Chapter Text
May 13th, 1800
...
It was too easy.
Before, wars lasted for months, they were fought in the open fields and we did not know how many casualties would be enough for them to end. Now, one person has enough power to end a conflict within seconds, taking as many lives as they can as a "mere demonstration of power".
We have conquered Burmecia, and our Majesty planned Cleyra's siege the following day
Our troops, with the aid of the Black Mages deployed in strategic areas, took over Cleyra in a day. The giant sandstorm, which made Cleyra's trunk a natural and impenetrable fortress for centuries, was nowhere to be seen. Some bad omen for their people, from what I heard, but to General Beatrix, it was the perfect opportunity for her to reach the cathedral in order to retrieve the Desert Star, a fragment of Alexander's jewel split in four by our ancestors, who deemed it too powerful to be taken control of, and so it was over. Or so I thought.
It was over. It had to be.
Our soldiers were tired, but the Queen only cared about the Black Mages. In fact, I've seen more mages than soldiers during the siege. They killed people so easily, not caring whether they carried weapons or not, if they were running away in fear, they had absolutely no mercy or pity for their souls. Nothing could stop them, unless the Queen ordered them to.
The Desert Star was ours, there was no excuse for thoughtless slaying. We were told to leave immediately, and the last thing I remember is jumping through a portal that led us aboard the Red Rose airship and we saw it happen. It happened before our eyes, it could not be true. The Queen unleashed Odin out of a Dark Matter she had in hands, and in a matter of seconds, the entire settlement of Cleyra was decimated by an eidolon.
We saw it all happen from above. Everyone was aware of what had just happened. For a second, that explosion was heard around the world.
That day, I heard all sorts of comments. People were concerned, and rightly so. They said things like "Dear God..." and "Was it really us who did it?" and "Is this the kind of power Brahne has in hands?", while others were somewhat astonished about it. Wonderful, splendid, amazing... Not everyone looked terrified, or perhaps they were and the only thing our Majesty wanted to hear were compliments. "Victory to Alexandria!", as phrased by one soldier.
"Why do we need more power than we already have?", I dared to ask. No one answered, they looked at me in doubt. I had more to say, of course, because it felt like no one wanted to do it in my place. I said stuff like "The Burmecians fought well, but the Cleyrans did not resist, they had no way to do it so!", to which a fellow soldier asked me if I pity them. I said no, but it was no justification for murder. I had the same feelings about Burmecia and somehow I've managed to bury them until that day.
A cathedral, of all places, was hit by Odin's spear first. "There were people inside the cathedral!", I said, aware that some of my comrades didn't recognize the Burmecian refugees and Cleyrans as people, or victims of any kind. They had their prejudices and others were in utter shock, like myself.
They thought I was going insane because I was focusing too much on the people inside the cathedral, the people inside those houses, the people who chose not to flee when they were given the chance, and was there any way to flee other than the portals we went through? I had no idea at the time. There are a few survivors, but very few compared to the people who used to live in the settlement.
I didn't know any of them, but I knew them very well to know they had families, they had clothing, they had culture, the same things I do and more. Now they are dead, and what use is there for a culture if it belongs to no one? I began to rant once more, my words fueled with the kind of anger I never felt before, and I was about to question Queen Brahne's orders when General Beatrix came in.
"The power of the eidolons shall belong to Alexandria and only Alexandria, as foretold centuries ago. No other nation will pose a threat against us", she said. Everyone stood quiet in her presence except me, the fool. I'd usually be afraid of saying anything deemed subversive to my superiors but it felt like a demon had just possessed me to tell the naked truth.
"The Cleyrans were not a threat to be eliminated!", I replied, to which Beatrix said something about the Cleyrans owning knowledge of the gemstone and that made them more than enough of a threat for Alexandria.
"Their only knowledge of the gemstone was used as a means of self-defense to forge a sandstorm that used to surround their home", I said back. "We had no business breaking into their home and wreaking havoc!", I also added, feeling my heart on my throat. I was going to be dismissed after that one, for sure, but despite her looks, Beatrix had a heart and a big consideration for the personnel under her command. She told me I was exhausted and that I needed to rest. It was a long day. A long, painful day.
The Queen had two fragments of Alexander's gemstone in her possession, and she was about to search the continent for the other two. It was yet to be over. She, like so many civilians, died before even getting to see all fragments reunited, how sad. As for Alexander, he was summoned one time to protect Alexandria from Bahamut's offense, which resulted in the destruction of my kingdom and some losses. It'll take a few more months for us to recover and heal the wounds.
Now, think about a wound that'll never heal. It's what remained of Cleyra, its legacy for the future generations yet to come.