. Five o'clock, TWO HOURS after we were supposed to board. We should have been in the air by that point, but Charles de Gaulle airport was never the most efficiently run place.As we were at last allowed to board, I took one last look at the City of Lights. In terms of architecture, Paris was my favorite city in the world. I didn't get to visit often and I realized I was going to miss it. The three days of relaxation had gone by in a flash and I wished I could stay just a little bit longer. It was a very beautiful city and these days I never had many chances to relax.My life was my job. At least my sacrifice was about to pay off...***"Of course, sir. Please, enjoy the complimentary-"I waited for her to continue, but she didn't. My eyes were on the Paris skyline, but her silence drew me over. She was standing by my chair, holding the wine bottle. She was frozen. Not moving."Enjoy the compli
Calixte ArcAs the world swam around me, I was jolted back into a familiar scene. One that had happened less than an hour ago. This was the freshest memory I had ever gone back to.The dark figure formed a black ink sword out of its arm. It was large and bulky, and it pointed it at us. Before I could react, the creature leaped forward. Despite how bulky his sword was, it moved like a fucking ghost. Before I could defend myself, it was right in front of me. Its sword-arm gleamed in the light and he struck me in the chest full on.The question was, how did I get into this memory? The woman in that room must have been the one assailing me, but how did she do it? It had felt like she forced a spike of ice into my head and then I was here.That mental assault was more powerful than anything I have ever felt from her. I didn't know she had that amount of force. If she had... If she had... Why didn't use it before?I found out the creature was made of mana because my shield gem flickered to
Calixte ArcRUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! BANG! BOOM! RUMBLE!It was like loud crackling in my ear. It started the hell out of me. I was sure someone had snuck up on us, but when I looked around, it was only Alphonse and me. "Did you hear that?""No. Hear what?""It was loud and..." I trailed off. "If you heard it, you wouldn't have to ask
Master ShadowShe glared at the man in white, hunched over his crystal ball. She hated that she had to rely on him, but without his guidance, they'd be blind. Still, it didn't sit right with her."Where are they?" she demanded of him. Master Shadow had half a mind to run over and peer into the ball herself, but she didn't have the spells to work it. So she was left standing there, waiting."They just left the room," he said quickly. He didn't want to draw her anger, which proved he had a brain in his head."Where are the prince and the other one going?""They're heading towards the other intruders."Master Shadow rubbed her chin. They wanted to link up, did they? Her instinct wasn't to allow that, but it might be better. If she could cripple the prince in dreams and memories...But she had already tried that. He was resisting and the protection he put around his mind was strong. She could pierce him one more time, but after that, she wouldn't have enough power left. One last time and
The InspectorAs he was brought into the room, Inspector Calares watched him closely. The young man sat down with that calm demeanor of someone sure they weren't going to be executed. It wasn't an act and that surprised him more than anything else. If he was in that young man's position, he wouldn't have been able to remain so calm.If this interview went poorly, if the higher-ups decided he was guilty, Sanctus wouldn't just kill him. He'd be subjected to tortore as a tratior to the People's Union, a fate arguably as bad as hell. Of course, they would never send his soul to hell. The Party went to great lengths to ensure their people had a frame of reference to what happened to traitors.This man would be made an example of and Inspector Calares sure as he didn't want to be the one to send him there, but he had a job to do. If he failed, they'd turn their sight on him.The young man didn't say anything. He just grinned. Inspector Calares didn't meet his eyes at first. He picked up his
Calixte ArcThe enchanted bullet struck through the shadow, but I didn't have much time to admire my handy work. I thought I clamped down on my mind with iron, but the force drawing me back into my memories came back with a vengeance. The world swam again and drifted into the misty reality of my mind and my memories...Only it wasn't my memories. I could tell by the context of the misty world that there were memories. I was all too familiar with this state of mind now, but as the mist swirled around me and became solid form, I was in a room I recognized.Only because I was just there when I followed the source of these attacks back. This was the room of the woman who was orchestrating the memory attacks on me.She channeled her mana into the crest, watching as the Aquitaine team slowly surrounded the trap.As more plans landed and they were forced to retreat, the watcher brought her mirror up. She channeled her mana into it, creating a two-way reflection with her team."Commander.""W
Calixte ArcI couldn't do anything but watch as the shadow melted out of Alphonse's own shadow. At that moment, it truly looked like the grime reaper ready to begin its bloody work.The world turned to slow motion as the shadow swung its scythe. I aimed, looking down the sights at the monster about to reap my teammate.I channeled my mana into the bullet. I had to shoot now, or that thing would kill him- the world started to spin. No! Not now. I had to keep my eye on the prize and save Alphonse.I pulled the trigger before the memory could suck me in."You're probably right.""Calixte... Calixte and Tanya. Why are you so familiar?""Rolo, pin him down for me, will you? My arm's getting tired.""Roger."I took a deep breath and kept my arm in the same position. I closed my eyes and in an explosion of light, I was back in the real world.The monster cut through Alphonse's shoulder, but the wound didn't look deep. Or life-threatening. Alphonse fell to the ground, but that was just to rol
Shadow MasterShe watched as the prince blinked out of existence, not that he was truly there to start with. He had followed her mind back here, something she hadn't planned for. The boy was talented, but he was still new to the effects in the grand scheme of things. He shouldn't have been able to follow her."That boy." If she wasn't so furious, Shadow Master might have been impressed. As it stood, she was going to make him pay. He should have kept his guard up the whole time because she has a small point in his mind.With her shadow attaching him, the prince didn't have the time to stroll down memory lane. She'd throw him back into one of the memories he'd already experienced. Sure, he'd resist, but with that monster coming at him...She set the shadow to kill. She no longer cared what Emer Gallagher wanted. If the girl became a problem, Shadow Master would use the shadow to end her life as well. The Central Party couldn't fault her. Emer Gallagher was a hired assassin, nothing more