[Nightengale]

Interesting characters and interactions this time round from all sides of the party, but since I am tired as hell from writing this (( and there's like...3 or 4 more parts to go )), I'll comment later.

Anyway, here it is.

Velka: The Birth of 2 Kingdoms

Chapter 1: ~ Roland and Fierabras

Spoiler:

Roncevaux Pass, 778.

(( Btw, Fierabras is female in my version. :P ))

It was never known what truly happened.

Roland, the paladin of Charlemagne, and the Saracen knight, Fierabras fought at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Both warriors, strong at heart, and powerful at steel, fought on, blades clashing. Both fighters, possessing high magical aptitude, channeled their powers and their magic, despite not being fully capable of manipulating them to their best potentials, towards each strike, in honour of their nation and their kings.

However, the generated power was too great, and around them was formed a spherical field of distorted time-spatial energy, that sent them to a different dimension, also in a different time, as they traveled years back beyond the actual era of the world they were transported to, not proportional to the time-link of both worlds.

When they both came to, they were no longer in Roncevaux Pass, no longer in a battlefield, no longer on Earth. They were at Ancient Mid-childa, at an era where their civilization level was closely similar to theirs.

Back then, Ancient Mid-childa was still in an era of disparity. They were multiple tribes and societies, each possessing different cultures, religions, languages, even applications of magical elements were supposing deemed different in each nature, despite all of them actually being Mid-childan in magical properties.

The 2 enemies became temporary allies, and traveled the lands, in hope of searching methods and ways to return to their original planes of existence, and in the process, they learned the basic understanding of how the conceptual interaction languages work. For an entire year, they became somewhat like friends. Nomadic in nature, both of them were almost considered like mediums of different tribes, as they constantly traveled around, in search of ways to return home, and also to spread knowledge. They were highly respected.

It was also during their travels together that both of them learned the ways of Mid-childan magic, then still at an era where magical medium technology were low, and it was important for magic practitioners to rely on themselves, rather than going the easy way round with magical devices.

Despite learning the basics of Mid-childan magic, the thoughts of shooting beams from their arms were somewhat foreign to them, being natural warriors who employed swords and steels. Though unsuccessful in the beginning, this was the actual roots to the development of Velka-type magic, which thoroughly employed the magical elements in a different perspective of close-combat.

They parted ways as both of them reached the signs of a port. Roland chose to stay and help the tribes he’s befriended, while Fierabras chose to go over the oceans, having heard that lands abroad were a small desert island. The separation was painful for both of them, as both of them, despite a rocky start in their relationship, have come to depend on one another…to love one another. Roland promised her…he would go to her one day, and she promised she’d be waiting.

Now both alone, no longer in each other’s company. Roland decided that he would try to unite the tribes, unifying them under one banner, with one culture, one language, and one belief. And then, the people would choose their own leader. And once he’s done that…he too shall leave those lands.

He succeeded in the unification. However, he did not fathom the thought that the people wanted him to be their King. He was torn, because despite no longer a resident of his actual homeworld, his true loyalty was eternally to King Charlemagne, and to become a King of his own, would a dishonour to his role as a retainer to his King.

Roland was reluctant, but eventually gave in. He crowned himself King Surtr of Muspelheim, not using his real name, Roland as a symbol of shame and identity that his true self will always be, and united the tribes under the banner of the a country and a nation that reflected his Germanic origins under the rule of his King Charlemagne.

The country was called the Holy Velkan Kingdom.

The country prospered greatly under Roland’s rule. His country grew large, eventually covering a large portion of the continent, and his people lived in peace and harmony, under the protection of Roland and his army, and also his implementation of Velka-type magic, which he had crafted and mastered over the years. His earliest implementations of Velka-type magic was the use of crystallized blood as arrow heads or liquid blood by employing minor insertion layers in weapons, as a direct magical channel to boost the physical power for a short time, which was a direct opposite to how magic was generally implemented in other parts of the world, which would later be coined Mid-childa type magic, while his and Fierabras’s line…Ancient Velka. This system would over the years following, be adapted and main stayed into the more effective and efficient cartridge system, employed by later Ancient Velka and Modern Velka.

Roland had 11 children, all who were named after the 12 Peers, him excluded. However, none were particular unique, no one standing out among all his children, as each one of them had their own strong points, and weak points, almost equal to one another. And by sheer irony, all of them desire the throne, none willing to back down once Roland eventually dies.

Even at the final years of his life, Roland made no intentions of ever naming an heir to his kingdom. He himself is torn by the fact that not only did he break his promise to Fierabras, he himself played King for so many years. His advisors, told him to just choose anyone, to prevent an outbreak of civil war among his children. He would have none of it. In fact, he decided that he would reveal himself as who he is to all of his subjects.

He gathered his people, and told his story. He told them how he came, he told them how the country began, he told them he had no desire to name a heir to his throne, that people themselves must choose their path and leaders and not depend on fragile bloodline, and that from the very beginning, he, was Roland, the paladin before he is ever King Surtr of the Kingdom of Velka.

Roland: My friends…before I am Surtr, before I am the king of the nation, I am a Paladin to my King, and no one else!

Roland: My sword here, Durandal is not the symbol of this throne. It is the embodiment of my pride and honour, my faith as a knight, just as my blood is flames of my sword, and my body, the steel of my blade.

Roland: My friends, this nation belong not to me, but to all of you. From the smallest of animals to the richest of men, it is you who are this nation. To my sons…I know, I know that all of you desire to become the ruler of this Kingdom, but all I ask is that, you see for yourselves…what do these people desire? What is it that creates true prosperity?

In the finalities of his speech, he held out his sword, and yelled…

Roland: Absolute Velka!!!!

And with that, he died, holding the sword to the sky, still standing, even breathless. All of his children, touched gave up their desires for the throne, and by their father’s wishes, abolished the Kingdom, and rather, reformed the nation into a country of the people that is ruled by the people. Their presence stayed, but no longer as the future kings of a kingdom, but as the 11 Meisters. However, the name of the Kingdom remained even without a king, to remember that there was once a king who was above all other.

By the wish of Roland, his sword, Durandal, was melted, with his blood, and reforged as Leviathan, given only to warriors who exhibit true honour and pride as who they are. The name, Leviathan’s name and legend would slowly evolve and change through time into Laevatein, a sword that would later be inherited by Signum.

The prosperity of the nation would continue on for several hundred years…until the man who possessed the Tome of the Night Sky, stood before the capital gate of the Holy Velka Kingdom.

The Tome that once belonged to a man, the only man who came from the other side of the continent…

The destroyed Velkan Empire…

TO BE CONTINUED.

Okay, so I mixed Matter of France/Song of Roland into the mix, but since I TRY, to somehow make the Germanic nature of Velka with some sense, one can't help but romantic-fy stories, even if they're technically historical retelling in some sense.

Anyway, this is the first part. 2nd part will involve Fierabras's side of her Empire, and how the civil-war after her death destroyed her nation, along with my idea of the Book of Darkness lol.

Oh, and if there's any mythos/historical purist out there reading this, don't flame me, since I only have scrap knowledge on Arabian Muslim-ish and Germanic mythos and history and is merely making do by through vague-ness of mythological stuff, since I'm more of a Malay-mythos guy. ;(