Chapter 6: Succession

I awoke that morning to the sound of what seemed to be a jet. Soon the door was being bombarded by fists. I clasped onto the desk just within reach, mustering all my strength to get onto my feet. Leaning on the walls I made my way to the door. I used the weight of my hands to force it open. It was the chief, hands in a limbo of being clasped and not, a bag he had in his grasp about to fall, frantically wiping his brows.

"Their here." He said leaning on the door frame.

"Their here? Who's here?" I yawned following my words.

"What? Who? The noble bas... ahem people" He was constantly fixing his collar.

"Ooooh. Them... Them... Them...." I sprinted towards the bathroom .

I slung my hair back in a bun and brushed my teeth whilst showering, washing my face soon after.

"When you're done put these on." The sound of a bag hitting the floor soon there after.

I opened the door and the chief was missing only the bag being left behind. Inside a red dragon vest, white shirt, black dress pants and shoes. I donned the vest unbuttoned, the shoes, I shove my foot in unlaced and started the trek to what I could only assume to be the town hall. The streets had no one and nothing. It was like the place was just built and no one had moved in, until I came upon the scene. Her body was gone and people scattered around the area in an ominous black uniform, faces covered. It seemed they wasted no time checking the inventory and confiscating her body.

I entered the room my vest now buttoned and shoes laced.

"He's taking, sooo loooong... uhhhh?" He said as he spun in the chiefs chair staring through his window. The chief at his side.

"Chief?" I said slowly inching closer to the desk.

"Is that him..." He quickly spun in the chair. " Oh it is you..." One of his brows falling and one ascending.

"It... is?" I came to a stop at the desk staring into his green eyes.

"Great! Then we can get going." He sprung up out of the chair and brushed back his blonde locks that faded into brown as they got closer to his ears.

"Get... going? Why?" I glanced over at Mr. Sentari but his gaze was fixed at the floor.

"Well you're a noble now, plus there's procedures that need to be followed when someone gets adopted by a noble." He passed me by not awaiting a response.

"Adopted... already?" My heart dropped, I realized the responsibility I now had.

"Well in the request she said that you were homeless and young and that she decided to take you under her wing, not just as a pupil but as a son." His footsteps grew further and further away.

"Wait. Where am I going ?"

"To the closest capital, a representative of the crowns will formally make you a noble and the current head of the Francis house." His voice grew further.

"Chief. Aren't you coming? " I said but he looked into my eyes his teeth gnashing.

"I'll take care of things here and ensure that none of your property gets stolen." He walked past me and towards the scene.

"My, my what a man he is. Not breaking down after his bestfriend died, not to mention the fact that he was her closest attendant. I expected more of a spectacle from him really." He said plowing away at a paper bag of high cherries leaning on the far pillar.

"Hmm. I didn't know that. Well anyway are we ready?" I walked towards him.

"We are, all the evidence we need from the scene is gathered and the testimony of the chief is recorded. We can go." He started to walk away.

"Is there anything strange?" I caught up to him and walked at his side.

"No, it seems like the usual assassination and theft. The blame falls on her though, to walk around amongst commoners." He scowled a little.

"Theft? but a lot of the inventory was still there was it not?"

"Oh oh. That's the weird bit. Why didn't the assailant take everything. Why only those? Who knows, maybe it was bad planning on their part, maybe they didn't have enough time. Who to tell." He gobbled up a handful of cherries.

"You seem well informed. Not to be rude but who are you?" He jumped in surprise.

"Oh. I'm Riley Achilles or First Marquis Achilles son of Duke Achilles the 12'th of house Achilles ruler of this region." His cherry-stained hand reaching towards me, I shook it.

"So, what does that make me?" I wiped my hand on my pants, ridding myself of the residue he left on it.

"You're Count Chaménos Psychí Francis, now that the old count is... deceased. You are now the ruler of this state and subsequent domain" He didn't neglect to fill his mouth with cherries.

"Oh."

We soon came upon white planes or jets I couldn't tell. They had small gem like formations in their wings, there were no engines in sight, there tail fins replaced by a gem of the same nature.

"Come come." He said as he entered one of their holds.

I was halfway up the stairs when a voice beckoned to me.

"Boy! Wait! Take these!" It was Mr. Sentari running towards me stopping at the foot of the stairs.

"What are they?" I asked as he lay them in my hands, jewelry boxes.

"The artifacts. Those artifacts." He said holding himself up on the railing of the stairs.

"Oh. Should I put them on, or no?" I pried open the boxes revealing the two rings. One with a sea blue and the other with a fiery red.

"Yes... put them on." He said desperately inhaling.

"What do they do?" I asked donning the rings on my index and middle fingers of my right hand.

"They give direct access to the supreme spirits of water and fire. They're two of Cecelia's greatest treasures, take care of them, you'll need them." He said staggering away.

"Ok. wait... need them for what?" I looked up and he was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you ready?" Riley said peering through the doors, eyes focused on me hands, focused on cherries.

"I am." I said as I walked up the stairs.

I stepped inside and it was just a plane and an expensive one at that. It looked like something my aunt would have owned. We sat in seats opposite of each other at the windows, a table between us.

"How are you feeling? Nervous?" He said folding the bag of cherries.

"No. Why would I be?" I said readjusting the rings on my fingers.

"Usually when I pick someone up their terrified. They always think my fathers a bad person and I don't know why. Well anyways get comfortable its gonna be a while, like six hours a while." He reclined his seat and rested his hand over his eyes.

"Ok." I said peering through the window.

Soon both airplanes took off and we were on our ways. I viewed the town from a new perspective, it was small but well developed. Streets filled with various shops, the ants of people scurrying about. Fields and fields of a precious commodity lying on its outskirts, a deep purple. It soon disappeared beneath the clouds as we ascended, not to be seen again.