Purely-Kissed Sabers: The Adventurous Vagrant Gaiden

The sabers in our hands... are our pens to write our promise down. It was the 2nd day of Learnmonth, in the fiftieth year of the reign of His Highness the King Emeritus Sony Alex Almarius. That regnal year is also the one thousand fifth year of the Common Era in the Living Water Calendar. The Littleland River Pagoda Tragedy occurred. The Littleland River Pagoda Festival is held on the first Sunday of Learnmonth every year in the namesake river, one of the many rivers that flow towards the capital of the Kingdom of Lebenswasserheim, Lebenswasserheim Burghal. The festival itself has a backstory. It is meant to celebrate a miraculous event some time in the year 850 CE where a large relic that was carved from a rare type of wood and once belonged to the Grand Temple of the Most High, which is located in the capital, was lost due to still-unknown causes. Fortunately, it resurfaced in the Littleland River, carrying with it a woman who was about to be drowned but was saved by the holy power of the relic itself. When the relic, which was renamed the Crux Ansata of Life in honor of the event, is not normally kept in the Grand Temple of the Most High, it is being exhibited in a specially-made floating pagoda in a fluvial parade. The parade itself is the main highlight of the festival. However, due to causes that could be traced to an unexpected huge number of participants that made the pagoda unstable, the festival being held in 1005 CE ended with a disaster. Not helping matters was that a firecracker – specifically a skyrocket – that was supposed to ascend to the sky after being lit to celebrate the end of the festival instead landed on one side of the pagoda and set off a fire; leading to the 200 devotees who participated huddling to the other side, tipping the pagoda itself and causing its structure to sustain weight-related damage. The pagoda then began sinking, and the organizers ordered everyone to evacuate to the riverside, all while keeping the Crux Ansata of Life that is the pagoda's centerpiece safe. The organizers also alerted the authorities, but it would take a while before rescuers belonging to the Royal Armed Forces would arrive. In the meantime, a handful of fishermen who were just passing through in their own boats acted as the temporary rescuers. While the Littleland River itself is rather shallow when compared to other greater bodies of water, there is still a risk of drowning, especially for people who don't know how to swim. Thus, everyone had to either huddle to safety or wait for someone to help them do so. Fortunately, a youth who has practiced the art of swimming ever since he began to walk was one of those who were capable of getting others to safety. “Help me! My feet can't take this anymore!” “Brother! Save me! Brother!” A young tomboyish girl with white blonde hair and aquamarine eyes and a more feminine young girl with claret hair and purple eyes were struggling for their lives; and fortunately, they were at long last rescued by this young man. But with the boy's energy ultimately spent in just a short amount of time, he fainted. Fortunately, just in time, the rescuers arrived and guided the three children to safety. One of the rescuers commented after resuscitating them... “These three... I can sense in them a unique kind of fighting spirit. The kind of fighting spirit that keeps the soul of Lebenswasserheim alive and upholds the legacies of our founder and the fairy of legend. They... will bring forth a bright future in the midst of the darkness that is threatening to encumber us all.” He may have sensed that fighting spirit at random, but at least he is looking forward to what the next generation of the protectors of the kingdom will bring. In just under an hour, everyone was whisked off to safety, and the Crux Ansata of Life was totally unharmed. Among the participants, a few of them sustained only light injuries and burns, and those who were on the verge of drowning were promptly resuscitated. The only reminder of the entire tragedy is the already-sunk pagoda, remaining in the depths of the river for all time. The whole ordeal served as a lesson to the organizers. For the following year, the organizers planned to downsize everything, including the pagoda itself. The pagoda's height would be cut in half, from four feet to just two. Only a maximum of fifty people were allowed to board the pagoda, including the organizers. The prospective boarders of the pagoda must register beforehand and wear lifevests on the day of the festival. Fishing boats would be borrowed to serve as a convoy accompanying the pagoda. Rescuers belonging to both the Royal Armed Forces and the Royal Constabulary would be on standby along the length of the pagoda's procession in the entirety of the river. No fireworks would be used at all; only accredited stage spell-casters would use their magical aptitude to create simulated fireworks from a much safer place. In the end, the Littleland River Pagoda Tragedy can't even be called a tragedy at all. Because there are zero casualties. Whether it's due to the relic that is the focus of the festival or the valiant efforts of everyone involved, the bottom line is that it has a happy ending. A happy ending that led to a promise sworn a month later. Right near the spot where the tragedy happened, a memorial tablet was erected. “Dedicated to the people whose lives were spared by the Most High in the Littleland River Pagoda Tragedy that happened on the 2nd day of Learnmonth, 1005 CE.” There were no names that were carved on the tablet, for the people that bear those names still live to this day, all given miraculous second chances. And in front of the tablet, the three youths made a vow, a promise. The clear mid-afternoon skies, the chirping birds, and the gentle winds were more than welcome to hear the promise. With the express permission of their parents, they all arrived on time for that momentous event, all clothed in the best outfits their parents could buy. The young boy with claret hair and purple eyes, who rescued the two girls in the first place, initiated with the following words. “You know why we're all here, right?” “Yes!” “Well then, I swear to you both... that I'll become a full-fledged soldier of the Kingdom of Lebenswasserheim someday! I'll be your knight in shining armor!” The tomboyish girl reacted. “Whoa!” The more feminine girl followed. “Brother, are you serious?” “I know you'd be both thrown off by what I just said; but seeing you two in danger, while making all our parents all the more worried while watching us potentially sinking to the bottom, never to rise again...” The tomboyish girl segued. “Yes... when you rescued me... I sensed something powerful within you.” “So you felt it too, huh? Something truly awakened in me that day. It was my desire to protect.” “But you don't have to risk your life to protect, brother!” “Yes, I know. Other people may lose their lives saving others, and that's an unfortunate fact of life. The stories our moms and dads told us have no shortage of those heroes.” “So then...” The tomboyish girl steeled her resolve. “I'll also become a soldier. You're not the only one who will protect me, you know! That power I sensed in you... made me realize I can be a living hero, too.” The more feminine girl echoed her sentiment. “Brother, I just can't let you go at it alone! I'll become a soldier, too, ready to protect you the same way you have protected me!” The young man couldn't believe what the two girls have just said. But then again, his iron will has somehow influenced them. And so, by his own volition, he quickly modified this promise of his. “If that's so... right now, I swear to you both... that we will all become full-fledged soldiers of the Kingdom of Lebenswasserheim someday! We will all protect His Highness the King, our glorious kingdom and its citizens, and most especially... one another.” “Thank you!” The girls immediately hugged him, and the boy hugged them back. Seconds later, after letting go of the group hug, the three all connected their own pinky fingers, wholeheartedly ratifying the promise with genuine smiles on their faces. Even though they wouldn't handle swords just yet, their vow was written in their own hearts with their own metaphorical pens. Keenan Floribunda, Laika Santiaguel, and Yulissa Floribunda have all made a promise at the bank of the Littleland River on the 2nd of Leafmonth, 1005 CE. A promise that would change all their lives forever.