Prologue

Prologue (Novel Excerpt)
by Lem Dagalea

“What’s going to happen today, Adrammelech?” Zack asked his older brother as he finished combing his hair. “Mama and Master Hikaru have been excited since three days ago. She even bothered to ask the Order to lend the auditorium and rosarium all to herself.”

“Oh, you haven’t heard?” Adrammelech said sharply in disbelief while fixing his mantle and coat. “Mama is having a reunion with the Flamberge-Kreuz here. It’s been a while since she saw them anyway.”

“The Flamberge-Kreuz?” Zack repeated, sort of unimpressed. After a while, something sunk in hard and made him jolt in surprise. “Y-you mean peacekeepers? The one mom was in?”

“Yes, the one Mama was in,” Adrammelech confirmed, smiling at how silly his younger brother can react.

“That means we can see my dad!” Zack exclaimed without a thought. A few eyeblinks later, he realized at how insensitive he was and stopped jumping for joy. “I’m sorry, brother, I was just very–”

“It matters not,” Adrammelech cut him off as he weakly maintained his smile. “My father has been missing since I was two years old – a year before you were born. However, I do understand why you’re so excited to see yours.”

“Still,” Zack was about to continue his apologies, but instead, he asked, “You miss him, don’t you? Master Seth was the greatest of the Flamberge-Kreuz after all.”

“Yes, of course I do,” Adrammelech quickly answered. “If by some miracle, he pops in just to give some greetings in today’s reunion, I would be glad. But I don’t want to hope anymore.” He wildly shook his head. “Enough about the sad dad stuff. How about the fun stuff? Who else is going to show up at the reunion?”

“Well, mom and Master Hikaru are already here, so let’s cross them out,” Zack declared. “And on a side note, mom and Master Hikaru were paladins, right?”

“They still are, Zack,” the older brother responded proudly, “And I think that’s not about to change.”

“No debate in that,” Zack agreed. “Oh, there’s Master Ragnar Stormryder! He’s one of the best in the field of the holy and mystic arts. It was no wonder he became a formidable defender during the War.”

“Yes, yes,” Adrammelech agreed as he chuckled out loud. “The great Ragnar also has two very cute daughters.”

“Oh, you mean the twins? Robyn and Rawberry?” Zack questioned. He scratched his chin and thought for a bit and spoke up. “It has been a while since I saw those two girls. But I never knew you liked them.”

“Now you do,” he smiled widely. “And don’t tell that to them, because I have to admit, I really can’t tell them apart immediately. I have to beat both of them up before I can tell the difference.”

“Huh?” Zack raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“The younger one – Rawberry, I think – beats back harder,” he replied casually. “And I like her better ‘cause she has a lot of fight packed up in her, just like Mama. Oh, and don’t bother asking when all of this happened, you’re not getting anything.”

“Boo! Hiding stuff from your trustworthy brother,” Zack said half-whining and half-laughing.

Adrammelech was about to say something really sharp, crushing, and funny to the younger brother when he saw the doors to her mother’s room swing open. Inside, a woman slowly advanced. She was, without a doubt, beautiful. With her silky straight black hair tied to ponytail, smooth porcelain skin, piercing cerulean eyes, and her slender and graceful body, no one would ever believe this goddess was a mother to two.

“Mother!” the two brothers called out simultaneously.

"Adrammelech, Zachary,” their mother answered as she moved closer to them. “I’m sorry it took so long. I’m not used to wearing dresses.”

She wore a simple yet elegant dress – nothing overly flamboyant, but it would definitely draw eyes wherever she went. It was of a light pink hue, reaching from the top of her breasts, falling down to her feet after forming a skirt, the skirt being embroidered with small little crystals. To match her dress, she wore a pink-lined choker and a pair of long gloves, reaching up to a little bit above her elbow.

And it perfectly fit the blessed and glorious Andrea Aegis.

“Well, how is it?” Andrea asked, lifting the hem of her skirt and twirling around. “Your mother doesn’t look half-bad, I take it?”

“Half-bad?” Zack questioned with his jaw open. “Mother, you’re excellent! You’re… beautiful!”

“Y-yeah,” Adrammelech said in awe. After being stunned for a while, he grinned, “I guess whether it’s paladin armor or ball dresses, you’ll always stand pretty.”

“Coming from my own sons, it sounds a little bit embarrassing,” Andrea admitted. “Well, I really should thank little Ellie over there.” She gestured towards a young red-headed girl inside her room. “What’s wrong, Ellie? Come closer.”

Adrammelech and Zack watched delightfully as the young girl fidgeted her way towards their mother. If they remember correctly, she was Gabrielle Marauder, a southerner. Orphaned during the War, she was taken in by Adamant Heart Foundation. Now, she was sent to Andrea as a student of fine etiquette.

From the boys’ point of view, there was not much to boast about the little girl. She wasn’t very tall provided that she was around their age. Freckles crossed the bridge of her nose. She possesses the usual traits of a southerner: a lightly tanned complexion and a rowdy accent. Her good points, though, included her dull crimson shoulder-length hair and, most notably, her piercing blood red eyes. Those two characteristics would’ve made the two brothers attracted to her.

If she wasn’t such a shy, clumsy, and awkward airhead.

“Believe it or not, she helped in the making of this dress,” Andrea stated as she patted the cute girl’s head preciously. “Didn’t you, Ellie?”

She just nodded.

“Dear, I just don’t know what to do with you,” Andrea frowned. “You’ve got to speak up more.”

She nodded again.

“What?” Andrea asked, a little anger hiding behind her kind voice.

“I-I’ll try to change my habit, milady,” Ellie answered weakly.

“Well, let’s leave it at that for now,” Andrea said as giant knocks were heard from below. She motioned her and the two boys to move. “Let’s go, kids. It would seem that my comrades have arrived.”

“Hey, bro,” Zack called out, “Do you have any idea who’d show up first?”

“I don’t really know to be honest,” Adrammelech answered, “But if I were to bet on who’s to show up first, it’d be Master Ragnar. After all, he is the leader of the Flamberge-Kreuz.”

“If you’re using that screwed up logic,” Zack laughed, “Then I’m going to have to bet on my own dad. If I can recall clearly, he was supposedly the fastest of the Flamberge-Kreuz.”

“Yup,” Adrammelech agreed, “Screwed up logic indeed.”