Two Fates: Divine Storm and War Maiden

Trapped

"Just throw him in. It's not like he can do anything about it." The voices were faint. He could not see anything. Unsure of whether it was a cloth or a magic that sealed his vision. His fingers could wriggle around which is a good sign. Whatever he was in, it was cramped. Like being in a box and hearing sounds of wheels from the outside. 

Most likely, he was being transported. Though where to? That is something he'd like to know. This body... It felt small and a bit weak. 

"I swear. I had more muscles when I was younger... Wait... Am I alive? Or... Was all that by Juliet a joke? What the hell is going on right now..." There was a lot of things running through the boxed person's mind.

Who, where and what is going on? Sometimes bumping his head by the box he was confined in. Hearing the metal clang was a sign that he hit a metal object. The wheels stopped, he heard something open. Though he could not feel the sun on his body or any form of heat. It was cold, was he perhaps nude? 

"So we just throw the kid into the river right? Hey, I heard we failed with the Princess." 

"Ah, who cares. Apparently a nearby Knight found her. The one that hates her the most. It was just to make that stupid girl lower her guard. This guy? He won't be as lucky. He's going to be saved by his father. A good way to produce obedience right?" The voices were sinister and croaked. It sounded like a bunch of hooligans but that was not the case.

"Alright, let's throw him in." He felt the metal container moving, then he banged his head by the box repeatedly. Watching water seep through the gaps of the box. 

"Trying to drown me? Well that's just cute. Though whoever this kid is. He must have been through a lot of trouble... Though same can be said with the Princess. Do I want to pretend or do I just want to handle things my own way? Ah decisions. Decisions." The water slowly filled the box, causing it to sink. Yet, the one in the box did not panic.

Taking a deep breath before the box sank, he could hold it for an hour  thanks to magic. Clawing through the rope with his fingers would have been easier if he was Crow but in this unknown person's body. It might take some time, but he got to digging through it anyway.

Freeing his hands was the first step, the next was to break free from the box. Punching it until his knuckles break or hurt would be fine. It will suck, but as he embraced his training as a Divine Storm. The phrase 'Embrace The Suck' was one that he follows through until his original death. Well, if it is going to suck. Might as well get it over with. Five punches and a hole was made through the box. Right hand tapping the box to feel for a lock or whatever he could find. A standard lock, ripping it off as he freed himself from the box. 

Then freeing his legs, looking up to see a sea wyvern staring at him. Its white scales and blue eyes were an indication. They stared at each other, as the teenager named Crow swam away. Watching the Sea Wyvern come closer. This time moving right beside him. The teenager ignored it, as he continued swimming upwards to the surface. Breaking through as the river carried him to a place where he had his back stopped by a stone.

"Sieg!" A voice called out, Crow then thought about it. Perhaps this teenager's name is Sieg. Seeing a man in a suit running to his direction. Crow, or rather Sieg would step out of the water.

"Are you alright?" Sieg ignored the man that came to his direction.

"Yes, I am fine. Your Grace." The knights that accompanied Sieg's father glared at him as they reached for their blades.

"You should thank His Grace for saving your life." A knight spoke, raising his chin to assert his rank over Sieg. Sieg ignored the knight, only to watch the knight stand in front of him.

"Why can't you be grateful that you're alive?!" The knight raised his voice as Sieg's father walked over to them.

"Sorry, but the men that threw me said that I would be saved by His Grace. A planned way to make me obedient. Oh and another thing." Sieg placed his hand by the knight's chest plate. A flick and the knight fell to his knees. The knight was gasping for air, he was on his knees.

"Wha-..What did you do to me!?" 

"You do have eyes, don't you? I merely flicked you." Sieg said as he watched a black vehicle pull up before him. There were no horses that pulled it, yet he could feel mana within it. It was far quieter than a carriage and it seemed to operate mechanically. He would need to read all about it later.

"Come now, Sieg. We should head back home. Your family is worried." Sieg ignored the words of his father as he stepped into the car. Sitting at the back while his father sat beside the passenger. The knights on the other hand would ride similar vehicles. 

"Sieg... How are you feeling?" 

"I don't think I would like to talk to someone who had hired men to throw me into the river." Sieg's defiant tone was cracking that poker face his father had made up. There were words to associate the Duke but it was all a blurr at the moment. Perhaps it was due to all of the things that were going into his head. He was having a minor migraine as he saw glimpses of the past. Trying to figure out which is the truth and which is the lie. Yet, seeing the angry face by the Duke and other things. It merely added to how much Sieg had to consider regarding his own self preservation.

The most important aspect, is to wonder the reason behind why he is in such a mess in the first place. Sieg must have faced something. The words 'mother' echoed in his head, along with the words 'Father'. The old Crow would not have anyone to associate these words to. When people say father or mother, they would associate it with someone, but Crow? How could he associate them with anyone, considering that they were killed by the Strongbow family. Or so it was said, though in reality it was his own liege that made it so. To ensure Crow would be filled with vengeance to become the Divine Storm. Sieg chuckled to himself, he needed to disassociate himself with Crow. He is now Sieg, the son of a Duke and perhaps... The bastard son which would be why he is ill treated. Or the weak son, whichever it is. 

The car arrived at the estate, the mansion screamed luxury. Everything in this house was the epitome of 'Filthy Rich' in every sense of that phrase. 10 golden fountains, an entire garden that was filled to the brim with an assortment of roses that would put a rainbow to shame. The white mansion with its intricate pillars designed. The multitude of barriers all over it. The knights were present in their mythril armors, and it seemed the escorts were wearing some alloy type instead of mythril. Then followed by figures carrying what seemed to be firearms. Sieg was unfamiliar with such things and perhaps if it was Elena. She could tell him about it. 

"Your Grace!" The knights and the figures with firearms greeted the Duke. Sieg opened the door himself, then going upstairs. 

"Young master!" He ignored their words.

"Leave him. It seems that the planned has failed. We may have to figure out other ways to train his obedience."The Duke's voice was clear for Sieg to hear. That poor attempt of secrecy was laughable, the Duke might as well just announce to the whole world that he was going to abuse Sieg. Sieg looked for his room, it was never in any of the hallways. A brief vision of a dusty room, and it was clear. Sieg was someone who stayed in a small storage room.

Better an attic than being homeless. Sieg thought as he headed to said room which was in the back room of the first floor. Locking the door, and staring at what he had. There was a toilet with a shower. No cupboards, the clothes hung from the ceiling on what seemed to be hangers. Only a pillow and a rag. That was all he had but there were a few books lying around. Taking his time to look through them, it seems that their covers are missing and they were wrinkly. Might be due to being exposed to the elements. The ceiling leaked water from the upper floors. 

It was like psychological warfare in this room. Sieg's been through worse and to him? This was nothing but child's play. Though he did find something interesting. It was a small book, one that could fit into the pockets. It had a leather cover which was worn and torn. Perhaps a reflection of the owner's heart. Flipping the first page. 

'Mommy got me a diary. I can't wait to write more.' This was an entry by the 5 year old him. The next page changed. 

'Dad said... I killed mommy... Am I cursed?' An entry by a 7 year old Sieg. 

'I'm trying... I'm trying... Is my best not enough?' The further Sieg read, the worse it got from him. Crow that watched the world from Sieg's eyes, the memories and anguish he felt. This was cruel to put a child through. Crueler, knowing that this is by the Baratos family. Each page got worse, the writing became scribbles. It was clear that this child wanted his suffering to end, and it was understandable.

The Baratos family was a house of loyal retainers to the King of Triviana. Though n ot as devoted as Crow Blackwind was but they were still counted as nobles. Now, they are nobles of Alistair by integration with Alistair.  

Sieg heard a knock by the door, then seeing a tray of a piece of bread and some leftover soup. Half a cup of water. Sieg looked at the maid that snickered at his direction, he took the bread and leftover soup. The soup smelled disgusting and it was clearly spoilt. The bread? There was no mold but it was soggy as if they poured water all over it.  Sieg just thought about it, does he want to teach them a lesson? Or does he want to relax first? No, his body was still under developed. He did have the strength of when he was 15 but he also needed to retrain himself and the physique in order to carry out his plan. 

They did not invite him to eat at the same table, where Sieg placed locks on the door. Magical locks that can only be removed by those who have an affinity to dark magic. Now, he would begin his first step.

Bone shaping and muscle manipulation. Basically, this process could strengthen body parts and muscles into any shape the user desires. Even layering bones would be stronger, increasing their hardness with magic. Layering muscles to become highly sophisticated ligaments or to wrap ligaments together and increase more muscle. However, they have a caveat. If done improperly or in excess to a user's body, it can kill them. 

Sieg chose to do bones first, he would need strong bones that could withstand Orihalcum blades. It was the reason why Crow never wore any armor. His body itself was armor but like any armor, it can break. Which is why Elena was a horrible match up and a genuine threat to Crow. Elena's strength came from sheer will and her training. The sabers, though they may be thin. Their destructiveness exceeds far from Crow's. 

Crow's sword techniques that earned him the Divine Storm, it required him to use certain techniques in a certain way to achieve desired destruction. A strict discipline, but Elena did not have such strict combat doctrines. She can swing the swords as she pleased and it was still dangerous if he got hit.

Sieg focused on his bones, layering them carefully. Think of it as sewing but with a needle and thread that was larger than the needle itself. Sieg's brain abandoned the world around him. to him the entire world vanished and he was sitting in the remains of the battlefield where he had died. For some odd reason, he found it peaceful there. 

A brief distraction on his part, Sieg coughed out some black liquid out of his body.

A lot of impurities in his body... No wonder my magic did not flow properly. Sieg thought as he got up, heading outside. Taking off his shirt, preparing to cough out the black liquids from his body. The impurities that will result in mana to be blocked and collect too much in certain areas. When mana clogs the body, a person may end up with life threatening injuries to prolonged magic use. 

He went outside, puking out the black liquid near a dead tree. His body was sweating blood and he felt fatigue from all of the impurities. It's good that he did not eat anything yet. merely took a bite or two. If he ate, it would have made it much worse for him.

It went on until midnight, where Sieg headed back to his room. Finishing his meal, even that spoiled soup due to hunger. He will deal with everything tomorrow. Heading into the toilet, where he could see the mana crystal that controlled the heat was broken. What else is new? The cold shower did not bother him but when he started to see that the water was slowly changing into a light red. That was when Sieg knew he he had to stop showering.

Looking at the mirror, seeing his white hair. It was resting slightly below his shoulders, eyes were gray.Though his bone structure had already changed. As tall as his past self when he was 15. The change in bone structure meant that most of his clothes won't fit, but Sieg has the solution for that. Since this is a storage room, he did find some thread and a needle. 

Looks like sleep will be off the books tonight, it was time for Sieg to sew. The storage room had a number of old threads. They did not smell dusty, nor did have a slimy texture from mold. Sieg pulled a barrel, sitting on it as he begun to sew some clothes for himself. In the midst of this, he would be reminded of when Crow helped fix Elena's dress during a ball when they first met. This was before the assassination of his parents.