II: The BlindingSome say that the change was shocking. The once noble and kind-hearted knight now seemed obsessed with power- with conquering and possessing. Being bonded to the Holy One had led Aster to great goals and achievements, purely because of who and what she was. None could disobey them- none ever dared. Holy did not approve, but it was not her fight to settle. She had come to see Aster as a dearly beloved friend, but she would not interfere in the matters of man.
It was when Aster self-proclaimed himself as King, eager to conquer and unite all of the lands using Holy’s power, that everything spiralled down. The Holy One refused his command- disagreeing with his view and objecting against a forceful union. It enraged Aster, demanding that she show him the respect and command he deserved. When she once again refused, it was then that he grew weary and fearful of the Reosean’s true strength. If even his bonded was powerful enough to ignore his command and face no repercussions, then how valid was his claim as King? Many whispered thoughts like these and as these reached the court they clouded his judgement, corrupted his mind, and Aster- once a proud, gentle-hearted man became a king driven by greed and fear. Holy had felt his terror and tried to reassure him. She spoke soft words to soothe him, hoping that their bond was enough for him to realise that she would never betray him. There was no reason for her to turn on him if he kept to the accords of the alliance that they had made. Their bond was their commitment, and it would hurt both if either of them were to break it. This, however, did not do much to calm Aster’s fear. If anything, it amplified it. With the future uncertain and her faith in Aster wavering, the Holy One made arrangements to contact the Elder- an unknown party to Aster- to provide a safe haven for those in the event things escalated and to find the origin of the rumours and the whispers. Her communication was intercepted before it ever left the lands of Warrenfall and Aster grew ever more distrustful of her. She begged him to see sense, to know that this was not who he was. But his clouded judgment and fear got the best of the good man Holy once knew and with a final act of terror, he brought his sword down upon her. Fearing retaliation from other Reoseans and the other kingdoms, King Aster called upon a gathering of Reoseans only to lock them up and slay those who dared escape. Every magic-wielding Reosean was enslaved and forcefully bonded to soldiers to follow the King’s orders. Those who had already been bonded were faced with the impossibility of breaking it. The lands all over Reos became less luster, less lively, with the lack of it. For the Reoseans that lived magic was essential- but the longer magic had been ripped from them the weaker they became. Eventually, their bodies adapted and grew physical mutations- a subconscious evolution in their genes- to replace their defences. As they mutated, they grew restless. They lost their minds with the sudden and shocking loss of their precious Holy One, and were permanently weakened. -- Summary of Chapter 2 in the History of Reos scholarly book, written by Vinicius Floren |
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Abridgment: x