The guardian spirit intently stared at Cygnus for a long time. He was trying to remember how he looked and what happened that day. It was a long time ago that the only thing that remained in his mind was that name.
Cygnus also remained silent because he did not want to seem impatient. With this kind of information, he needed to be willing to wait. Ezio who was looking at them also did not make a sound because he felt that it was not right for him to suddenly talk and he was also curious as to how the guardian deity knew his master.
More than a thousand years ago, he has yet to become a deity and was a simple serpent monster that roamed the wilderness. During that time, humans have just accepted magic as part of life. That was the time where people were establishing their own names through the use of magic. It was also a time where kingdoms started to covet more power because of magic.
Rulers created their own magic council and scouted the brightest and most powerful mages to be part of it. The kingdom of Lumiere was not an exception, more than anyone, they were obsessed with power. King Zenos created his own magic council and named four mages to become the Four Pillars of Light.
These people were treated with respect, envy and fear because they were powerful and they brought numerous victories for Lumiere. And with their position, came prestige and wealth thus the formation of four different houses that supports the royal family. One of those four houses was the House of Alastair.
They were known as the strongest family of mages during that time. Even the three other houses needed to show respect to them because they were the king's favorite. It was something they took delight in and they were proud of it.
But from that prestige came hate and jealousy. It did not only come from the other houses but also from the other aristocratic families that saw how they were enjoying everything without hailing from a noble bloodline. Although the four houses were established by mages without noble upbringing, the hate was especially directed to the House of Alastair because of their numerous achievements and rewards.
Not only that, it was also because the king's attention was on them. It was something that the aristocratic families couldn't accept. Even after the head of the House of Alastair reached great heights, they still did not accept him nor his family because of them being low born. This was something that the head needed to get used to and when he did, they all learned how to ignore those people.
Few years passed and yet the House of Alastair did not show any regression and when the second head of the family was named, the first head retreated and did not show himself to the public once again. Not only that but even King Zenos slowly weakened and died of sickness.
His first son, the crown prince, became the king of Lumiere and this was the beginning of their tragedy. Ever since he was a child, King Xandro hated Kieve Alastair, the current head of the House of Alastair. All his life, he had been compared to the man and to his achievements that he did his best to become the version that his father would be proud of.
And as he grew, his hatred towards the man and his family grew. Every time that he saw a person from Kieve's family, he would feel uncomfortable and the thoughts running in his mind were all negative. He would mistake them as looking down on him because the king's favorite was Kieve. He felt like the House of Alastair was mocking him.
This anger built up until his father died and he became king. Kieve became the head of the house and for a couple of years they lived in peace but it was broken when the House of Alastair was seized. Years of planning to bring them down was put into action.
At first it was just small scuffles and Kieve would eventually fix it but just because of one false rumor that targeted them, everything went downhill. The House of Alastair slowly lost the trust of the people and even the king did not care about them any longer. They suffered in silence as the accusations started to get out of hand and none from the other three families were willing to help them.
Slowly the prestige and wealth they amassed were gone. The royal family seized the lands that were given to them by the former king and removed their authority. They became like decorations just to maintain the image of the Four Pillars of Light. It all became a pretense to the point that they were suddenly accused of treason.
And even without proper investigation, attacks in the palace and several assassination attempts were all blamed on them. Proof after proof was provided which further pushed them towards the cliff. Kieve was not given the chance to defend himself nor his family because of it. Then it happened, the slaughter and burning of those that the king deemed dangerous.
The number one family they targeted was the Alastairs. Disguised as something for a great cause, troops of mages were sent to subdue them. It was a bloody night, none of them were spared. Everyone was killed and people at that time were terrified as the echoes of tormented screams rang in the air.
ραпdα- n૦νe|`c,0m They were strong but they were outnumbered. Slowly, they were killed one-by-one until no one was left. Kieve watched all of this happen and even how they burned his family members alive. It was too difficult for him to watch and do nothing. He was powerless to help them even after his wife was burned in front of him.
Kieve Alastair lost his life during that time. Then they burned the prestigious and once majestic manor of the House of Alastair. After that, they all killed those who could use magic and were not willing to follow the king.
The serpent who watched all of this happen remembered a smiling boy from the House of Alaistair, who had helped him once. He couldn't forge his sparkling eyes and dazzling smile which made him return to the manor just to look at him. When all of those events took place, the serpent was away and when he came back, all he saw in the scene was the burnt manor and several dead bodies on the ground.
He thought that that child had died and yet here he was standing in front of him after a thousand years. "I did not expect to be able to see and talk to you again." Reitou gave Cygnus a warm smile.
"How did I even save you exactly?" Cygnus brushed off the guardian's statement and instead went straight to the point.
"It was a simple deed. I was wounded and you picked me up and bandaged my wound. You even came to regularly check on me until I recovered. I never forgot that favor and continued to visit your manor until that day," the serpent paused before he spoke again, "I thought that you died."
"I don't really remember the details of that night or during the time that I saved you but the information you provided is very useful," Cygnus had no feelings about the guardian deity's words.
"Then I am glad that I am able to help you even though you do not remember me." It did not matter to the serpent. What's important was that the young child back then had grown to be a fine young man.
At that moment, Isaiah was already awake and was silently listening to their talk. Ezio on the other hand was in a bit of a daze because of what he learned. His gaze went to the master but Cygnus was determined not to look back.
"I honestly thought that it would take me ages to gather information about that incident and with only your memories, I gained a lot of information that I can use when that right time comes," Cygnus grinned before he turned around. "I'll be leaving first. I still have something I must do."
After that, he disappeared. Only three people were left in the room once again and Ezio took this chance to ask the serpent more information about his master. He wanted to know more about him and to at least have an understanding of who he was.
"I'm afraid that even if I tell you, you won't be able to gain much because everything I know is based on his childhood and as to what happened after that and what led him to be the way he is right now, I cannot tell you because I also don't know." Reitou wanted to help the young man because he could tell that he cared for his master. "It is better for you to ask his butler instead of me or that dragon, he might know something."
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