The Signet Ring

Song of the Phoenix

" Phoenix now is the time", Cassandra calls the mythical bird in the midst of losing her last breath.

From a distance, a fiery bird comes out of the dark sky and utters its thunderous scream. Its cry reverberates in the entire dark land of the giants, grieving for the death of its master. It flies swiftly to where the dead body of his master is and then it rests on her head. There is a second of silence and after that, an unusual event happens- a crystal liquid falls from the phoenix's eyes.

It should not shed any form of liquid for it is a fire phoenix but now it's crying tears. Then, it sniffs and gently thrust the Queen's body. After a while, it utters a cry once more and flies around Cassandra's lifeless body, as if incubating it, then it kindles a fire on its beak until slowly, the Queen's body had been completely devoured by it.

Now it looks like the Queen and the phoenix had become one.

It's now time. The Phoenix could hear the Queen's voice in its mind. It flames more on its brightest and started humming a song.

The phoenix song can only be heard once in every thousand years, but now, here it is, the Queen's phoenix is singing it. The phoenix's eyes brims in joy and tears, the song it utters is not happy nor sad, yet one thing is for sure, the bird is calling the sting of death to bite them.

And slowly, Cassandra's body disappeared into the fire. As the phoenix burns itself so as Cassandra's body. The only thing that was left in the ground, are the traces of her warrior clothes, and the signet ring.

Asmodai watches the scene in pleasure from afar.                                                                                                    At the loose of its Queen, now Velaris had become easy prey.

" Who would have thought that killing you would mean getting rid of the phoenix as well?"   he said and burst out a creepy laugh. He stares at the signet ring and thinks for a second what to do about it.

" Should I get you?",  he talks to the ring.

" No, you're useless to me, you're untamable",   he decided not to.

Then he lifts his head, stretching his hands wide, whistling, as if calling something from the sky. A giant black, owl-like bird appears. The devil bird that sends out death.

" Send my good news to the tribes!",  he mockingly said to the bird.

" Tell the Kings that their Queen of all has died,"  he said rejoicingly.

Then the bird flies towards the ring and pecks it, and holds some of Cassandra's burned clothes on its claws.

Asmodai watches his pet fly away. He couldn't stop laughing in delight.

He knows that tomorrow at dawn, the entire land of Velaris will mourn.

The Kings of the four tribes and councils of each tribe gathered at the grand chamber in the Royal Capitol. The entire land is in panic hearing the death of their Queen and ringmaster.

" The devil's bird crashes on our porch last night with this"  Lumus laid the signet ring and Cassandra's clothes on the center of the table.

Zair as usual with his temper, could not handle the scene, stomp the table again.

" Light water tribe! what's the use of the gem in your care? Our Queen would have not died if the gem in your keeping has its power!",  glancing at Lumus, Zair blames the tribe.

"This is not the time for blaming!"   a voice from the council interrupted.

" As you see, the Queen herself told us its dead end, her death is the only solution and besides if the battle was not done in Niflheim she could have won or at least survive"    Firmis butts in.

" It's a battle to lose, now we don't even have a body to mourn",   Lumus whispered. What he said causes more loneliness to the people that are there in the chamber.

" We have to look forward! the Queen had seen this coming, he arranged everything before her death" Kapono, the mentor and head council finally speak out.

" The twins of the Queen are entrusted under my care, according to our law, they have the right to remain their social status and live under the welfare of the Royal Tribe for the rest of their lives"  he added.

" So, what are you heading up to? "    Zair asks Kapono

" Are you proposing that the twins will be the ring's successor? "    a voice in the council asks.

" No, of course not!, we all know what the Queen said in the ceremony, that the ring had chosen already, and it had chosen Neji to be the next successor, we should follow that. What I'm saying is it's time for a new order in Velaris."    Kapono answers.

The people in Velaris will trust his insights being the mentor of the land, and adviser of the Queen.

" What do you mean?"   Zair got puzzled about what he's saying.

" What I mean is, now the true ringmaster is gone, and we all know that the ring blesses its favor to the one it chooses as its master, but after Neji, what's next? who's next? we shouldn't be like this left groping hopelessly. Velaris should be prepared by always having the next ringmaster in line"   Kapono explains.

" And the bottom line is...?"     Zair raises his brows at Kapono

" Train our children to be worthy of the ring's favor",   Kapono finalizes his point.

A moment of silence.

" I think that's a great idea, "    Firmis voice breaks the seconds of silence, agreeing to Kapono's suggestion.

Days. Weeks. Months. Years have passed Velaris endured the times without its Queen. The people had just accepted the fact that their land had now entered into a new era - an age of change. But until now, it's been five years since Cassandra had left, still, Neji refuses to take the ring and the throne. The Tribes are fine with it. They can wait when Neji is ready.

The land and the Tribe kingdoms settling in it had adopted a change also, they no longer hold much unto their old traditions, yet they'd like to remain their memory of the Queen intact, that is why they decided to build a statue of Cassandra at the center square of the land where the borders of the four tribes meet.

For them, Cassandra is the Queen that unites them. Unity - that is what her reign stands for.

" Push again!"    the midwife in her long thick dress shouts at the woman groaning in pain. She's Jhira a woman from the light water tribe. Ever since she and his husband got married, they decided to live on the far north side of the light water tribe.

Their small, slump house and farm are enough for them to live in peace. His husband Revi agreed with her to settle here. He's from the warrior tribe but he knows that his wife will be more comfortable living within the tribe to which she belongs.

" Last one! push again!",  the old midwife shouts.

Jhira pushes with all her might, she's sweating big drops of fluid but she's concern more about her baby. She smiles in relief when she hears her baby's cry. It means it's already finished. She catches a glimpse of her husband on her side, looking at their baby with love in his eyes.

" It's a girl",   the midwife said, as she laid the baby on her top for her to see. After a while, the midwife laid the baby on the side so she could clean it.

" Oh, "   she pauses by what she sees.

" What is it?""   she heard her husband asks.

" Look",   the midwife asks her husband to come near.

" Your daughter's birthmark is of the phoenix,"   she said pointing to the reddish mark form of a bird on the backside of the baby's right shoulder.

Revi could see the midwife's eyes widened in surprise. Of course, it's all known in the entire Velaris that no phoenix had existed since the death of Queen Cassandra. How come? What is that for? Revi is puzzled.

" Cassidy!",   Revi turns to the voice of his wife calling their baby.

" huh?"    he looks at her.

" Cassidy, means clever, that will be her name,"   even her wife's eyes are smiling when she said that to her.

At the Royal Tribe

The ring is kept secure at the heart of the throne. It will be kept locked in a glass box there until Neji makes his decision. For now, within five years, Aurelius, Neji's older brother assumed the throne and will step out once Neji accepts the ring.

" I could not understand why my brother refuses you, He's given a chance to become the most powerful man in the Kingdom",   Aurelius whispered to the ring as he stares at it through the glass box. Another thing he could not understand is why this ring has to be kept safe in the heart of Cassandra's throne - the inner throne chamber in the Capitol when no one would even dare to get that thing. Everyone knows here in Velaris that the ring is no use when it lands in the hand of a wrong owner.

" I am wearing the crown for six years but I have been just a decor",   he said in remorse.

" Why did you choose my brother when he refused you? With that case, I am left in shame",   he whispers to the ring.

" Your Highness", the voice of the chamberlain calls his attention. The chamberlain handed him a rolled paper tied in gold.

" From where is this?"     Aurelius asks

" The Kings of the Tribe sent it",  the chamberlain answers.

Aurelius opens it. His eyes narrowed by what he reads on it.

A summons for him to step down from the throne! He's shocked.

" Has Neji made his decision already?",   Aurelius asks the chamberlain

" Still not yet, your Highness. It would be formally announced in the Council if he has."   the chamberlain answer.

The more that Aurelius got puzzled. Then why is he summoned?

Something is wrong! He thinks. He crumpled the letter and rushes out from the inner throne.

Facing the Kings of the Tribes and the Councils, Aurelius never get tenser like this in his entire life. What is happening? He asks in his mind. They can just drag me here at the courtroom for I am just wearing a crown. He thinks.

" Aurelius, son of the Royal we have something against you",    it is Zair. How could he just address me that way? Aurelius looks at him in disdain.

" You may not be wearing the ring, but still you are a King of the Royal Tribe, how could you violate a sacred order in our land?",      Zair continues to accuse him.

" What are you saying?",    Aurelius raises his voice.

" A king, ringmaster or not should only have one woman, and that's your Queen!, how could you have an affair with the court lady?",    a voice from afar suddenly interrupted in the conversation.

Aurelius moves his eyes to see where is the voice coming from. He knows that voice.

"Neji!",    his eyes widened in shock as he sees his brother at the end of the aisle, walking towards him. Aurelius glances at him sharply, His hands clenched. He now gets it. He's being tricked!

A talk with his brother flashback into his mind.

" I know what you're hiding", Neji's voice surprises him as he was there in the garden. Aurelius turns to face him and smile like there's nothing to be nervous of.

" Why are you here?", he asks his brother.

" I should be asking you that", Neji answered.

" You're waiting for the court lady here right?" Neji asked his brother moving his eyes into the whole place.

" This is your secret place right?" he asks.

Aurelius could not say a word in response. He doesn't have a choice but to confess.

" I hope I could trust you in this", Aurelius said to his brother.

" Yeah, of course, you're my brother", Neji assured him.

Now, looking at Neji's face. He could sense some trouble. It seems like he's not all that they see. Aurelius thought his brother understands him and will keep his secret. He thought his brother will give him an honorable exit as King. What are you up to? His eyes burn in perplexity and anger.