By Kat
Chapter 2: Wrath of Chronos
The soft light cast by the fire’s gentle flames danced almost playfully over the shadows of the room, yet it gave the air surrounding the pair a feeling of calm and mystery. Ayame delicately lowered herself to the eclectically colored pile of velvet cushions in front of the fireplace while her grandfather positioned himself comfortably in his favorite leather chair. Their eyes seemed to be locked on the flickering glow of the flames in the hearth.
As if to prompt the story she was so anxiously waiting to hear, Ayame slowly undid the necklace’s clasp and placed it in her grandfather’s creased hands. He held the chain by the very ends and allowed the jewel to dangle in front of the blaze, the light passing through the diamond causing small rainbows to shimmer within its crystalline shield. Her eyes had become transfixed by the beauty, mystery, romance, tears, and betrayal that seemed to be locked within the clear gaze of the gemstone.
“Have you ever heard of Sumaktra, child?” Yahiko quietly asked at length, closing his eyes. He felt the weariness of his age for the first time in a great while as an image of the piece of jewelry once again played upon his mind’s eye.
As if offended by the question, her eyes just stared at him in indignation. “Yes. It was the old capitol, wasn’t it? Before it was burned to the ground,” she answered, trying to mask the annoyance in her voice. She was a part of what used to be the royal family and felt a slight sting at being seemingly thought of as ignorant.
“I’m sorry, Ayame-chan, I didn’t mean to asked you such a question to insult you,” he quickly amended, detecting the crossness hidden in her voice and expression. “I know you’re bright. It’s just that…Sumaktra was the last place I saw this necklace worn by anyone until today.”
“Grandpa…I…” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. Not many people have heard of the old city; I know I’m one of the few who has been educated as such.”
For a while, the only sound that could be heard in the large open room was that of the crackling fire and the occasional soft scraping of the logs when they shifted against each other. “About the necklace, Grandpa…”
He chuckled slightly. “I promised you a story, didn’t I? Well then, let’s begin at the beginning. That seems to be the proper way to do these things.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-
Once long ago, in the great desert of Osamta, there was a man of unprecedented courage and knowledge and leadership. During the area’s greatest period of depression and civil warfare, he single-handedly managed to unite the once divided sections of the country into the mightiest kingdom the world had ever known: Kahaktri. His name would be forever remembered as the hero of his people.
Yukishiro Hiko.
Hiko had lived out his days beautifully and with a strong focus on his people; his lovely wife, Tae, gave birth to three healthy children, one girl and two boys. Sadly, the greatest ruler of Kahaktri died only twenty years after the thriving capitol of Sumaktra had been established and become known worldwide for its brilliant people and flourishing economy. While Hiko had busied himself with the burden of creating a land that would last as long as the sun’s rays, he had paid very little attention to his ailing health. Finally, only a month after his oldest son’s eighteenth birthday, he died of a congenital disease that the doctors referred to as the “ bloody cough”.
Leaving his heir, Yukishiro Sagara Sanosuke, the task of maintaining and improving what his father had worked so hard to erect during his lifetime. And for the first five years of Sanosuke’s reign, all matters of the kingdom proceeded with unparalleled success.
Until the Hitokiris arrived.