Chapter Text
An ancient legend had been rediscovered by the Lord's right hand. Ever since, it was going around in the glorious Kingdom of Phar. By now, every Knight had heard about this legend and every second one began to pursuit it to find out the truth. Ascilia however, couldn't decide whether to believe this legend or not. The bygone words said the following:
"Lo, each warrior, noble and true, is greeted upon this mortal coil by the most venerable of virtues: their honor. Without this sacred mantle, all is naught but shadows and dust. Devoid of honor, this realm would be barren, bereft of warriors stalwart in their noble cause. Thus, it behooves each soul to safeguard this precious gift. For in honor's steadfast embrace lies the path to enlightenment, the wellspring of fortitude, and the gateway to transcendent glory. Such is the decree of fate, the sole path to greatness.
The sole path to shelter the innocent from the divine, for the celestial of our age hath forsaken honor in myriad forms. Therefore, it falls upon thee, valiant warriors one and all, to tread the path of honor and rescue the kingdom from its path of demise."
Despite the legend sounding promising, there was yet to be someone to confirm anything that was mentioned in it. As far as most understood it- or better yet- what most knights laid their eyes on, was the prophecy of 'pursuing the path of honor to reach ascension.', whatever that was supposed to mean. Ascilia felt torn. The legend sounded appealing, too appealing to be true and too vague to really understand what it was about precisely. It was a problematic legend to say the least: Through the uprising of this information, the Knights under Lord Elitrit Leionin's rule began to fall apart and turn on each other. A difficult time had quickly settled in for the Kingdom, one where no one could be sure of their safety. The Pharyullian Order wasn't able to continue to preserve safety for everyone, since almost half of the members had turned on it. It was simple- as the Lord of Phar had announced it- anyone who went for the legend, went against the rules of Justice and thus against Pharyull, the kingdoms god. God Pharyull, the Eternal Flame of Justice, the God who had blessed the kingdom of Phar and granted divine protection against all evils known to mankind.
Such was the reason for Ascilia's confusion: He saw his friends, his fellow Knights turn on each other because of an ancient legend. He was begged by some to pursue it with them, which would require him to abandon his current god and to go against his kingdom...the kingdom he had sworn to protect next to many, who now had decided to tread a different path. In the Lord's eyes, the path of treachery. Unable to render the legend as complete and utter nonsense, Ascilia fell into a debate with himself. On one particular night he couldn't get his thoughts away from the question of whether he should follow this legend. For some reason he couldn't ignore it and follow through with his usual routines, while also staying true to the Order and its task of being a Knight in Phar.
As he breathed in the chilly night air, he sensed his mind wander off. With a starry night sky before his eyes, Ascilia wasn't able to resist the mysterious pull of the legend in his mind. What had caught his attention in particular were the last few sentences of the legend, that seemed to foretell a dark future for his sacred kingdom.
"The sole path to shelter the innocent from the divine, for the celestial of our age hath forsaken honor in myriad forms. Therefore, it falls upon thee, valiant warriors one and all, to tread the path of honor and rescue the kingdom from its path of demise."
Ascilia muttered to himself, lost in thought, as the stars began to reflect in his eyes.
The legend told of innocent beings and a path of demise...as well as a celestial that seemed to have lost the noble path of honor. But which divine being was meant by this? God Pharyull surely was out of question, since he was the god of justice... Although, multiple other gods popped up in Ascilia's mind, but the one who was most prominent, was Goddess Lyndille. A celestial that had never been painted in very good light by the kingdom, or anyone that Ascilia had ever met. She wasn't very popular in regard to followers, but despite that she was well-known among others for her mistrust in the pursuit of eternal justice.
Which seemed utterly absurd for Ascilia. Who wouldn't want justice to be eternal? Justice and Honor was all he stood for as a Knight...Honor...if he stood for honor maybe he should look into this legend after all?
No he couldn't possibly...conspire against everything that he had been protecting all his life. But was it really everything? Or was Honor everything for a Knight like him? Honor...Honor...what was the true meaning of Honor? Was he truly on the right path? After all...who was to say that everything that Ascilia had done up until now was honorable? He didn't know, he only knew that everything he had done up until now had been in the pursuit of the Justice's eternal Flame. For his Lord and for his god.
Haunted by his mind, a heavy sigh escaped his parted lips, when suddenly a voice pulled Ascilia away from his treacherous thoughts. The stars in his eyes faded and raindrops began to fall from the weeping sky.
"Ascilia? What are you up to out here? You're going to catch a cold with rain like that."
Ascilia turned to look back outside where it had started pouring, as he walked towards his friend, Evelune. He hadn't even noticed.
"Ah don't mind me, just can't sleep with half the Order being somewhere out there...our own fighting against our own.", he replied quietly and Evelune sighed at his statement. The following silence confirming that they had the same issue. In the end, as he went back to rest, Ascilia decided for the moment, that any dark fate that this legend was trying to foresee would be repelled by his god. Pharyull was powerful and just, no different from Lord Elitrit, who represented the god's will to the mortals. Both were righteous and fair, seeking to preserve Justice in this kingdom forevermore. Both were eligible to protect the innocent people of Phar of evil, even if it was another god that they would be facing.
Ascilia was sure of it.