You look down at Mimi asleep on the bed and she can't help but remind you of Rosie a little bit. Noeh did say that she was created in your daughter's image before he disappeared, after all.
As you watch her peacefully sleeping, you think about what would happen if you failed in your endeavors against The None.
I lost Rosie because I wasn't strong enough to save her… This time I need to do whatever it takes to make sure that Mimi doesn't share that same fate.
In an attempt not to wake her, you gently slip out from under the covers. Once you're out of the bed, you walk over to the other side of it and pull the sheets over her so she can stay warm. Then you quietly open the door and walk out into the hallway, heading towards the throne room at the end of the hall.
Once you emerge from the hallway, you see Tom standing at the foot of the stairs to the throne while he talks with two young men. The King is sitting up in his throne, speaking to Sir Gerard, who's standing next to him and there are guards on all sides of the room posted against the walls. You look up to the indoor side balcony of the room and can see Princess Elise looking down at you as you approach the King. Sir Gerard notices you and speaks up to catch everyone's attention.
" Attention, everyone! The Star Faller is here! "
All of the guards stand at attention and Tom turns to you before giving you a smile and walking over to you. He stands next to you in front of the King's throne and puts his hand on your shoulder.
" You feeling alright? "
Tom asks in a concerned tone. You nod your head and Sir Gerard continues to speak.
" King Errol would like to say a few words before we begin the briefing! "
The room goes silent and the King sits up in his throne with a serious face before addressing the room.
" For thousands of years, our kingdom has prospered under the lineage of my royal ancestors. Since the very birth of this kingdom when this land was no more than a small village, before the Gods came to be and before there were borders, my eldest ancestor had a vision for a place where good men and women could live in harmony with one another. This vision and the work that he devoted to it is what ultimately led to it becoming a reality, and him ultimately to become our first King. His name was Mori, King Mori, and his people decided to name this great kingdom that was built upon his vision after him. Mori, taken after his name; and Arch, meaning to fully embody his qualities. Put them together and you have what you now know as Moriarch, a place that stands for the principles and morals that he held above all else.
These principles were ones of compassion for your fellow man, order amongst the chaos of this world, integrity, honor, and greatness. Things such as crime and wickedness were strictly eliminated from our populace, leaving our great kingdom with only the people who shared his common principles. Those who defied the great vision of King Mori were banished. Those who transgressed against their fellow men were dealt with swiftly and mercilessly. This led Moriarch into a Golden Age as the one great utopia of this world... that is, until King Mori eventually passed away in time.
King Mori had two sons. Thorn, the younger and more loyal of King Mori's sons; and Vol the older and more rebellious son. Thorn believed in his father's philosophy of good people staying good in order to ensure the kingdom's general welfare, but Vol believed that the desire to be wicked was a part of human nature and it shouldn't be suppressed. Vol believed that the people of Moriarch were robbing themselves of their heart's desires, and he saw their obedient and subservient lives as wasted potential. Naturally, since Vol was older, he planned on turning Moriarch into a kingdom that upheld his own beliefs instead of his father's after he inherited the throne… but unbeknownst to Vol, his father never intended on giving the throne to him after his passing.
In his final breath, King Mori gave the title of King to Thorn instead. This infuriated Vol, and it caused him to act out against his younger brother. In defiance of everything that his father stood for, Vol began living a debaucherous life. He used his royal status to host sinful events of his deepest darkest desires within the castle, and despite receiving many warnings from his younger brother who was now King, Vol never heeded them. Eventually after many sun and moon cycles of Vol encouraging immoral behavior from the people whom he'd invite to the castle, Thorn banished his brother from Moriarch along with all of those in which he had coerced into indulging in their wicked desires. However, out of Thorn's kindness and love for his brother, he gave Vol and the sinners a small area of empty land to still live on and survive. This led Vol into founding his own territory; Voldoor, what would then be considered a figurative doorway for those who wished to leave their moral obligations behind and pursue their own desires.
As the years passed, Voldoor grew exponentially. There were many people in Moriarch and the territories that belonged to it that secretly wished to fulfill their own twisted desires, so they left Moriarch behind out of their own selfishness. In a matter of decades, Voldoor became so populated that they wished to expand their borders. Thorn refused to allow the expansion of a territory that so proudly defied the principles that he and his father stood for; so when Voldoor couldn't expand outwards, they expanded upwards into the heavens, creating incredible technology and building remarkable structures into the sky. Thorn saw this technology as a great threat to his kingdom, and when the Gods were born, he devoted his kingdom to the Gods that aligned with his principles. With the help and guidance of the Light Ones, he created magic to protect his kingdom. Under Izael, his people became more orderly, honorable and mighty. Under Noeh, they became more knowledgeable and wise. Under Faerah, they became more loving and merciful.
Sure enough, in Vol's defiance of his brother's actions, Vol devoted his territory to the Gods that stood against the principles of his father. Under Nahzgor, the people of Voldoor became ambitious, dominant, and violent. Under Sowzo, they became more chaotic and mad. Under Reylesh, they became more sinful and manipulative. With the introduction of religion, the population of both territories drifted further and further apart from one another until they both became complete opposites. Voldoor evolved into an incredible city with their ever-advancing technology, but Moriarch stayed the same throughout the course of time. Magic was banned in Voldoor because it was a practice only used by those who were loyal to Moriarch. Technology became banned in Moriarch because it was seen as a gateway to sin and degeneracy. Ultimately as Voldoor grew in power through their technology, Vol's ambition and desire for revenge consumed him, causing him to attack the neighboring territories that belonged to Moriarch. Voldoor pushed outwards to expand their borders forcefully and Moriarch pushed back to halt their advances. Thus began The War of the Ages.
This war lasted for thousands of years. Moriarch and Voldoor took many losses on both sides, and it was only fifteen years ago that the war finally ended in a stalemate. It was I who convened with the Czar of Voldoor and explained to him how our ancestors, Vol and Thorn, have been gone for several generations. We both agreed that it wasn't worth losing any more of our people's lives and resources over their ancient brotherly feud. Moriarch allowed Voldoor to keep the territories that they conquered on the condition that they expand no further. Voldoor now owns roughly one third of Aria's land, and things have been peaceful ever since… that is, until a man fell from the stars into one of our villages and our Gods began to die.
If I hadn't known about your good deeds in subduing the monster that came here uninvited to murder Noeh here in my kingdom, I would've believed that you Otherlanders were the cause of these problems that have been arising here on Aria. For both of your brave efforts in defending my kingdom, I would like to make you both honorary Champions of Moriarch. Do you, Otherlanders, accept this title that I wish to bestow upon you? "
Tom turns his head and looks at you with a smile while speaking to you telepathically.
" Whaddaya say, Donny? You're the one that defeated the Valghul back there. "
You give Tom a smile back, then look up at the King and give him your answer.
" We would be honored to be your Champions, King Errol of Moriarch. "
The King stands up out of his throne and begins descending the steps as he speaks to you in a grandiose fashion.
" Then I, King Errol, dub thee Sir Abbadon and Sir Tom Atus of the Otherlands! As Champions, you have proven that you personify the principles that our great King Mori once founded this kingdom upon. You have Might the likes of Izael, Knowledge the likes of Noeh, and Compassion the likes of Faerah. Our Gods would be very proud of you and your accomplishments, but I am sure since you've met them, you already know that! "
The King then holds his hand out for a handshake, and as you both shake his hand, the entire room uproars with applause. While everyone is cheering, you look up at the balcony to see that Princess Elise is gone, then you look back at the King to ask him a question.
" How did you know that Noeh died here in your kingdom when we were in the cafe? Time was frozen and Noeh was gone before everything resumed its normal state. "
The King then smirks before pulling out a book from under his royal cloak. The book looks withered, like it's a husk of what it once was but you're still able to make out the text on the cover and the spine of it.
" Sir Arthur of Ishville… "
You say to yourself as you read it aloud. The King looks at you reassuringly as he answers your question.
" This appeared in the seat of my throne immediately after you left my castle to go investigate the lightning strike. I believe that it was Noeh who left me a gift before he died. I know what transpired in the cafe because inside of Arthur's book here, it described everything all the way up to you liberating him and sending him to Havnahm. "
This was all a part of Noeh's plan. He wanted the King to know the truth before Athanohm crumbled upon his death. That book may very well be one of the last things left from his realm…
Noeh continues to amaze me even after he's gone.