King Athos's Story (Part 1)

The twenty-third chapter of the Crusaders of the Constellations Novel, It's about King Athos revealing how the university and he came to be.

## Story

Two weeks have passed ever since the dawn of the New Year. Classes and courses went on, and as usual, the end-of-week combat tests in the Main Building's rooftop Arena are finished, with the next one coming up soon. After training lessons in the Room of Peril, King Athos called the students to go to the Main Hall.

There, the Hall Leaders carried the flags, and the students seated and arranged themselves according to their group. Orcus stood at the stage bearing the Pluto flag. Cerynitis sat at the back of the Hall, watching Mayari and her group mates. Samson and Husdent were seated near the stage's doors. King Athos, wearing his golden crown and burgundy robes, shuffled to the podium, and asked the students if they want to learn about Aether World's history. "Sir, we learned about histories of other dimensions in classrooms, so why are we learning about your world in here?" Shani questioned. "It's highly important. Now let me begin. It has to do with defeating the Devourer of Worlds... a task that you, and we will embark on soon," Athos replied.

He grabbed the microphone and spoke, "Before you were born and chosen from the various dimensions to study here, Aether World was already with a thriving civilisation, for said dimensions were so young back then." "So we're not the first students? Looks like there were those who went through the university life like we are now," Ranald whispered. "Aether World Cosmic University used to be a small school in a city with my castle on floating on top of it, and the bases of the Star Crusaders connected to it, also floating," King Athos continued.

"In fact, it was a distant ancestor of mine who led his people to Aether World and its floating islands. The world we used to live in was destroyed due to an ecological crisis. Said ancestor and his people went in spaceships beautifully crafted, then set out to the floating islands above the Sun, the moon, and the planets of the Solar System. The islands were void of life, and my people decided to cultivate whatever plants and wildlife they brought to them. Thus, after that, they built the first towns and cities, giving birth to Aether World Civilisation. It was peaceful, but my ancestor knew that complacency is dangerous, so he handpicked some of his best servants who graduated from the school that would become AWCU to be the first dimension warriors known as the Star Crusaders," Athos stated. "Why are they called Star Crusaders?" Delmare asked. "Because, they were as numerous as the stars in the galaxy, and also, they have powers derived from them," The king answered. "My ancestor reminded them that the true power ultimately comes not from the stars but from their heart, for the star-power only is granted to those whose virtuous hearts proved that they deserve it. He charged them to protect Aether World and all dimensions, but sadly, at his passing, and under his descendants' reign, they grew complacent."

Ranald thought about King Athos's words. Somehow, the Star Crusaders forgot that virtue is more important than having superpowers, reminding him of his childhood. He blurted out, "Perhaps they became elitist and excluded those who did not get fancy superpowers from floating gas balls in space?" The king Athos looked at him, and said flatly, "Yes." Mayari rolled her eyes. She may not use her silver pendant's powers that much, but that did not give her the right to be snobbish to those born with powers, just as how those born with powers shouldn't be snobbish to normals. She wondered why she bothered to befriend Ranald in their first place.

"The Star Crusaders started out well. However, as time passed by, they looked down on the common men, be it the farmers and the soldiers, even the ones that served as my ancestor's royal guards. They thought that their star-power gave them the right to push around others and to decide who can or cannot be Star Crusaders. Those who had no powers were excluded, and even if they developed some due to the star-power, they were treated lower than the higher-ups among the Crusaders when recruited. Then, during the reign of the founder-king's great-grandson Kepler, they discovered the dark side of the galaxy. There were many horrid monsters found in there, and king over them was a giant black serpent in there, with scales as hard as Stygian metal, and endless hunger. It was dubbed the Void Serpent." The audience gasped. "Kepler warned the Star Crusaders that the Serpent can eat worlds, and he did the research on the creature. Turns out, it was a force of balance meant to eat worlds that grew irredeemably evil. He warned the Star Crusaders under him that one day, the monster's appetite for destruction would become too uncontrollable." King Athos said. "And they did not listen," Ranald said. Samson nodded and told the king to continue. "Yes and no. Some Crusaders wanted the serpent who was also called the Devourer to be killed, but others wanted to let him be alive. The majority won, and Kepler warned them that the monster may be the death of Aether World's civilization. After his death, the Star Crusaders who allowed the Devourer to live decided not to intervene whenever it ate a world fallen to corruption, while the rest rescued as many people as they can from the Devourer of Worlds before it eats up one. There was tension between the two camps." Athos continued.

"Many who wanted the Devourer of Worlds dead were those without powers. Those with them who have the star-power eventually sympathized with them. When Kepler's son Eudoxus was alive, he studied the Devourer of World's movements across the universe and found something unsettling: the Devourer himself was eating worlds that were not so fallen to evil. King Eudoxus remembered his father's words and warned the rest of the Star Crusaders. But they did not listen. Eventually, Eudoxus crafted some weapons with the Star Crusaders who were still obedient and were wary of the Devourer of Worlds. They were the weapons of the Solar System. He handed them over to the nine warriors who received powers from the Solar System planets instead of the stars and asked them to watch over and unite the Star Crusaders. Back then, there were no warriors of the Sun and Moon," Athos said. Warrior of the Sun? Sounds like me, Ranald thought. "There's more," Husdent said. "Right. The Solar System Warriors who ruled over the Star Crusaders used their weapons to subdue the Serpent whenever his hunger drove him out of control. It was this way until the reign of my grandfather, Lykaion the Vigilant. Somehow, the Void Serpent, now called the Devourer of Worlds by those who hate him, resented the control the Star Crusaders have over him. He wanted to eat all worlds and dimensions, including Earth. But it failed, as my grandfather led the Star Crusaders and the Solar System Warriors to subdue him. Out of revenge, he and his armies attacked the Aether World itself, its Realms, and the floating island-town where I and my family lived. It was a hard battle between the Void Serpent and his armies, who seek to consume all, and my grandfather, Solar System Warriors, and the Star Crusaders, who fought to preserve the worlds. Many Star Crusaders died regretting leaving the Devourer alive," Athos said.

"My grandfather and father fought the Devourer of Worlds. It was a long and bloody battle. Unfortunately, most of the Star Crusaders, the Solar System Warriors and my grandfather fell by the Serpent's power. My father retreated, and along with the remaining Crusaders, went to the castle library to find ways to defeat the Devourer of Worlds. He called me, a young boy back then to the library, and told me what happened to grandfather Lykaion. I was grieved in my heart, and he told me to help him out. I did, and as I grew up, I learned from my father how to be a king. Then one night, I found a book and inside it, a prophecy dating back to the reign of King Eudoxus. My father found out and told me not to reveal it to anyone until those mentioned in it appear. I learned a great deal about my ancestors from my father, and apparently, according to him, King Eudoxus received the prophecy in a dream when he was my age. At that time, I was also old enough to join my dad in battle."

"We went to the dark side of the universe, and as soon as the Devourer of Worlds emerged, father and son, and the surviving Star Crusaders gave our all to defeat it. It was like the one Lykaion and dad fought in, but more serious, as the Serpent and his monster armies destroyed the buildings the Aether World Civilization had. Then, the Devourer told my father that even if he sealed him away, he will return and consume all the worlds. My father uttered the prophecy to him. In anger, the Serpent fought with my dad...and...I joined in the battle. The Devourer saw me, and tried to finish me..." King Athos became silent. The students were concerned with the king who taught them all he knew about their classmate's dimensions. Here he is, being vulnerable in front of all of them. Ranald can't help but feel sorry for the Aetherian man. "But my father jumped in front of me, and... shielded me from the Devourer's attacks. I was angered and fought against the serpent, and... finally ended the war by using a technique that reduced the Void Serpent into a black mist, halving his power. Then I sealed him and his armies away in the dark side of the universe. My father saw this and told me that I'm worthy to inherit the throne."