A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.
***
Franchette slows down from her pace until she stopped completely. She looked back and found her brothers chasing her breathlessly and almost collapsing. She just got out from the woods, standing by the highest cliff.
She turned around and looked over the area below her. From where she's standing, she could see the capital of Vernignac Empire. The Whitecloaks had taken over the entire capital, has secured the Palace inside a spell, and the people? Oh, they will be used as woods to keep the fire of the ritual burning.
"Is this the beginning you're saying, dear friend?" Franchette asked the entity inside her.
Half of her face contorted to reveal the entity's appearance.
"The end is the beginning. They are ahead of us, but we're a step higher. Now, are you afraid?"
"Afraid?"
Franchette smirked and sat. She picked up a rock, juggling it on her hand.
"I am Franchette Xerena, named after the great Aloisia, Franchetti Xerene Covry-Xirquit, vessel of you, subject of His Equal. They should be afraid of me because I am me."
Finally, her brothers caught up.
"Fran---huff... Girl---"
Franchette stand up and took a stance. Then, she threw the rock powerfully to the distance, to the Capital. There's no barrier surrounding the Capital but only the Palace.
"We can get in."
Kendrew stood by her, about to scold her, when he saw the anomalies before them. The other two followed and fear and anxiety spiked their chests.
"What---? What's happening there!?" Matthew panicked as he palm his head.
"That witch Lorreign did that. They kept everyone in the Palace, froze them in time and as stones. They will open a path for the Deity of Darkness's return. That was their goal all along. They've been patient, and it's finally bearing fruit," said His Equal's subject.
"F-Frozen? Stones? Mommy and Daddy were there! Grandma and Grandpa, too! They were there!" Leandrew is tearing up, looking at his elder brother, expecting Kendrew to do something.
'The Dumbest Xirquits' as they were labeled by the people. They criticize them for being not smart enough and the background of their other root, Bartholomew, a humble farmer. Everyone agreed upon that the only thing that makes them great is the name and blood they got from their mother. Other than that, there's nothing else. Their looks are 'average' and their intelligence are the 'lowest'. Still, they are good farmers and they are Xirquits. They, still, are privileged.
"Brothers, playtime is over. It's time to get serious," Franchette said to her brothers as she prepare every inch of her for what's about to come.
She's been keeping herself out of the picture for this moment, because His Equal's subject had been whispering the glances she had from the future.
'She's a child' and nobody will suspect her. That's why she lured her brothers away to became her supports. They will need each other. They will be each other's strength for the mission nobody bestowed upon them but they have to take it because they must.
In the blink of an eye, the facial features of her brothers changed as they get serious. Their doe eyes relaxed halfly into sharp hunter eyes. They corrected their 'submissive' and slouching posture, standing tall and proud with their heads up. They didn't use magic enhancements or whatever. They didn't remove any disguise. They've been fooling everyone since. Only they knew that there's another side other people didn't know.
Of course, pretending to be weak isn't worth it. Because of them, their family name was constantly attacked. Their mother became the center of harsh criticism, calling her names, that she's a failure and spoilt their glorious name for marrying a farmer.
It was not 'pretending' though when Matthew 'accidentally' drank poison. Before, he's not yet 'awakened'. What 'awakened' means for them brothers is that Matthew hasn't developed the mindset of 'appear weak, step out when the time comes'.
They've been secretive, they know, but everyone bears secrets they mustn't tell even to their greatest love ones. This is the 'right time' they've been waiting for. The time to step out of the shadow of their false identities. The time to show them that, they are, truly Xirquits. The time to show people what they got and prove them that they're wrong about the things they say to them, to eat everything they had said to them and their mother---plainly, regret their mistakes.
Thus, with their falsely established image, their enemies will overlook their abilities and capabilities. They won't even think of them as 'threats' at all, but just useless and worthless pebbles on their way.
Which will be a fault to them later on because these boys and girl are still a Xirquit. Aloisia's blood is coursing through their veins. Voltage Xirquit's, too. Two of Earth's greatest assassins to ever live. They have what it takes. A Xirquit alone is an army of its own. What's more four of it?
"Let's try to call for Wattroid and see if he's taken hostage, too," Kendrew, the eldest, proposed and gathered his siblings away the edge of the dangerous cliff.
Matthew touched the ground. He closed his eyes and a moment after, large roots bulged through from below. They sat on it.
"Wattroid, if you can hear me, come to me. Wattroid, if you're there...show yourself." Kendrew led and they waited. They're looking at the space around them, waiting for their Uncle's office's doors to appear, but there was none.
Matthew put his hands around his mouth and screamed, "WATT!!! ROID!!!"
"Shut it, Matt!"
Leandrew covered his mouth, "What if those Whitecloaks hears you? Think! We'd be---"
They rose from their seats when Wattroid bust out through the doors. Wattroid is crying, the poor bot is crying.
"Masters, Master Watts... Everyone is..."
The brothers went to him and consoled him. Wattroid sobbed. Franchette crossed her arms, watching.
"Wattroid, be strong. We know. We know what happened and we have to be strong. We need you, Wattroid. We will need you, so let us in. Help us. Let's help each other and set them free."
Wattroid pursed his lips and nodded. He composed himself and the Xirquits smiled now that he's pulled himself together.
"Let's get inside."
~
"Where could be those Whitecloaks' lair?" They wondered as they analyze the incomplete world map. It is still not updated (now that The Other Side is open) and they could only see a pinch of the world's true size. There is Another Side on The Other Side. Truly and honestly, their side (right) is the 'Another Side' and the true other side is on the left part of the world before Empress Siofra and Prince Izaac divided the world to change Azarese's life and fate.
"A dimension. Maybe they are powerful enough to travel through dimensions or planets. It could be near Cosmo-Vale. Wattroid, look for any habitable planets near Cosmo-Vale. It won't matter if it's a couple of light years away. As long as it's habitable, put it in the list. Who knows, maybe they're in one of those," Kendrew ordered, taking full control of the situation.
He's the eldest legitimate Xirquit among them. It's just right for him to take the lead. A leader.
"Understood, My Lord." Wattroid wrote it down on his notebook as a task to accomplish later.
"Before that, Wattroid, what was the situation before this all happened?" Leandrew.
"Master Watts, I assume, awakened, after learning the truth about the First Prince's identity. The First Prince... He had two fathers, and they're both brothers: Emperor Watts and Emperor Ohms."
The Xirquit siblings' jaws dropped.
"What!?"
"He beat Emperor Ohms to pulp and removed his soul from Lord Ohms's body. Then, Princess Miracyne revealed herself, one of the Matriarch's mythical children. Things went the awful turn for her and for her brothers. Only her and Prince Virion are alive as of the moment, the other three were killed by King Liorei."
They couldn't believe it, but their brains had processed it quick enough. They handled the shock well. Still, they couldn't believe it.
"A Pure Xirquit with a Pure Warlian blood. The First Prince must be very terrifying to have the eldest and the youngest Xirquit as his fathers," Franchette smirked, sat on the table, sharpening her weapons and grooming the artifact her Uncle promised her.
Her brothers gave her a dissatisfied stare. Rude.
"The First Prince hated that he had another father, so please don't speak of it and keep it to yourself. On the other hand, before all that, before the Master awaken, he brought the Prince here and asked for The Grey. He was furious. Wrathful, even. He said he will set out to destroy temples of Deities. The Deities defiled the First Prince's soul because he was too beautiful. They wanted to covet him and make him their lover. A poor, young boy..."
Once again, Wattroid broke down to tears, "My Master must be feeling... To think that the First Prince had to go through that while in Vanrahim, a sacred place equal to Heaven... I, too, will be very, very mad. Destroying their temples won't suffice. I will be out for blood."
Kendrew and Leandrew grabbed him by his shoulders as their means of support. They wryly smiled at each other, feeling truly bad and sorry, but there's nothing they can do about it. They can't change what already transpired but accept it...and if they can, move on.
"We must know their abilities first. Then, at least one of us should be able to get inside to 'wake' our families without alarming the Whitecloaks," Leandrew.
"How are we going to do that? I heard they're both invisible and invincible, right?" Matthew.
They looked at each other.
"King Liorei will be our strongest and hardest opponent. Seasoned and experienced in combat and murder, not to mention, he's the second son of Daro, the strongest man in Cosmo-Vale. His mother is even the Deity of Darkness. King Liorei is a very special conception as he is the first son of the Deity of Darkness. Metaphorically, he is her 'light'. He possess both Light Magic and Dark Magic." Wattroid.
"He's so OP! Who can beat him? Light-Dark Magic and now the strongest man in Cosmo-Vale. Can we...beat him?" Matthew bit his nails. Kendrew put his hand down from his mouth.
"His Equal, who else?" Franchette rolled her eyes from the obvious answer, "The only problem is that she's not a fighter. She's lazy, an spectator only. The King is experienced, we all know that. He can tackle her in a second. But the other one?"
"Who?"
Franchette smirked, "The Wicked Empress of Heart, Holy Azarese Elyzena Dragunovv-Warlock. If we are choosing who to wake up first, obviously, it would be her. The truest immortal. She can take them out alone the way she wiped us all out before."
They felt the cold, spiky chills run down their spine. And they gulp. Then, they telepathically agreed to it: she will since she can.
"But they know that, too, right?" Matthew mutter as he comes up with a thought, "They know that she can, therefore, they will do anything to resist her. She's probably one of the most guarded people in there. They may already have put layers of spells on her, worst, sealed her."
"Let's rank them based on who we think is the strongest to weakest, and see if there's any possibilities to 'wake' them and lift whatever was placed upon them," Kendrew proposed and nodded at Wattroid.
Wattroid printed out the images of their 'frozen' families and began their discussion. They ranked each critically, taking all their capabilities into consideration. After hours of arguments, reasonings, and explanations, they have narrowed them to the top 10.
The first was occupied by the Wicked Empress, Azarese. A true immortal, a Dragunovv with eight extra hands, and can wield 'Black Magic'. The first, even, to wield such magic in history. The only problem is she hasn't awakened her Bloodline yet. But there's nothing a 'mother's rage' cannot do.
If your son was taken and will be used as a sacrifice, mortal or not, a mother will become superhuman to do whatever it takes to save her child.
A mother may kill a god for her child.
Maybe the Whitecloaks didn't learn a thing about Her Conquest. Because if they do, they will never touch any of the Princes. Not even a strand of their hair at all.
The following ranking is as follows:
1. Empress Azarese
2. His Equal Skadi Eira
3. Prince Zodiac
4. Prince Izaac
5. Lord Feryzen
6. Dragon Archmages
7. King LIFE
8. Prince Valor
9. Aloisia
10. Celia
"This is a reasonable ranking, right? Tell me it is," Leandrew, wincing.
Franchette nudged them aside and went between them to see the ranking up close.
"Grandmommy and Celia. We can wake them. At least."
"But there's the Other Side Celia, Milady. Which one are we going to do first?" Wattroid.
Franchette scrunched her nose at Wattroid, "The first one, of course. She's that wicked woman's ninth hand. She's beyond our Celia's level."
Wattroid smiled wryly and nodded, then apologized for being not intelligent enough.
Kendrew clapped his hands to get their attention, "Now, how are we going to 'wake' them? We are not powerful and strong enough. Any ideas?"
"We can try to pour Auntie Siofra's blood on them? And see if it will work?" Leandrew, smiling awkwardly.
"Might actually work. Aunt Siofra's blood is very special after all. What else?"
Franchette raised her hand, controlled by the entity inside her, "I have an idea, but it's 'crazy'."