15 To Escape from Lucius Elwater's Shadow

Just as Julius had thought that the situation could no longer deform any further, the sound of horse clips and clops invaded the scene.

"ALL BOW BEFORE THE VITECROSS GUARDS."

A squad of 7 horses charged down. A knight rode each. Glorious chainmail had been draped down the shoulders of each horseman and helmets concealed their heads. Although they wore chainmail, their clothes looked far too fine and printed to be of the olden age. The chainmail seemed to hold more than mere protective measurements.

The leader horseman scoffed.

"The peasants are acting like fools again. Sarta does not exist. And neither will your wages if you don't get off the ground and back to work."

The villagers remained kneeled on the ground muttering Sarta over and over again.

A horseman from the back-loaded a crossbow.

Twang.

An arrow jammed itself right next to a Villager's head. Soon all the Villagers scurried off in fear.

The knights chortled like pigs in their petty corruption.

"Bloody inbreds."

The group of Lucius, Alexander, Julius, and the twins used the chance to escape the knights.

Lucius sighed. The death of Dian was still fresh on everyone's mind.

"Alright. We're all together right?"

Alexander looked around in confusion.

"We're missing two. Julius and one of the Ails."

The first of the twins looked at peace.

Lucius furrowed his brows.

"Do you know where your twin is Ail?"

She shook her head in a melancholy mood.

"She'll be back soon."

Julius panted around a corner.

A small part of him that had been lurking had pushed every single muscle in his body to run left. Far from Lucius' shadow.

He had visions when the crossbow bolt twanged. Visions of disappointment, visions where he found himself under an inescapable veil of shadows from Lucius. The one who would outshine him no matter where or when.

The only way to escape the shadows was in that moment, and Julius didn't feel saddened or left out. He felt indescribably happy that he had ran away in the heat of the moment.

Some impalpable raging emotion had consumed him. He hadn't even a thought about what he would do next.

"Can you make a promise for me?"

"Eh?"

Julius looked up, his neck stiff and his eyes buoyant.

Like a ghost from his ghastly dreams, there stood one of the twins. He didn't know which but some creaking feeling in his mind warned him that it was the one who had told him of the prophecy only yesterday.

Her hands were enclosed in each other behind her back and she was tiptoeing to reach Julius' height.

Her voice sounded like that of someone who had already passed.

"Can you promise that you will always save those in your eyes rather than those in front of you?"

Julius took a step back, his anxiety swallowing him whole.

"Wh-what?"

The twin took a step closer. She reeked of lavender.

"Take my hands in yours."

She held both of her hands upwards, her back completely straight and her face looking devoid of any humanoid senses.

Before Julius knew what he was doing, his and her hands were intertwined under a sea of squirming fingers.

"Promise me that you will always save those in your eyes rather than those in front of you."

His eyes were locked into those of the girl's.

What he saw an unwinding universe and before he knew it his throat was opening up.

"I promise."

His voice was hoarse and dry.

Soon, strings of gold wrapped around their joined hands and a mystical golden aura engulfed the two.

Julius felt like his entire figure was floating and hollow before a deafening sound caved into his mind and mind-numbing pain flooded his system.

"GAHHH."

Julius' eye's opened in a blinding stupor.

He found himself alone in a dark alleyway. The sky above was still bright and blue and the air around him was pleasantly warm. Despite all of this, Julius felt the worst he had ever been.

"What the hell."

He mumbled in his confusion.

"Was it a dream?"

He swiftly assumed that he had been struck with the iron fist of sleep when he looked onto his right hand.

His blurry vision began to resolute and there he saw, a scripture of sorts in black characters drawn over his right hand.

He had never once gotten a tattoo in all his years so there was only 1 possibility.

Julius looked up to the skies in ruthlessness.

"She put this here."

The promise he had made had been engraved onto his right hand where it read, {I will save those in my eyes, to abandon those in front of me.}

His prestiged spear was still by his side but he knew that it would only be a danger to him if he kept carrying it on his journey. It was a sign or rather a beacon to be robbed and killed for.

Julius sniffed, finding a pungent odor fuming all around the alleyway he was in.

"I can't deal with this."

His mind flickered to Dian before he finally escape dark demonizing thoughts that had almost corrupted his inner self.

He walked out whilst holding back his breaths. When he left the alleyway and was engulfed by shrewd sunlight he felt like coughing.

And that he did.

Cough.

The first thing he did was find a memorable spot. He wandered through the half-deserted town like a fool before he found a tree with a hole in the side.

Julius muttered to himself as his body froze up.

"I'm either gonna be the biggest idiot or somewhat smart for doing this."

He dropped his esteemed spear in the only tree on the right side of the village.

"Farewell, Spear of the Fourth."

"You will possibly be missed."

Just as Julius dropped back into the Village and wandered around without a clue about his next task, he saw a group of primarily men standing. Each wore a green-dyed uniform.

"Army."

Julius felt the words slip from his mouth.

Before he could arrange his thoughts his impulsive drive had activated. He had walked up to the front where an officer stood and without hesitation, he met two cold eagle eyes.

"Sir. Might I partake in this... Glorious scheme?"

The leading officer looked down upon him.

He had no hair on his head, a fully balded man. He looked to be anywhere from his early 50s to mid-60s. His wrinkles were heavily concentrated under his eyes. His eyes which were like that of pure golden blocks.

He still had miraculously saved some muscles in his arms and every single twitch that occurred in Julius' body seemed to be noted and spotted by the leading officer.

"15 Squadrons are being sent straight to the front lines of Wentok to fight those damned Orks in the South. I'll be nothing but honest kid. I don't think you have what it takes."

Julius wanted to retort but the officer stopped him.

"But I can submit you into Ruloy. You just gotta make sure that you do not fall or stumble. I've been meaning to get into contact with those high-bowtied bastards."

Julius nodded in hesitation.

"Are you ready to take on the legacy of a dying house?"

Julius had no idea what the geezer before him was going on about.

"Well, of course, sir. Especially if you have commanded me so."

"I like your lack of hesitation. Hop on the carriage on the third lane from the great Oak pub. It'll send you straight to Ruloy. I feel deep down that only you will save the house of the Lighthouse."

"You don't have to say it twice sir."

The officer looked down upon him once more, inspecting him eerily close and even getting in a quick sniff.

"Take off those strange clothes. You can change in the changing units that were set up by my best men then head for the carriage. Tell Ruloy that officer Eaglemat sent you. Make sure to tell 'em that this old head hasn't forgotten a day he spent back in the Lamphouse territory."

"Of course sir."

"Now get out of my sight."

"Of course-."

"OUT."

Julius shuffled into a tight changing block consisting of wooden planks that had almost formed a cage and came out wearing a pair of cotton green clothes. He had no hat but just a shirt and trousers.

The green was that of verdant grass and it matched Julius alright.

Julius headed down until he found the third carriage from a pub that he had forgotten the name of before he entered the carriage calmly.

Only he was in the carriage and without a word between him and the carriage master, the carriage began knocking around down the village paths until it finally made way for Ruloy.

The military academy funded by the Kingdom of White.

Julius looked out to his right, meeting with a wooden door block.

"Well, that was rather fast."

He hadn't a moment to regret a single decision he had made.

And Julius couldn't care less.

He had lived his first life on Earth at the bottom and he wasn't going to let Lucius Elwater push him back down after he had so miraculously risen up.

Not whilst he still breathed and walked the Earth- whatever this place was called.

He wouldn't let the deaths of Dian, Grit, and all to come to be in vain.

No matter what.