Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Coming of Age ❯ One-Shot

Disclaimer: The basis of the characters seen in Coming of Age comes from Amaria's role-playing game, A War of Three Nations: Earth Divided. The characters Talim, Preia, and Jamina belong to her, and the characters Rye and Ryeden belong to Hellfire, while Zephyr and the rest of the cast belongs to me. Also, the character Saleh belongs to Alone4ever.

 

Author's Note: Not too many spoilers in this one; actually, I doubt there are any spoilers at all. ^^; So, instead of spoiler warnings, I hope you enjoy!

 

Summary: In the month and date known now as `May 1st', destiny makes a decision, and transfers the burden of two champions of the war to the next generation.

 

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COMING OF AGE

By bnczabala

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~~As beta'd by Katharine `Katie' Alexander;*

 

Clang. Step. Gasp. Step. Clang. Clang. Clangclangclangclang!

 

Two figures, outside a grand household, stood on the opposite side of the garden, each holding a sword in their dominant arm. The female, off to the left, held it in her hand, and it was outstretched and held in front of her pointing to the side as two of her fingers settled on the blade, and she was chanting rapidly in an ancient language. The male, standing bent, yet still somehow managing to remain his proud image, off to the right, was crouching, one leg outstretched behind him as he leaned on his knee. His sword was held in his right hand, with his other hovering over the sword tip, and the expression on his face radiated of determination.

 

He was so not going to lose to his elder-by-five-minutes twin sister today.

 

“Have at me, then, Ezekiel!” shouted the female to the left, grinning wickedly at her younger twin brother. “Since you look so ready to beat me.”

 

Ezekiel frowned at his sister, leaning more and more on his knee, before Wind surrounded him and he disappeared. Edeline, the elder female twin, smirked; she knew just where her brother was targeting, and as her two fingers left the tip of the blade, she spun backward. However, Lightning flashed before her eyes and she was momentarily blinded. Edeline frowned, before she knelt, and she heard a “Damn it!” ring out from right above her. She smirked, and thrust her sword upward, bits and pieces of Earth flying up with it. She ran swiftly to escape her younger brother falling on her, and when he reappeared, she neared him, offering her hand to him so that she would be able to help him in getting up. Ezekiel reached up and clutched her hand, but before Edeline could pull her younger brother up, he pulled down, and soon the both of them were rolling in the garden, laughing.

 

“That looks fun!” a female's voice suddenly quipped, and black-streaked blond hair appeared in their vision.

 

Beside her, a black-haired male was laughing good-naturedly, and from their position on the ground, Edeline and Ezekiel said, “Talim! Ryeden!”

 

Talim winked at Edeline and Ezekiel as Ryeden extended both of his arms out to the twins on the ground. The Alexxis twins took either hand, and soon they were standing with their closest friends. Edeline, the proud image of her mother with her dark, flowing hair and the beautiful face that had many of elven and neko-jin race do a double-take as she passed them by, dusted off her long skirt - her mother would often chastise her about using her longer skirts for battle practice with her younger twin, but Edeline, unlike her mother who was so used to battling in pants, was used to battling in such flowing garments - and exchanged quick hugs with Talim, and kissed Ryeden on the cheek as was customary. Ezekiel, the very image of the Fayrian general Zephyr, with his flowing blond hair tied up in a high ponytail and his sharp features, stood straight-backed as his Wind element ran through him and dusted off his clothing, and then he hugged Talim, kissing her cheek as he did so, and shook hands with Ryeden.

 

“What brings you here?” questioned Edeline smoothly as he led the two children of their godmother and godfather inside the vast, grand mansion belonging to the family Alexxis.

 

That was the moment Talim and Ryeden snapped their fingers, and two boxes appeared in Edeline's, and in Ezekiel's, hands. Together, the elder pair of twins said as they smiled, “Happy birthday!”

 

Ezekiel grinned, while Edeline curtsied to the both of them, saying, “Thank you.”

 

“Why, the Netherdrake twins!” said a voice from the direction of the kitchen. General Zephyr Alexxis, still looking like he was in his mid-twenties while he was already thirty-eight years of age, appeared from the pair of doors that rested over to the right of where the four were standing, General Aceline Alexxis, still as beautiful as ever at thirty-seven, on his arm. They both smiled at their godson and goddaughter, and, as was customary, Zephyr hugged Talim and gave her a kiss on the cheek and then shook hands with Ryeden, while Aceline hugged the both of him and kissed both of them on their cheeks.

 

“How have you been?” asked Aceline as she and her husband led them out to the larger and vaster garden behind the mansion. “Are your mother and father well?”

 

“We've been good,” answered the Netherdrake twins before the group of six laughed, catching the eye of several of the workers who were tending to the several horses.

 

Ryeden then said, “Mother and Father are well, thank you.”

 

Talim put on her most innocent face, and Zephyr winked at her. “You haven't been wearing skirts and dresses, have you?” he mock-accused.

 

“No,” said Talim. “I've just been shredding them to pieces.”

 

Another round of laughter escaped the group of six, and then they seated themselves by the large pond that Zephyr had had built not so long ago. An elven maid came out not long after carrying drinks for all six of them, three glasses of the finest cider in Fayrie for Zephyr, Ezekiel, and Ryeden, two cups of herbal tea for Edeline and Aceline - Talim wrinkled her nose at the very smell of the substance, and a glass of water for Talim.

 

Edeline murmured as she calmly sipped her still-scathingly hot tea that she cooled gently with her Ice, every word directed to Talim, “I don't see why tea or anything billowy isn't in your preference, Talim.” Even her voice was so mature, so very ladylike.

 

Talim froze, and then beamed at Edeline. “It must be from my mother.”

 

Zephyr let out a laugh, “Oh, the one and only Preia Netherdrake. I am rather glad she wore those robes to her wedding.”

 

Aceline raised an eyebrow and said coolly as Edeline began letting her Ice powers lower the temperature of her tea ever so slightly, “As if your robes weren't billowy.”

 

Ryeden shook his head at his godmother's response, and Talim brought her hand up to her mouth to prevent her from laughing with water still within. Ezekiel snorted, and Edeline lowered her eyes as if her teacup was the most interesting thing there.

 

“Oh, please, Aceline,” Zephyr replied evenly, but he smiled lovingly at her. “Back to the topic at hand,” he continued, tilting his head slightly in the Netherdrake twins' directions, “what brings the both of you here today?”

 

Ryeden said slowly, “We wanted to be their witnesses.”

 

Ezekiel's eyes widened as he turned his head and spit out the cider he was about to swallow. “F—for the ceremony?” he asked.

 

Talim shrugged. “Why not? You did the same thing for us when we turned fifteen, so Ryeden and I thought to return the favor today.”

 

Edeline raised her eyes again, focused on Talim. “That would be a very nice birthday present.”

 

“Speaking of,” Aceline then interrupted cheerily. “I saw Talim and Ryeden give the both of you something while you were at the front door.” She looked at the Netherdrake children, and when they nodded, she continued, “Why not open it.”

 

Edeline and Ezekiel just realized that they still wielded the two packages that Talim and Ryeden had given them, and they set them on the table, Ezekiel motioning for Edeline to open her gift first, saying while he grinned, “Ladies first.”

 

She made a move to smack him, but opened her gift first nonetheless. Her eyes widened, and she breathed as she read the inscription on top of the box, “Ryeden, I—thank you!” Inside the box lay a beautiful bracelet that fit on her wrist just right as she tried it on, and then Ryeden explained to her,

 

“If you concentrate your energy on that bracelet, if any of my family is near you, then we will help you.” He ended his explanation with a charming smile, not bothering to hide his fangs.

 

Edeline blushed, casting her gaze downward back to her teacup, and Zephyr and Aceline exchanged knowing looks.

 

Ezekiel opened his next, and found a pair of fingerless gloves with the crest of the Alexxis family - a five-pointed star with a sword pointing downward through the center of the star - on the back of them, woven neatly with the traditional color of blue and silver on the beautiful white of the gloves. He raised his eyebrows at Talim, “I already know you didn't weave this” - Talim frowned at him - “but thank you, and to Lady Jamina as well.”

 

“You recognize Jamina's weaving well, don't you,” chuckled Zephyr.

 

Ezekiel merely smiled, before a voice from inside the vast home called out, “Zephyr, darling, Edeline and Ezekiel are needed inside now!”

 

Zephyr shouted back into the mansion, “Yes, Mother!” before he turned to the other five, motioning to a servant that hovered nearby to clean and take the glasses back inside. “Shall we?”

 

They nodded, and as Zephyr offered his arm to his wife, as per the rules of `witnesses,' Ryeden offered Edeline his arm, and Ezekiel to Talim. They entered the large expanse of a house, pair by pair, and then they ascended to the stairs where the doors to the largest room was held open by two servants who smiled and greeted them as they went in. The room was very simple, its walls painted white and silver, and several shelves propped up to one side of the wall. To the other side lay framed the grand sword of Zephyr, the mighty Alexavier, and beside it lay the famed bow of Aceline, Ulfah Ula, with two of her Zale, her arrows, X'd like the swords on her family crest.

 

In the middle of the room lay a rug in which a wooden pedestal stood upon, one side marked with two roses X'd with a sword pointing upward, in regards to Zephyr's crest, and another side marked with the five-pointed star, this time with a sword pointing downward, in regards to Aceline's. Ezekiel kneeled to the side of the two roses, and Talim stood by him, a hand reassuringly on his shoulder. Ryeden led Edeline to the other symbol as the young woman kneeled and Ryeden stood by her, a reassuring smile on his face. Then, Zephyr and Aceline, accompanied by Bellatrice and Matthias Alexxis, the respective matriarch and patriarch of the Alexxis family, stood in front of the pedestal and Zephyr began speaking, his voice swelling with pride as he extended his hand to his daughter's forehead,

 

“Edeline, Lady of Alexxis, on this day of your coming of age, I bequeath you two family treasures that will guide you and protect you.”

 

He motioned to his mother, who instantly went to the case that held Alexavier, the mighty blade that once served the elven general, and removed it, holding it in her fingers as if it were a revered gift from the gods. She handed it to her son, and then he held it by the blade, aiming the hilt to his daughter's outstretched hands. Her eyes widened as she saw which exact sword he was going to give to her; she honestly had just thought that it was going to be another of the newly-made family swords that just had their crest embedded on them, but—

 

She breathed, “Alexavier, Father?”

 

Zephyr smiled at her. “Did you honestly think that I would give you anything less?”

 

Edeline shook her head, speechless, but accepted the sword nonetheless, and with it the spirit of the sword that had so long ago served him so well.

 

The general of the army continued, “And with this sword, my soul is with you. With this sword, I bequeath to you yet another treasure that has served not me, but your mother in times of war and hardship. May the Stone of Earth, and the spirit of Cibynel along with it, guide and protect you just as she has done with your mother.”

 

Edeline bowed her head as she felt the cold brush of metal chains against her porcelain-like neck, and when her father bid her to stand, she did so, and when he motioned for his father, her grandfather came, smiling at her, as he tied the scabbard that once was tied around Zephyr's waist and held Alexavier around her thin, be-skirted waist. Then as she kneeled, the weight of the scabbard and the sword something new for her, she murmured in the reply that she'd studied so many times.

 

“I thank you, Father, Lord of Alexxis, for your gifts. May Etaine, goddess of Fayrie, smile down upon the treasures that you have given me, and may she bless them.”

 

As Zephyr backed away and moved, Aceline came forward then, putting her hand on Ezekiel's forehead as Zephyr had done with Edeline. She stated smoothly, in a loud and firm and clear voice, “Ezekiel, Lord of Alexxis, on this day of your coming of age, I bequeath to you three family treasures that will guide you and protect you.”

 

Motioning to her father-in-law, Matthias stepped up to the case that framed Ulfah Ula, the Gaian general's famous bow that had helped win the War of Three Nations, and removed it, along with the two arrows as he dipped them into the quiver that stood nearby, filled with several other arrows, some of them tipped in silver, some of them tipped in crimson blood to show that they had been in several battles and had reigned victorious. Some were in the Gaewrn family, her adoptive family, colors of dark green and gold, and some were in the traditional Alexxis color to show the union between the two families. She continued as Ezekiel allowed his grandmother to tie Ulfah Ula's quiver around his arm and accepted the bow itself, “And with this bow and arrow, my soul is with you. With this bow and arrow, I bequeath to you yet another treasure that has served not me, but your father in times of war and hardship. May the Stone of Wind, and the spirit of Eoru along with it, guide and protect you just as he has done with your father.”

 

Ezekiel bowed his head proudly, saying firmly, “I thank you, Mother, Lady of Alexxis, for your gifts. May Etaine, goddess of Fayrie, smile down upon the treasure that you have given me, and may she bless them.”

 

Talim and Ryeden, on either side of the two Alexxis children, then spoke clearly for the first time during the ceremony: “We, children of the joint family of Louinia and Netherdrake, have witnessed this ceremony. So it has been witnessed, so it shall be written, and so it shall be done.”

 

A bright flash of elements rang out in that very room as the two Netherdrake children finished speaking, Earth and Wind and Ice and Lightning at the same time as they recognized the blood of their former masters in their new ones. Two spirits came from the two Stones bestowed upon Edeline and Ezekiel, and as Cibynel hovered over Edeline and Eoru over Ezekiel, the two spirits joined in a sort of ritual dance of their own as they blessed the two Alexxis children. As they finished and retreated to their Stones, the flashes of elements stopped, and when the two Alexxis children stood, they seemed different - two people in their own right, just as strong and as proud as their parents before them.

 

The words of Zephyr's, and Aceline's, mother came back to them, fifteen years ago this very day:

 

“Beautiful Edeline, you will be as graceful and as beautiful as your mother some day.” `That' day was definitely today. Edeline had not looked so much like a woman before, and as she stood, her skirts billowing beautifully around her feet, her black hair tied up in a ponytail, swishing around her neck with such a grace that not even Aceline herself could achieve, and Alexavier tied faithfully around her lithe, slim waist - well. If she had not been any sort of `woman' or `lady' before, she definitely was one now.

 

“Brave Ezekiel, you will be as strong and as respected in this country as your father - I am sure of it.” He became `strong' today, and as Zephyr had a sort of fond look in his eyes as he looked over his son, once he would give up his position of `general', he would certainly become as respected as he was. In fact, and Zephyr grinned as the thought entered his mind, his son looked very fierce with his constant look of determination, and now with the bow he held in his hands and the quiver slung around his shoulder, he looked even more determined than before.

 

He and Aceline exchanged looks, and smiled.

 

Edeline and Ezekiel were definitely their children.

 

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Epilogue

 

“Saleh, old friend!” Zephyr cried as the Fayrian knight rode upon his steed to the gate of the Alexxis mansion.

 

The knight nodded to his general and smiled at the woman on his arm, “Zephyr. Aceline. Nice to see you both doing so well.”

 

“And the same to you, too!” Aceline smiled beautifully at him, dipping in a curtsy as she did so. His hand motioning for them, one of Zephyr's personal stablemen came and took care of Saleh's steed as the knight descended.

 

Zephyr clapped him on the back, “So Saleh.” Then he winked. “How are… `things'?”

 

Saleh's lips had a sly smile tugging on them. “Oh, `things' are fine.”

 

Zephyr grinned. “That's good to hear.”

 

Aceline rolled her eyes, and then Edeline and Ezekiel came out of the house, “Uncle Saleh!”

 

“Ede! 'Kiel!” Saleh's eyes brightened as he saw the two Alexxis children. “Happy birthday!” He whistled, and two his own personal stablemen instantly rode into the estate, two fine horses - one the color of light brown, and another a darkest shade of obsidian. “For your birthday, and for your coming of age.”

 

Edeline nearly squealed, but kept her composure otherwise, and settled for hugging Saleh tightly, “Thank you, Uncle Saleh. Is it—?”

 

“Yours is male, dear Ede,” Saleh said, “and yours is, well, male, too, 'Kiel.” Saleh grinned in his lame attempt, but Ezekiel shook his head,

 

“My horse is a girl, isn't it?”

 

“Uhh…maybe?” Saleh just grinned lopsidedly again.

 

Another whinny of a horse came, and Talim and Ryeden quickly turned their eyes to the large gates that separated Alexxis mansion from the Fayrian world just as Lord Rye and Lady Preia Netherdrake rode up, smiling with eyes as bright as the sun. “Mother! Father!”

 

Edeline and Ezekiel went up to them immediately, and Edeline, still wearing Alexavier around her waist, and Ezekiel with the quiver on his shoulder and his bow in his hand, curtsied and bowed respectively as they said together, “Lord and Lady Netherdrake. Thank you for letting your children witness our coming of age.”

 

Preia embraced both of them in a hug, “It was nothing, since `Uncle' Zephyr over there let the both of you witness theirs'.”

 

Zephyr came over and enveloped his `niece' in a hug. “They were going to get `initiated' either way, so a preview wasn't too bad of an idea.”

 

Aceline, then, from one of the verandas looking over the other pond they had in the front of the mansion, called out, “Zephyr! Edeline! Ezekiel! Talim! Ryeden! Saleh! Preia! Rye!” She motioned to the plates set out before her when they turned,

 

“Would you like some lunch?”

 

And then she smiled at them as they came rushing over, leaving several of the younger stablemen to control the sudden appearance of three horses, five including the gift that Saleh had brought.

 

“So,” Saleh asked casually as soon as they were seated, “any names for your horses?”

 

Edeline and Ezekiel exchanged looks.

 

The female said, contentedly, “Rain Dancer.”

 

Then the male continued, “Raging Fire.”

 

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A/N: =) And so another one-shot in the “Three Nations” `fandom' is done once more.

 

Oh, and on another note - actually, there is a little bit of significance to the horses' names; I chose “Rain Dancer” for Edeline's horse because she (Edeline) is a little bit of both: like the rain, she is sometimes unexpected, and as a dancer, her moves are precise and she never misses a beat. Then, I chose “Raging Fire” for Ezekiel because he is just that - a raging fire that keeps up the liveliness in the Alexxis household.

 

…But that's about it on the horses' names. Until later on, of course. =D </teaser>