The Signet Ring

Girl in the Scarlet Cloak

A gray castle with a moat stands in pride as the silent night makes it more looks fortified, muzzling what is inside. Thousands of people in peasant cloth lined up expectantly waiting for the ringmaster's arrival. It seems the entire manpower of the Four Kingdoms has been gathered together tonight. Blade smith, house servants, farmers, and traders fall in line. And the more they become timid when they see Neji's arrival. Neji enters the place with his usual splendor. He has the face of a nice guy with a demon inside that could become uncontrollable at any moment.

" Velarians, I feel grateful about how your Kings had entrusted you to my care. Please keep in mind that whatever decisions I make its always for the advancement of our land."   Neji started his speech.

" Bladesmiths from the Warrior Tribe, Farmers, and servants from the Light Water Tribe and traders from the Royal Tribe, for a long time our land has been living on its own without allies, for a long time we have been dependent on our resources and strength, refusing to accept the norms of the lands outside our gates, closing our walls to other territories, but now with your skills, with your strength as the people of our land, the entire Velaris is set to embrace change and that will start in you, the gates of our land are now open, welcome the life outside of it",   Neji said pointing his hand . His lengthy speech seems to have no appeal to the audience. They're still confused about where this all is heading to? The King told them this is growth but does freedom needed to be sacrificed to grow? This is not what Queen Cassandra has fought for. Under her reign, Velarian doesn't need any help nor keeping alliance outside its borders, that is for their safety. The Queen particularly hate the practice of inequality in other lands that's why she made Velaris strong and independent for the safety of her people, moreover, she doesn't like any kind of inhumane practice to be adapted within the borders of their land.

" Give our land back. We want to go home and farm, our life is here in Velaris",    a shabby man dares to voice out.

" Oh! Neji looks at him quite surprised. 

 " There is a promise of a good life outside",  Neji flashes a shallow smile.

" We have the freedom to decide about our own lives",   the man roughly replied.

Hearing that, immediately the knight beside him pulls out his sword and is about to strike the man's neck yet in a blink a girl in a long scarlet cloak, who appeared from nowhere instantly blocks the knight's sword from hitting the man. They exchange clashes and in an instant, she unarmed the knight, pushes him with great strength that the wall breaks down. Then in a great speed, she aims her sword at Neji. The people break out in commotion. The girl grabs Neji's collar and she lifts him fast and smooth to the tower's peak. When they landed, Neji, demonstrating his fingers, calls out the sword from the ring, and immediately a blazing sword appears in his hands. Neji pointed the sword to the girl's face that is covered with a mask. She made sure to hide her identity. 

How come someone is strong as her in Velaris? Neji wonders.                                                                                 " Surprising!",   the girl sounds sarcastic.

"It isn't surprising, I'm the ringmaster sure I can draw this out,"  Neji referring to the sword in his hand.          "Is that all you can do with ring?"  the girl mocks him. 

Neji attacks her as a reply Yet the girl moves like a swordmaster, fast, cunning, strong. Threatened Neji flexes his fingers and instantly a striking light hits the girl's face causing her to be caught off guard. He's not drawing more powers from the ring. That thing is because of his naturally born royal, the girl thinks referring to the light manipulation ability of Neji. Time to show you what I can do, the girl thinks as she composes herself. She got a slight burn on her neck yet she's not bothered by it.

  "This is how to use your natural ability, "  the girl raises her hand in clenched fingers, and in a snap, a long thin light that seems like arrows fly towards Neji. Neji spins his sword swiftly blocking the arrows, while at the back of his mind he's wondering about the girl's identity. She seems like she's in her teens, a slim tall figure, almond shape eyes and she's the only one in this land whom he has seen who has the power of regeneration! How come? Neji tries his might to block her attack but the flying light arrows seem so strong that he's swept by it. He sees how she throws an insulting smirk at him. Prompted by his anger, Neji calls on the fire from the ring. Yet it's like he's calling to nothing.

" Arrgh!,   show me your breath of fire!",   Neji struggles. His voice isn't begging to the ring, it sounds authoritative, it's not meekness but a call in violent strength. Still nothing. Anger. Validation. Rejection. All the weight of these emotions reflects on his face.

" Still until now, you cannot call the phoenix from it", the  girl in scarlet cloak commented.

" You're wearing the ring, but still what you can do is just draw out a sword from it? How lame!"   the girl smirks and leaves swiftly.

As the girl in the  scarlet cloak disappears from Neji's sight.

He is left in fear and wonder. What did that girl just say? My time has passed?                                                 He suddenly recalls his last conversation with Queen Cassandra.

" Amita am I chosen by the ring?"  there was doubt in his voice.

" It has! but remember it's waiting for a time",   she responds gently. Yet Neji is left groping for more answers.

" A scarlet cloak girl that is naturally gifted by the element of the Royal Tribe?, Who is she?",  Neji whispers clenching his fists. How can she just masterfully manipulate the cosmos element of the Royal Tribe? Aside from Ashane and the twins, no one in Velaris could have that gift! And to add up, was it fire in her eyes? Was it a manifestation of a phoenix within her?

" Aaargggh!",  Neji shouts his anger and confusion. She's a big threat! I must find and unmasked her. He concluded.

The next day in Netiara

" What do you say a tournament?"

" Yes and the winner will be invited as a guest of honor in King Neji's birthday"

Cassidy overheard some students commenting. What is that commotion? Cassidy asks as she walks into the arcade corridor. She sees a crowd of students inquiring at a rustic poster attached to the brick wall.

Greetings

Choose your bravest warrior!

On the anniversary of the Ringmaster King's birth, Netiara Academy is invited to participate in a tournament which is the overall winner will have the honor to duel with the Ringmaster King. If you win in the duel with the King, then you will have the chance to become an apprentice in the Royal House.

Cassidy's eyes widened and her heart beats faster as she stares at the scroll. This is the opportunity she's been waiting for. The tournament is her ticket to the Royal Castle!

" Seems you're interested?",  a voice from her back interrupted her thoughts. Its Raye.

" Oh, yeah, why not?",  she smiles.

" Are you joining?",   Cassidy asks.

" No, the Royal Castle does not fascinate me",   he burst with a slightly sarcastic laugh.

" Everything there sucks",    Raye commented.

" Yet, I'd like to see Ashane's face when he sees you joining the game"   Raye giggles and walk away.

Perhaps the selection for the tournament will start three days from now. It is weekend tomorrow I should visit home first. Cassidy thought. Besides, she misses the smell of the falls and grasses in her hometown. But there's one thing she misses there. Then Ryse and Raye suddenly pop out on her mind.

" Do you also feel this kind of feeling? Do you also miss the Queen?",  Cassidy whispers in the air .

Early next morning Cassidy mounted on a white horse in red steel armor. She pulled the reins and signal the horse to run. The end part of the Light Water Tribe is just near the Academy. She knows some shortcuts. As the wind swept his white hair Cassidy's mind travels back to the day when she's still Cassandra. The day when Velaris was once beautiful and harmonious. She used to fly around the land with the phoenix. She had witnessed the land's serenity and glory. She bowed to protect this land from invaders. She bowed to protect his people, and guide them with the finest virtues. Cassidy commands her horse to run slower. She's now near his hometown. How could you be desolate? You were once beautiful. Cassidy asks on her mind as she stares at peasants, sick and old, lying hungry and dying in the street. They're supposed to have homes. But Neji has taken their homes. They're supposed to have fathers but Neji had trade their husbands and fathers and brothers. And why are you not still waking up Velaris? You're being taken advantage of by someone you trusted much because of the ring. Kings of the Tribe have you forgotten the real manifestation of the ring's power? These questions rush into Cassidy's mind. She clenches his fists and holds her tears. Deep inside her she feels a  force waiting for a moment to explode. A right moment for the power she's eager to unleash.