Perhaps she was not the most useful source of inspiration, at the moment, even though Zeff did indeed sympathize with the incredibly difficult circumstances that she found herself in.
When Cassius Merlo came along, however, that tradition of leadership was nearly revived, as the man achieved a level of admiration from his kin and fame from abroad that even began to approach that of the Twins. Moreover, he was quite even-tempered and humble. Even though he was the chief architect of Sair’s push for recognition as a formalized nation, he did not openly take credit for it.
Which was perhaps the main reason why the tradition remained a thing of the past. Cassius refused the power being offered to him, believing that a council of elders would indeed be the superior structure of governance.
Zeff wondered how different history might have been, if that one man’s ego had been larger.
Axiolis’ memories of Cassius were really something. The reaper had known him well, had seen the man’s noble heart firsthand many times. To Zeff’s mind, that was a man who embodied the spirit of the Water Dragon as it should be--as everyone hoped for it to be, perhaps.
A ferocious warrior on the battlefield, able to carry himself well against the most powerful fighters of his day, yet still tempered by humility, compassion, and reason.
Compared to that, Zeff knew he was falling well short. Even without the near-absolute authority over his kin that most of the previous Water Dragons enjoyed, Cassius Merlo had led the Rainlords, nonetheless.
With spirit and strength of character, not the binding power of law.
Or at least, that was how it had been during the pinnacle of Cassius’ career. The outward projection that most others saw.
They didn’t get to see him struggling with his demons.
Even Axiolis rarely witnessed it, though it did become more apparent toward the end of his life.
The life which he himself took.
Apparently, he had secretly been begging his reaper, Jostomere, to release his soul for decades. Jostomere kept refusing and trying to help him, but to no avail. In the end, he only managed to strike a bargain with Cassius to continue living at least until another divine inheritor was found.
Which was Rafael Delaguna, Zeff’s immediate predecessor.
Unfortunately for everyone, Rafael did not live very long after Cassius’ death, and there ended up being an empty window of over a hundred years before Zeff stepped into the role.
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every day at noon PST by ~400 words.
Monday, July 7, 2025
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Page 3887
Clearing his mind was difficult. Perhaps even impossible, at the moment. So he’d stopped trying, as of late. With his meditations, he’d been attempting new strategies. New sources of peace and comfort.
Instead of a blank canvas in his mind, he allowed his thoughts to turn to his ancestors. It was a simple enough matter, thanks to all the times he’d been able to sift through Axiolis’ memories. By now, it almost felt like those memories were his own.
Visions of the past.
Particularly, it gave him insight into what the previous Water Dragons of Sair were like. He’d been curious about this since the very first time he’d been able to harness pan-forma with Ax, but it felt especially relevant now.
Nerida Sebolt. Mercutio Garza. Cristina Zabat. Viviana Stroud. Cassius Merlo. Lluc and Marcelo Redwater. Rafael Delaguna.
Rhein Ricardo.
First of the Water Dragons. Admittedly, Rhein was the one that Zeff was most interested in, but Axiolis’ memories of the man were not as detailed as he might’ve liked. Ax had not been particularly influential during that time. In fact, he’d apparently been a bit of a bum. Held in low esteem by most of his kin for not keeping his word very often.
Strange to compare with the Axiolis that Zeff had known for thirty years now. If nothing else, it was clear evidence that even reapers were capable of growing and changing over time, despite how impossible that often seemed.
And even though they all shared the same divine ability, the Water Dragons themselves were surprisingly varied in terms of personality. Zeff recalled hearing theories in the past about how a servant’s ability was linked, in some way, to their personality, but these memories seemed to counter that idea--at least partially, if not entirely.
Lluc and Marcelo, for example, were infamously bold and brash men, always making a scene wherever they went.
Viviana, meanwhile, was a meek and dainty young woman who rarely spoke a word--to the point that it turned into something of a crisis, even. She grew up during a period of peace and was able to enjoy her youth in comfort, becoming quite well-known as a magnificent painter.
But when war arrived and her kin looked to her for guidance, she did not handle the change well. She proved consistently indecisive and allowed strife between the Houses to reach a fever pitch, until the entire tradition of the Water Dragon being treated as the defacto leader of the Rainlords was undone.
Instead of a blank canvas in his mind, he allowed his thoughts to turn to his ancestors. It was a simple enough matter, thanks to all the times he’d been able to sift through Axiolis’ memories. By now, it almost felt like those memories were his own.
Visions of the past.
Particularly, it gave him insight into what the previous Water Dragons of Sair were like. He’d been curious about this since the very first time he’d been able to harness pan-forma with Ax, but it felt especially relevant now.
Nerida Sebolt. Mercutio Garza. Cristina Zabat. Viviana Stroud. Cassius Merlo. Lluc and Marcelo Redwater. Rafael Delaguna.
Rhein Ricardo.
First of the Water Dragons. Admittedly, Rhein was the one that Zeff was most interested in, but Axiolis’ memories of the man were not as detailed as he might’ve liked. Ax had not been particularly influential during that time. In fact, he’d apparently been a bit of a bum. Held in low esteem by most of his kin for not keeping his word very often.
Strange to compare with the Axiolis that Zeff had known for thirty years now. If nothing else, it was clear evidence that even reapers were capable of growing and changing over time, despite how impossible that often seemed.
And even though they all shared the same divine ability, the Water Dragons themselves were surprisingly varied in terms of personality. Zeff recalled hearing theories in the past about how a servant’s ability was linked, in some way, to their personality, but these memories seemed to counter that idea--at least partially, if not entirely.
Lluc and Marcelo, for example, were infamously bold and brash men, always making a scene wherever they went.
Viviana, meanwhile, was a meek and dainty young woman who rarely spoke a word--to the point that it turned into something of a crisis, even. She grew up during a period of peace and was able to enjoy her youth in comfort, becoming quite well-known as a magnificent painter.
But when war arrived and her kin looked to her for guidance, she did not handle the change well. She proved consistently indecisive and allowed strife between the Houses to reach a fever pitch, until the entire tradition of the Water Dragon being treated as the defacto leader of the Rainlords was undone.
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