Manifest War: The Weapons Within

After a few nights of rest, Castle de Belouis was ablaze with excitement and positive energy. People from all over Volaire had gathered for a special banquet at the Queen’s request, eager to honor the brave souls that went above and beyond to protect this nation.

As the castle filled with guests, Jonn Ravenfell entered the grand foyer accompanied by his wife and a member of Enclave. Queen Ravenfell spotted Caleb in the distance and she quickly approached, giving him a tender hug from behind.

“Ah, mother?! When did you all get here?” He asked with great surprise, having not expected to see them at the banquet.

“Just now. Queen Azhane mentioned you would be honored tonight, so of course we wouldn’t miss that.” She replied with a warm smile before kissing him on the cheek. Jonn Ravenfell walked up and placed his hand firmly on Caleb’s shoulder.

“My son, I am so proud of you! Like a brave warrior you stuck this terrible situation out and saw it through to the very end. I wasn’t worried for a second!” Jonn chuckled with a proud smile.

“Not worried? When he heard you had disappeared from Olun, he cried like a baby. Never seen him so worried in my life.” The Melspire Queen chimed in with a soft laugh, making fun of her lying husband.

“What!? That’s not true! Back me up here Lionel, I didn’t cry... Right?” Jonn asked, looking at his Enclave subordinate.

“Sir.. You definitely cried..” Lionel replied with a stoic expression, finding this conversation to not be worth his time. Caleb laughed as he briefly enjoyed his time with them, catching up on various things regarding his encounters with the Boundless and the war. After a few moments, Caleb excused himself to finish preparing for the ceremony.

Everyone made their way into the massive throne room, collecting on the sides of the long walkway. Once the last guest was accounted for, a loud horn blared and an announcement was made.

“All hail Her Majesty, Queen Azhane Riallia Belouis, Ruler of Volaire!”

The room erupted in applause as Azhane walked in, followed closely by the members of Six and the remaining council members. She wore a stunning white dress with golden trims and it had a long train trailing behind her. The dress was elegant and accented her features perfectly as she walked up the steps towards the throne. Her long silver earrings jingled and glistened in the light as she sat down.

Councilman Omar quieted down the room before giving the floor to Azhane, allowing her to say a few words.

“I want to thank everyone for coming here on such short notice, it truly means a lot to not only me, but the brave men and women that fought for this country. My ancestors built this nation to be a haven for those looking to start anew and live comfortably, free from oppressive ideals and unfair politics. That philosophy was vigorously stepped on and almost taken from us a few short weeks ago. If not for the many individuals that took up arms, risking their lives, we very likely would not be standing here together right now. So, please join me in honoring and celebrating those that went above and beyond during these trying times.” The room applauded loudly, cheering at the Queen’s brief, yet touching words.

The ceremony began as multiple individuals from various infantry groups came up to the walkway, kneeling before the throne. Soldiers, medics, generals, scout team members, and more were all recognized one after the other. This process took a solid hour or so before she finally got to the very last group. Councilman Omar called up Carmen, Caleb, Rivell, and Sarah.

They all gathered on the walkway, standing next to each other in a perfect line before kneeling down to the Queen. Azhane stood from her throne and walked down the steps, joining Omar at the bottom.

“Ah, Your Majesty. You don’t have to-” He said before getting cut off, wondering why she decided to come down to their level. She motioned for him to stop talking and took one of the medals out of the box Omar was holding. Azhane approached Carmen and smiled, feeling happy to see her baby sister.

“Carmen Belouis. Your assistance in slowing the enemy's advance and disrupting their backline was crucial to our success. Like a true member of the royal Belouis family, you fought to protect our home and let nothing tarnish this great nation. For your bravery and unwavering strength in the face of danger, I present to you the Crest of Tenacity.”

Carmen stood, allowing Azhane to pin a yellow and red ribbon to her shirt. At the end of the ribbon was a silver eagle holding a sword in its talons. Azhane gave her a quick hug before moving on to the next person, Caleb.

“Caleb Ravenfell. For a nation that wasn’t your own, you willingly fought alongside our forces and assisted in a number of our operations. You also kept a member of our royal family safe during battle and for that, I deeply thank you. For your bravery and selflessness, I present to you the Crest of the Willing.” Caleb nodded as he stood, accepting a blue and gold medal from the Queen. The medal was in the shape of two hands holding an apple, as though presenting it to all who looked upon it.

Azhane grabbed the next medal and stepped towards Rivell, giving him a warm smile.

“Rivell. You tirelessly aided hundreds of injured soldiers, healing them of their wounds completely. Even when you were clearly out of Core Energy and nearing exhaustion, you still tended to their injuries and assisted in any way you could. Your actions saved a great deal of lives and I know many here wouldn’t be alive without you. For your selfless efforts, I present to you the Crest of Heart.”

Rivell stood and looked in awe as Azhane pinned a green ribbon with a silver heart to his shirt. He bowed as the Queen made her way to Sarah.

“Sarah Lichen. For your efforts when fighting off the enemies at their backline, helping halt their advance and giving our troops a fighting chance. Your resolve to never leave a fight unfinished is unmatched and we thank you for the assistance. I also present to you the Crest of Tenacity.” Azhane carefully placed the medal onto Sarah’s shirt, but before she walked away, Azhane leaned in close to her ear.

“We have arranged to change your citizenship and bring your family here to Volaire. They no longer need to deal with the struggles of the Arista Empire and their vapid oppression. The Lichen family will be well taken care of thanks to you.” Azhane whispered with a smile, happy to finally share that bit of news. Sarah’s eyes went wide with shock and excitement, having not expected to hear that at all.

“Thank you.. So much..” She muttered softly, trying to fight back tears. Azhane gave a kind smile as she started to step away.

Azhane went back to her throne as Councilman Omar announced the end of the ceremony, saying a few closing statements before inviting the guests to the banquet hall for the remaining festivities. Everyone applauded and cleared out, leaving the throne room in quick succession. Carmen, Caleb, Rivell, and Sarah talked about their medals as they exited the room, glowing about what just occurred during the ceremony.

Once the room emptied, a few individuals remained as the guards closed the doors shut. Azhane, all members of Six, and Priscilla stood there in silence. Azhane stepped away from her throne and joined everyone at the foot of the steps, gazing deeply at Priscilla with kind eyes.

"Priscilla. First off, I don’t know what to say other than thank you. Without you, we quite literally would not be here right now. Your efforts turned the war back in our favor and helped push back the enemy. I would’ve offered you a medal during the ceremony, but I felt it would be unwise to reveal your abilities to the world right now. But know this, what you did will never be forgotten by me or any of those on the battlefield, that much I promise." Azhane's voice was filled with great appreciation as she smiled.

Priscilla didn’t know how to respond to the high praise thrown her way. She shyly looked towards the ground with a slight blush as she nodded her head. However, little did Priscilla know, Azhane was about to take things a step further.

“So, I have a question for you and I want you to answer it honestly.” She said with an inviting smile. Priscilla perked up as she looked Azhane in the eyes, ready for the question.

“How would you like to serve alongside these guys as an honorary member of Six? I would love to have you by my side moving forward. But, I understand if you want to do other things.” Azhane asked with a playful tone, not wanting to put too much pressure on the young girl. Priscilla’s eyes lit up at what she just heard and she struggled to find the right words to say.

“Me!? A-A member of Six!? But w-why? I’m not s-strong enough to join you guys.” She questioned with a nervous stutter, not knowing what to do. The room went quiet before all members of Six burst out laughing.

“W-What’s so funny?” She asked with a soft innocence in her voice, confused by their sudden laughter.

“Kid, you ARE strong! You literally summoned an entire nation’s worth of soldiers without breaking a sweat. Hell, besides her Majesty, you’re the strongest person in this room right now.” Felicity of Six said with a chuckle, finding this girl’s ignorance hilarious.

“R-Really?” Priscilla began to look a bit happier as she blushed slightly.

“Yes, really. Plus, you said you wanted to make amends for your actions with the Boundless. This is a perfect opportunity to make up for all of that and have the resources to do so.” Ka-leel of Four added, showing his approval of the decision.

“Also, since it’s only an honorary position and not fully official, we wouldn’t be sending you out on wild and death defying missions. You’re too young and inexperienced for that. This would just give you the perks of the Six and a place to forever call home.” Zalthia chimed in, explaining more details about the proposition.

Priscilla glanced around at the group of smiling faces, feeling their warmth and genuineness with each pass. For the first time in her life, she was actually wanted and felt unanimously accepted by everyone. A single tear streamed down her face as she brightly smiled, accepting the proposal.

“Okay, I’ll do it!” She said with great excitement, no longer sounding like her usual low self-esteemed self. She then looked at Azhane with slight confusion, wondering something.

“But, um, would it still be called The Six? Wouldn’t I make it seven?” She asked as she counted the people present in the room.

“Yes, it would still be The Six. We’ll be giving you the Zero title, so the naming convention of the group won't change.” Azhane replied matter of factly. Priscilla nodded as she understood the explanation. Zalthia approached Priscilla, ready to give her instructions on what to do next.

“Alright, Priscilla. Go before Her Majesty and repeat after me.” Priscilla got down on one knee and bowed her head to Azhane, waiting for the words to say. Zalthia recited and Priscilla repeated them word for word.

“I, Priscilla, will serve and follow your will til’ the end of my days. I swear that I will honor, protect, and uphold this nation’s ideals and citizens! I will heed your call should I be needed and will follow your guidance with all my strength.”

Azhane stepped in front of her and aimed her palm at Priscilla. A small burst of Core Energy was expelled outwards as a black crest formed onto her forehead. It glowed brightly before fading away completely.

“Since I don’t have my abilities currently, I only placed the seal of the Six upon you. Once I’m back to 100%, I’ll give you a portion of my power so you can teleport from place to place. I have no doubts that you will serve me well, Priscilla of Zero.” Azhane said with a smile, happily accepting this new asset to their team and nation. The group applauded as Priscilla stood up, graciously appreciating the congratulations.

“For the first few months, I want you to travel with Asiah of Three. She’ll get you up to speed and help you with proper combat training since you both specialize in summonings. If you have any questions, she’ll be more than happy to answer anything.” Azhane added with an authority filled voice, giving Asiah a new assignment. Asiah bowed her head to the Queen, graciously accepting the job before looking over at Priscilla.

“Stick with me kid and we’ll get you going in the right direction. Don’t worry about a thing!” Asiah said with a warm smile. Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared behind her as a large white liger materialized, roaring loudly upon its entrance. It was Vera and she was fed up with waiting inside of Asiah, eager to meet their new comrade.

She trotted over to Priscilla and started licking her face, purring loudly. Vera’s face alone was the size of half of Priscilla’s entire body and each lick forced the little girl backwards slightly.

“Vera!! Hey, stop assaulting her!” Asiah yelled, annoyed that her Manifest was acting on its own again.

Priscilla laughed as she pet her new furry friend, fully enjoying the company and the warm moment. The group shared a laugh together and after a brief moment, they headed into the banquet hall to enjoy the rest of the festivities.