The Signet Ring

Losing Heart

The people mumbles amidst the noisy market. They all are talking about one thing. The message in the poster that scatters in the entire land. Just so you thought he's a worthy ringmaster But he's just faking it. That was the message written in the poster with Neji's face on it. The poster is creating tension in the land for its not just disrespecting the ringmaster but people view it as a rebellion uprising. It is creating mixed emotions. The promise of redemption requires courage, and that is something they're not yet ready to embrace. The castles of each tribe are in chaos especially Neji, this rumor is stressing him out big time. I must catch you whoever you are that's challenging my strength. He thinks as he crumples the poster handed to him by his chambermaid. His face is dark and angry. 

 Meanwhile, amidst the busy crowded street Cassidy observes the people chattering in their vintage clothes that tell the status they belong. Peasants. Merchant. Nobles. She's pissed off with it.

 I'll do whatever it takes for you Velaris. I'll give back to you the glory which was taken from you. She thinks. Her eyes brim in anger and tears. She stares at the poster and smirks. I know you Neji. I could play a trick on you whenever I want it. She whispers on her mind. The rumor spreading is her doing. I will make the Tribe Kings lose confidence in you before I face you in the tournament. And for now, I'll add this up to your anxieties. Cassidy thinks. And she walks away from that place.

 Next thing is, she's riding on her white horse going to the place where Cassandra's statue is. The place where the borders of all the Tribes meet. The manor still stands in pride. Yet this place seems abandoned. For no one tries to settle in this part of Velaris. The last time it was used as she remembers was when she's seven. Now, this place is forlorn like how Neji forlorn the memories of Cassandra. 

 " You've made a statue for me, but you've erased me in your hearts Velaris",  Cassidy whispers as she looks up at the statue of Cassandra. So this was me? This was how I look before? A picture of a legendary woman? Cassidy looks at her hands and clothes as if comparing herself to the statue.

 " I will erase all your weakness, Cassandra. That weakness caused your death. That weakness caused your bad decisions, and because of that Velaris is now suffering"    she whispers her voice c***k, her eyes prompting tears. 

 " I am now Cassidy a better, stronger version of you", she said. Neji I will show you what you can't do with the ring you're wearing. She said on her mind as she sits on her knees half bend touching the ground with her fingers. Now. She said on her mind. And the light comes out from her fingers. The lights creep on the ground spreading in the whole place, traveling far as it could, touching plants, crops, and trees growing on the entire land.

 " I am speaking to you, earth. Hear my familiar call. The voice of the one who's born to possess your nature. Feel this familiar force. I used to call you before when the signet ring was on my finger. It's me the first ringmaster Queen" Cassidy speaks in a voice as if summoning. She can't actually do this without the ring on her hands but she just tries. Maybe the second element she naturally possesses can help. Yes, she's born with the cosmic and earth elements. Gladly, she still has those when she was reborn. She's really determined on this. She knows that using her other element- the earth will give Neji a hint or might bothers him more. It's time to let you out, she thinks. She's been hiding for years that she has this since all know that no one in Velaris could be born with the earth elements except Cassandra. The very exceptional element, one that can't be inherited even by her direct descendants. An element that compliments the power of the signet ring.

 " There it is!", Cassidy utters in joy for she feels that the earth hears and obeys her command. It's finished. She stands and fixes her hood. 

At the Royal Castle

 Neji frantically screams on his chamber throne. He's agitated about problems piling up in the land. First are the posters and now the farms! 

 " How could all the crops died in an instant!", he screams at the courtiers.

 " You search the entire land for a solution!", he said 

 " Don't you know that the solution to this is in you?", Zair  butts in while entering the chamber throne with the other Tribe Kings. 

 " How could it be that even our farms are dying! We elves are known to have the best land!" he said to Neji.

 " It means this is something unusual! A power is behind this!" Lumus butts in.

 " Something like this happens before during the reign of Cassandra. And she summons an antidote from the ring", Fermis said. 

 " You are wearing the ring. You are the ringmaster. Command the ring to provide a cure!", Zair said boldly. He could not hide the doubts in his eyes. His tone sounds more like challenging Neji's capability. Neji is left startled. What would I do now? He still has not reached that stage where he can command the ring to do something more complex. He's supposed to be practicing now, exploring the ring's power in preparation for his battle with Cassidy, but he has to deal with this chaos!

 "Okay I'll deal with it after the final tournament", Neji replied. The Tribe Kings would like to disagree but only Zair got the voice. 

 " The final is next month, so you mean we've got to endure this for a month? This isn't good for our economy!" Zair exclaims. Neji chooses not to reply. 

 " You can all leave now", he said. How can I give you my trust when I'm not fully convinced about if you really had tamed the ring? Zair thinks. He looks at Neji and rolled his eyes and leaves. 

At the Dorm in Netiara Academy

 " Hey!" Raye calls at the same age as him in gray feathery boots, brown coat, and blonde hair. He's so absorbed in his archery practice that he didn't even turn at Raye. 

 " What?", he replied without looking. 

 " Aren't you visiting your home?", Raye asks. 

 " Home?", the boy frown amd smiles irritatingly.

 " The Royal Castle was our home until Neji betrayed my father" he replied. 

 " Right? Cousin?", he puts down the arrow and looks at Raye. 

 Raye shrugs his shoulders. Herve is the son of Neji's brother - Aurelius. Who could forget the exiled King who was elected at the time when Neji was still wavering whether he'll accept the ring or not? Who could forget the verdict that this land had sentenced to Aurelius and his family? 

 " Let's watch Neji first being defeated by Cassidy, sure it will be good news to father", Herve replied.

 Raye smiles naughtily thinking about Neji and Ashane. Has it crossed in your mind that I would ally with your old-time enemy? And now, the son of the brother whom you had betrayed is here in Netiara. Like me, he's aiming for the ring. Raye thinks.

Herve and him has one common plan. Let their competitors kill each other first. 

 The land in Velaris refuses to bring forth life. The plants are not bearing fruits. In most cases, they're dying. They could only rely now on the water for food. In just a few days the economy had a decline and this situation quickly spread unto the neighboring kingdoms. They all have one common impression - the strong sufficient Velaris is now falling. They know that now in the absence of Cassandra no one can cure the land, for it is only Cassandra who got the earth element. And Neji has not yet shown any power from the ring he's wearing aside from drawing out the sword in it. 

 Neji picks up the wine glass on the corner table of his chamber. Sipping on it he's deeply drawn in thoughts about what he's supposed to do? The people are starting to doubt him now. Aside from that, they're having second thoughts about his morals as their leader, he's caught now in this situation where he's challenged to show if he really have gain the ring's favor. What if Cassidy defeats me? There's this scarlet cloak girl also? Neji presses the wine glass so hard at the thoughts of them. He curse and throws the glass on the wall. The servant rushes quickly to sweep the broken pieces of glass on the floor. I must deal with you all one by one first. Cassidy first and when I defeat that girl, I will continue on my plans. He thinks. But wait a minute? How could that happen to the farms? Only the one who posses the earth element can do that? And as far as he knows there's only one in Velaris who has that? And there could be no other than Cassandra? The reason why during her reign Velaris was self-sufficient because she has the ability to protect and nourish the earth. And that element cannot be used in full without the ring. How could that happen? Neji rubs his hands on his face and exhales. Something I don't know is going on I must know what it is. He thinks.