A towering man wearing fine clothing was at a distance, his ma.s.sive frame lorded over the common populace. He was a head taller than most men, walking in glorious majesty toward a little girl of three.
They had similar features except for her dainty cheeks, and amber eyes.
Hestia ran toward the austere figure.
She had barely been in his view as she shouted.
"Papa, I missed you. You barely come to visit me anymore." she pouted. "You should come more often."
This was met by hearty laughter her father which sounded more like a roar that echoed through the landscape even making the surrounding area quake. His guard shivered inadvertently, the magical power that pulsed as he laughed made them cower in fear.
The Rex Imperia in all his power and majesty, whose power, both physical and political who was unchallenged in all the empire was commanded by a little girl.
His facial muscles immediately relaxed as he heard his daughters voice.
"I am sorry, my sweet. You know I manage the whole Empire, as much as I"d like to spend time with you I can"t. Papa is busy you know?"
Hestia ran and jumped into his arms full force trying to take him down. But the emperor caught his daughter and hugged her as he spun with her in his arms.
"My sweet. The apple of my eye." He hugged her tightly then kissed her forehead lightly. "Wait a moment my little one."
The emperor looked at his guard, "You are dismissed for now, remain in the periphery." His tone immediately changed to an overbearing one.
"As you command your majesty." All of his guards dispersed.
"Honestly," muttering under his breath." These guards are all for show, the council just uses the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds to spy on me." The emperor spat on the ground.
Hestia gazed at her father not understanding what he meant.
"Papa, you are the strongest man in the world but you are still followed around by a guard. I think the guards are there to protect other people from you"
Kaizer began to laugh at the statement of his daughter.
"You are so carefree my sweet, never change," he said this and kissed her forehead again.
"Aren"t you carefree yourself?" Hestia pouted," You just sit all day and tell people what to do and they do it for you."
Kaizer chuckled again. He missed the times when the world was a simpler place when he didn"t have such a mountain of responsibility on his back, when politics was just a theory in books, a time when he didn"t constantly watch his back, a time when he could trust his closest friends. Even his older daughters and sons played the courtier now.
He had a thorough distaste for such games. Having all the power yet not being able to control everything.
"I hope, you never change my sweet cake. Come, Hestia, didn"t I tell you we are going to a special place today?"
Hestia nodded her dainty head vigorously. She was excited when Her actrix told her that her father would bring her somewhere as a tradition of the Regaledeus house. She missed her father and hadn"t seen him for a few weeks.
"You can hope over here my little on," He pointed on his right shoulder.
Hestia jumped from the ground as she fused her legs with magic, for other n.o.bles of lesser houses, their progeny could barely control magic yet and even for some this age was but the time they awakened, however for the Regaledeus it was more commonplace, but rare nonetheless.
Even among the bearers of the house, Hestia was one of the most talented. Her ability to condense magic so precisely was a testament to her genius. Her magic capacity was also one of the largest in the house as well, it was well known that the larger the capacity the faster the development of both body and mind.
She landed carefully on the shoulder of her father where she sat comfortably.
They walked towards a mountain as they chatted along lively. Kaizer missed her daughter and laughed and as she made her various facial expression. He admittedly spoiled this little girl too much at times. But even so he loved her very much.
"Little one, get down for a while," Kaizer spoke seriously.
She conceded and hopped off.
"Stay back first you can"t handle the shockwave yet,"
Hestia tilted her head bewildered at the statement but she did as she was told.
Kaizer pressed a seemingly innocuous stone. Soon the clouds brewed a black concoction. It roared an angry overbearing sound. After a few seconds, the black clouds loomed over.
"Hestia stay back. This is the test of will."
From the clouds, a thunderous roar came rolling and reverberating throughout the green mountainside.
Suddenly, thunder struck the emperor. He bellowed in pain.
Hestia was startled, and gasped "Papa!"
"Just stay back it"s not over,"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound kept on repeating it seemed like a never-ending cycle as the crackle of the arcing lightning pulsed.
Hestia was horrified she wanted to do something but she couldn"t. She wanted to help her father. It was the first time for her to see her father roaring in pain.
Kaizer pushed against the raining torrent of lightning bolts striking his body. He used his magic power to resist the vibrations and the power of the malevolent violent light.
After a few seconds, the roaring stopped and the clouds disappeared as if they never were.
Kaizer panted and breathed deeply. Currently, he used one-third of his magic to resist the onslaught of lightning on his body. It took him a while to recover.
"Papa are you okay?" Hestia ran toward the emperor.
"Yes, my little one."
Hestia hugged him tightly, it came as a shock to her that the most powerful man in the world sitting before her panting.
"Papa, I knew you could do it you are so powerful!" She clung to her father, not wanting him to suffer again.
"Hestia, my daughter, remember that strength isn"t everything. Knowledge is the true power," he told his daughter as he panted and slowly stood up. He hugged and kissed her forehead again.
From the rocky exterior, a hole slowly emerged.
"My, daughter Hestia, You are here because you are one of the few that can actually become Rex Imperia in the future. This is a testament to your prowess."
"This secret cavern is why our house came to power." He stood up fully now, walking beside his daughter. "This cavern was discovered, by our ancestors but it was only a few hundred years ago that someone actually dared withstand the frown of heaven."
"You are not allowed to talk about this place to anyone," he paused, " Understand?"
Hestia nodded.
"Remember this Hestia, and remember it well."
"He who conquers lightning shall rule everything. He who tames heaven shall rule the skies and his knowledge shall go forth and around the earth as the water covers the seas"
Hestia looked at her father.
"What does that mean, papa?"
"You will know soon my child," He grabbed her tiny hands and led on toward the cavern.