Chapter 1: The end and the start
Chapter Text
The end and the start
Prologue 1 (part 1)
It was around noon and the Sun was shining brightly in the sky, it's light falling upon the large forest but not quite reaching the soil. Said forest was located in the nothern region of the Kindom of Fiore and was quite old, maybe even ancient from the aura of mystery that was surrounding it. Each of its many trees was at least an hundred meter high and together, with their dense foliage, they blocked most of the Sun rays, leaving just enough for the grass and small plants to grow at their feets. Many kind of beasts lived there, both common ones like wolfs and bears in the outskirt and primordial ones such as Uridimmu and Ugallu deep inside.
In ancient time it was it was said that a powerful beast lived there, one even its creators, the Gods, feared. None dared to venture in that place, afraid of it. But then, according to some tales, it got slayed down by two brave heroes. Rumors had it that it was 'the rift between the two worlds', where the livings crossed path with the deads and the gate to the Underworld stood tho nobody knew the truth.
Called the Cedar Forest, it was known as the resting place of Fiore's first king who went to a journey in search for immortality and never came back according to the myths.
The place was in ruins. It may had been a beautiful temple in the distant past, but time made it lost its former glory. Probably built in honor of the Gods, nowaday it was nothing more than a heap of rocks. Located somewhere in the Cedar Forest, it was hidden from the eyes of common people by a powerful boundary that even now was standing strong and was preventing thieves and tresure hunters to profane this sacred place.
Under that pile of rubble, some meters underground, there was a workshop used for many important rituals in ancient times. Most of the pillars that supported the cracked ceiling and walls were ruined. Pieces of statues of a beatiful lady wielding a lance, probably a Goddess, were laying around.
Everything felt normal exept for one thing. A glowing circle was placed in the middle of the hall, one that was clearly magical in its nature from the many ancient inscription inside it.
On that day, at that hour, in the middle of the circle a sudden light started to emerge from it. The light opened a square hole with stairs that connected the workshop with a place beneath it, an otherwordly black space devoid of anything and that couldn't possibly have existed. At first there was silence. And then the sound of footsteps started to come from the other side.
"So this is the effect of the herb of immortality? Who was the fool that called it in this way? Rather than gifting eternal life, it has only a rejuvenate effect. What a scam!" was the first thing that he said once he stepped outside of the magical cercle, which vanished along the hole immediately after.
After he looked around, the man, no the child realesed a deep breath. A naked blond boy with crimson eyes and marks of the same color glowing on the side of his abdomen and under his cheeks.
"If only that damn 'snake' didn't show up and attacked me. Why was that thing even in the Underworld to begin with? Not only it took many of my tresures to hunt it down, but I was even forced to drink this sorry excuse of an elixir to survive from its last attack." he added exasperated, while holding his head with one hand.
He then stretched his limbs a little and touched himself around.
'Oh well it seems like both my magical and physical powers dropped significaly. In this state I'll probably not even be able to open half of the portals that my older self could, not to mention I clearly can't use 'it' in my current body. Figures.'
It sure had been a long time since he saw the light of the sun. The trees, the animals, everything seemed so new and interesting. After coming out from the temple, he stretched his small body in order to better feel his surrounding. The sound of birds, the smell of wood and the sensation of the wind on his skin were all so refreshing. To think that he, who had once obtained everything in the world, now was attracted by the mere air around him. If only his dear friend could see him right now they would surely laughed loudly.
After what felt like an eternity, he then opened a golden floating portal beside him and took some garments from his treasury.
Once dressed, he walked outside from the bondary. The instant he step outside of it, the magical barrier cracked into pieces of magical particles and suddenly a huge amount of magical power was realised.
Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, had finally returned from his long journey.
On the other side of the world, in a mountain region in the middle of nowhere, two beings were having a meeting.
One was a powerful black sorcerer with black hair, dark eyes and was wearing a black dress with a white toga on top of it.
The other was a drangon slayer covered by a black clock and had blue long hair, dark blue eyes and markings of the same color all over his tan body.
They were having a rather 'heated' discussion when suddenly they felt it. It was just for an instant, but a powerful surge of magic errupted from nowhere.
"... What was that?" asked the sorcerer.
"Hmph, so you also felt it eh? A powerful energy has just beeig realised, tho it was just for a second so I couldn't pinpoint its origin." replied the dragon slayer.
"Well it doesn't matter. As things stand right now nothing can stop me. Just a few more years and 'it' will become complete, and then when 'he' will return, I'll finally achieve my dream and no one shall stand against me!"
A threatening aura and a cold expression accompanied those words. And with that the sorcerer disolved in magical particles and disappeared.
"...Haha...hahaha...hahahahahaha. Things are starting to get crazier and crazier! So you dare challenge me eh, Black Wizard? Very well, I shall accept. But you better be ready for when I'll obtain the ultimate power, which surpasses even that of the Evil Dragon King Fafnir, the World will feel my wrath!" shouted the dragon slayer, his face contorted into a crazy smile.
Chapter Text
The boy smiled. To think that the place he once knew like the back of his hand would change so much. The ecosystem was unlike that of his time when Gods and demons were still a dominant part of this world, and phantasmal beasts such as dragons were not a rare sight. Now, at the exception of the many demonic beasts that festered the forest, there weren't many mythical creatures left anymore. Once a familiar place in which he had many adventures, it now felt a foreign and unexplored land waiting to be discovered.
It was certainly not a surprise since centuries had passed from the last time he had walked those soils, and so changes were to be expected. After all nothing escapes the flow of time, not even himself. If things were to remain the same, as once those arrogant Gods wished for, there would be no evolution, no progress and no future. Things would simply become monotone, boring, lifeless. That was something that he, Gilgamesh, truly detested. To him an everlasting present was something both meaningless and foolish, for it would only lead to stagnation and lose of value in everything. Only through hardship mankind could fulfill its potential, and that is why he welcomed the unexpected and the unknown for those were the things at the base of their growth.
He was enjoying the walk. But while it was indeed pleasant strolling around, it was starting to get boring after a while. He wished for something to happen that would liven up the day and shacke off the feeling of boredom that was killing him. Anything that could spark a bit of curiosity would have been ok.
And then his wish got fulfilled. Encounter an unconscious little girl laying on the ground was not something he foresaw would happen after all. Was it by any chance a fateful meeting, or maybe it was just a mere coincidental event?
"Well well look at what we have here, a cute little lady alone here in the middle of nowhere. I do wonder what are you doing here." said Gil while casually inspecting her.
Short blue hair, wearing only a white dress and had seemingly no personal belongings. Her age was probably not over five years old. Truly a strange situation, especially since there was a magical barrier surrounding her that probably was used to fend off the beasts in the nearby area.
He slowly approached her, and with a hand touched and destroyed said protection.
'Wind magic eh? But not of the common type. It feels ancient, like that of a dragon...' contemplated the boy while thinking about the energy he just felt.
"You know, usually it is not my in my interest intruding in other people lives, but you have piqued my interest. So tell me, little sheep that lost its way, who are you?" asked then the young king with a smile, while slightly kneeling down.
There was no response.
"Mmmhhh are you ok? Hey cute lady, still alive there?", but still no response.
After a few seconds of silence, he got closer to check on her and noticed that her face was slightly red. This and her gasping breath made things clear.
'A fever uh. If left uncured, it may eventually lead to her death. What to do I wonder... Well, normally I would leave fate do its work and ignore such things since it would be of no concern to me. But since I still have question for you, I can't let you die on me, now can I?' and so he slightly lifted his arm and from a golden floating portal it dropped on his hand a small ampoule, with a greenish medicine inside it.
He then lifted the girl on his shoulder. But just when he was ready to leave, sudden noises came from behind the nearby bushes.
"Argh, can't you lot not annoy me? It has been already a long day...Hmph, who I'm even kidding. What a preposterous idea to even think that a bunch of beasts would understand me. Oh well, then come at me!" and a dozen of golden portals were ready to welcome the Ugallu as they all run toward him.
- Some hours later -
It was dark. Everything around her was pitch black. She was there alone, in a world devoid of anything except her.
She felt heavy, so heavy that it was difficult to even to stand. She was weak, so weak that each muscle of her body refused to move even an inch. Her sense of touch was numb, her hearing could not intercept a single sound, and her nose smelled no odor.
Then a white figure started to take form in front of her. Yes, a big majestic creature that she recognized was now standing before her eyes.
She tried to call for her, but no voice come out from her throat. She tried to run toward her, but her feet refused to move. No matter how much she screamed or cried, the white figure could not notice her.
And then it started to fade away. As it disappeared from sight, an overwhelming sense of fear took over inside her.
"Aaaaahhhhh!"
Suddenly the girl woke up with teary eyes. She quicly turned left and right with a panicked expression. No sign of her 'mother'. So it was not just a dream, she really had been left behind alone.
"G-Grandine, w-where are you..."
It was a day like any other. Mother and child were walking around the forest like always. And then it happened, the the girl suddenly felt asleep and at her wake the Sky Dragon was nowhere to be seen.
She desperately tried to look for her and searched any possible place where the dragon may had gone, but in vain.
Her body felt drained of all energy. The accumulated fatigue from running around all day without pause must have caused her to collapsed. But why was she now near a rive? It was strange. But she didn't care about it, she didn't want to think about anything else at the moment.
Her heart hurt, so much that it seemed like it could explode at any mament. It felt like an arrow pierced her tiny chest. The pain was unbearable and the tears wouldn't stop dropping.
"Ehm, can you stop crying please? My royal ears can't bear the sound of a crying infant."
At that, the girl stopped and turned around. A young boy was there, sitting on a bunch of pillows. Who was he?
"Ah, now it's better. Such a cute face now that I look better. You'll definitely grow into a fine woman in the future. Indeed, I, the king, can guarantee for you." said the boy with a confident tone.
"E-ehm, w-who are you?" asked the girl hesitantly.
"You know, usually it is rude to ask for another person's name without first presenting yourself."
"Ah, e-ehm...I-I'm sorry!" apologized the girl while bowing her head many times.
"Hahaha, relax. I was simply making fun of you, don't need to be so worked up. As for who I am, I'm simply a person who is currently enjoying his life. You may call me Gil. So now that I have presented myself, can I have the pleasure to hear your name, little lady?" replied the blonde boy while making a small bow after standing up.
"W-Wendy...Wendy Marvel!"
After telling to each other their respective names, the two started to talk about themselves. Wendy came to hear amazing tales of Gil's past adventures and Gil came to know about Wendy's life as a dragon slayer with Grandine.
As the two continued their conversation, Wendy started to feel slightly better. It was strange, the sadness and feeling of loneliness that haunted her a few minutes ago were now starting to disappear little by little. And a new feeling developed inside her, something she had never felt before in her life and didn't quite understand yet. The boy, Gil, was a total stranger. Yet, for some mysterious reasons, she felt like she had known him for all her life. His being, his voice, his laughs gave her strength and relived of the worries that burdened her. She felt safe and happy with him near. At first he may had seemed to be a bit scary, but slowly she came to know him better as time passed. A good hearted boy that helped her in her time need without asking nothing in return, that was the kind of person Gil was. A reassuring presence that could be described like that of a family member, but unlike that of he mother. Instead it was more akin to that of a brother of sort.
"You are a funny person, Gil." said Wendy with a small smile on her face.
Hearing those words sparked a nostalgic feeling in him. Memories started to flood in him as he remembered a starry night of many centuries ago, when he was still king. It was the first time that someone had ever called him, Gilgamesh, funny. And that someone had been none other his dear friend.
"…So Wendy-chan, what are your plans for the future?"
"Plans?"
"Surely you don't plan on remainig here for the rest of your life, right?"
"I-I don't know. I have no friends nor a house to stay. I have always followed Grandine but now..."
"Then want to come with me?" proposed Gil.
"W-Where?"
"I don't know. For now I'll wander across this new Age full of wonders. But who knows, maybe eventually I'll settle down somewhere. So, what do you think?"
"...I...C-can I really go with you? " at which Gil nodded happily. " T-then I'm counting on y-you from now on, Gil-oniichan!"
Displaying an adorable big grin, she went to give the boy an energetic hug.
"Hahaha. Things certainly took an unexpected course, but perhaps this will be fun." murmured the King of Heroes while returning the hug and admiring the dawn in the distant horizon.
And so it was the start of his, no their new journey together. Many adventures awaited them along the road and many hardships would inevitably appear in their path, but as long as they stood side by side they would be able to face anything.
- Some years later -
Somewhere, in the northern region of Fiore, it was located the headquarter of a certain guild named Cait Shelter.
Inside of it, an old man, Cait Shelter's guild master Roubaul, was currently talking via lacrima with one of the guild's member. Said person was the most powerful one of the guild, a mage of grade HERO.
"So a bunch of lowly mongrels from a dark guild are creating havoc, and you and the some other guild masters decided to form an alliance and send a group of mages to punish them? And you are asking me to take part in it? Fool! As if I would stood so low as to clear your mess! Now go, I am busy right now and have no time to deal with your foolish requests." stated an annoyed voice from the other side of the communication.
"But please listen, you are the only other I can send otherwise Wendy will went there alone and despite how stronger of a mage she became in those years, I fear she may catch herself in some trouble. Please I implore you, not as a guild master, but as an old man caring for someone who is like a nephew to him, help me!" implored Roubaul.
"...Tsk. Hmph, It can't be helped then. Since I have no further business on my side, I should depart not too long from now. Tell Wendy that I'll join her later on. I hope at least that this so called 'Oración Seis' is tough enough to not bore me to death." and with that the call got suddenly interrupted.
"So how it went?" asked a girl to the guild master once he went outside the building.
She was Wendy Marvel. She now had long blue hair, and was wearing a simple hand-made green sleeveless dress. Wing like attachments were around her arms and legs.
At this, the old man released a deep breath and replied. "Yes. He'll take part in the operation, tho for a second I feared the worst. Seriously, sometimes your brother is quite difficult to deal with. But at least when it comes to you he will never refuse."
"W-well he certainly changed in those years, but he is still the good person that he has always been ever since I met him." said apologetically Wendy.
"Hahahaha, I don't doubt. After all he has always helped the guild when needded despite his stubbornness. Now Wendy, is everything ready for your departure?"
"Yes master! I took everything I need for the mission. So I'll go then, see you later and say goodbye for me to the other members of the guild!"
"Still, sending you alone makes me worry..."
"Alone? I think not. I'll go with her, master." said suddenly a voice from behind the girl.
A little white cat was there, walking on two limbs and wearing a small pinkish dress with a red jib around her neck. Her name was Charle and she was an Exceed, a rare type of familiar that usually followed dragon slayer around. In her case, she had been with Wendy ever since she came out from the egg that Gilgamesh found during one of their many trips together.
"Charle! You are also coming with me?"
"But of course. Otherwise I would worry to no end if you were to go off alone."
"Then I leave Wendy in your capable paws, Charle."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to keep her out of trouble, at least until his brother arrives."
And so the two left the guild and started to walk toward their destination. Soon mages from other three guilds would join them in the fight against the dark guild Oración Seis, one of the three pillars of the Balam Alliance.
Notes:
So part two of the first prologue is here. Next chapter will kick start prologue 2, after which the story will officially start. Hope that you'll stick around till then. Have anything to share? Just leave a comment. Kudos are really appreaciated by the way. Bye.