#erlan

“We suppose congratulations are in order,” Allepac’s pleased voices echoed in his mind. “You have done well in securing your first partner. If all goes accordingly, the others will be soon to follow.”

“Thanks,” he grinned, leaping to an adjacent rooftop. The sound of the final bell signaled the approach of the midnight hour as he stilled, soaking in the view of the city around him. “See? I told you I knew what I was doing-,”

“So it appears. Although we find your mention of their secret treasure to be a rather interesting decision on your part.”

“Interesting?” he’d caught sight of the nearby docks, strangely yet unsurprisingly void of all soldiers.

“You revealing your awareness of it unnerved them. You are lucky that they did not attempt to kill you.”

A cold sea breeze passed over him as he replied, “I had something they needed. And besides, the Seralix have a history of knowing better than anyone to not mess with spirits…” His eyes rested on the sea as he adjusted his cloak. “Even if it's the spirit of someone they don’t particularly care for. But it’s good to give them just as many reasons as to why they should stay in my good graces as I should stay in theirs.”

His eyes searched the distant line of watch towers, watching as the furthest tower’s fire flickered before disappearing. 

It was time.

He’d descended from the roof. His feet reached the ground before he continued towards the Portia Docks. As expected Kokaf was there on the pier uneasily pacing about. His mind was clearly occupied as Erlan drew near.

“Kokaf,” he says suddenly, startling the man as Kokaf turns to him, his blade inches away from Erlan's throat before he pauses. 

His eyes were wide as he took him in. “You snuck up on me.”

Erlan barely bats an eye. “Apologies. I thought you heard me coming,” his eyes swept over the edge of Kokaf’s blade. “You never found your hunting blade, did you?”

Kokaf sighed, his blade lowering as he stepped back and looked away. “No. I don’t know where it went. I’ve looked everywhere for it. I just don’t understand where it could’ve gone to.”

“I think I might know.”

“Really?”

Erlan nodded. He could vaguely sense movement in the darkness that surrounded the pier.

“Do you have it?” Kokaf asked.

He shook his head as Kokaf’s expression fell.“But don’t worry, It’ll appear sooner or later.”

Kokaf didn’t reply as his hands had tentatively scratched his neck. “Did you bring it? Allepac, I mean.”

“Yeah, I did.”

He reached his hand forward. “May I see it?”

“You really want to see it? After everything I told you?”

Kokaf shrugged, “I don’t see why not, I mean I’ve come this fa-

“Kokaf it’s dangerous. You of all people shouldn’t be so eager to see it.” 

Kokaf’s brow furrowed. “And why’s that? Do you think I can’t handle it? That I’m not strong enough to be the savior like you? Wake up Erlan! You’re holding the key to victory in your hands! You just need to-,”

“Hand it over so you can give it to the devils too?”

Kokaf looked stunned. “…what?”

“Don’t lie to me Kokaf. All of the coincidental failures, and interceptions, that was you wasn’t it? Always Running off to inform the devils of whatever plan we and the other nations had concocted. I saw you do it before I entered the inn. You’d been giving them daily reports on my status and on the actions of the others. Then you’d told them that I had the creature, didn’t you?”

“What are you-,”

“It’s how they found me in the forest that night. No one would’ve known that I'd left, no one save for the only other person who’d made plans to leave with me that night. It’d been a risky move on your part, hadn’t it?”

“No, I-!”

“Risky unless you were confident that I wouldn’t survive.”

He frantically shook his head as he held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “That’s not it- I swear! It was Geron who did it! Geron is the one who betrayed you! That was who Kerakash told you-”

“And how did you know that was the name Kerakash gave me? I never told you that.”

“I…It was obvious-,”

“Was it? For all you know, Kerakash could’ve given me any name. Just like the traitor could’ve given him any name as well.”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about! There’s been a misunderstanding! I swear!”

“A misunderstanding? Fine. Then tell me why the commander had been carrying your blade the night he’d died?”

Kokaf’s face paled as he slowly shook his head, “He hadn’t-,”

“Oh? So what’s this then?” he asked, holding the blade into view. Kokaf said nothing as he gingerly placed the blade into his hand. “It’s yours, isn’t it? I’d recognize that handle from anywhere.”

“He…Geron stole it from me! I…I was framed!”

“Framed by who exactly?” he whispered as several devils stepped onto the pier. All were armed and focused as they pointed their weapons towards him. “Tell me that I’m lying Kokaf. Tell me that it wasn’t you!” 

“I….I….”

“Kokaf answer me,” Erlan spoke, his voice growing quiet as the soldiers surrounded them, cutting off any way of escape. Kokaf was practically shaking now as his eyes filled with tears. “Were you the reason why our plans never took off? Why we were always caught?”

He grimaced, as he’d turned his face away. “I….I’m sorry…I didn’t want to do it…but I had no choice.” he shook his head.

“Oh don’t be foolish boy. You had a choice. But unlike your friend here,” came Kogash’s voice as he appeared beside Kokaf. He shoved him out of the way before nearing. His eyes never left Erlan’s as his own crystal eerily glowed in the darkness. He swiftly moved his spear forward, pointing its curved tip toward Erlan. “-You just made the right one…Restrain him.” He commanded to the guards who’d nodded and quickly dispersed themselves around Erlan.

He’d immediately taken a step back as he’d placed his two arms up, careful to not allow any guard near his right pocket. One guard grabbed his left arm as another neared. His right hand quickly dove into his pocket.

“You heard the commander-,” the soldier harshly barked. “Comply or els-,” his words were cut short as Erlan’s right hand returned, hurling grains of pepper into his eyes.

The man screamed. Letting go of his spear as he stumbled backward.

“Or else what?” Erlan mocked as he turned his attention to the other man. He’d swiftly adjusted his posture, tossing the other man over his shoulder and into the sea below. “You’ll kill me again?”

Kogash stepped back as the other soldiers began to charge him.

Erlan swiftly dodged one parry before grabbing the spear of another soldier. He’d kneed him in the gut, watching the man keel over before he’d pull the spear from his grasp. Then he’d pivoted. Sharply turning the spear’s blunt end into the way of an incoming soldier. Through the darkness, he could hear the soldier scream before he too fell into the restless sea below. 

Swiftly he’d re-angle the spear, just like Allepac had taught him, and thrust forward. But impaling a training dummy was far more different than a person.

He’d learned it the hard way when he’d watched the man’s eyes widen before he’d go limp as he’d withdrawn the tip of the spear from his heart.

The other Atlanteans tensed. Their eyes watching the body of their comrade lie on the ground. 

Atlantean blood had been spilled, and now Erlan was certain they would stain the port’s water red in vengeance.

Kogash hissed several curses beneath his breath before barking serval commands in Atlantean. A few Erlan could faintly translate to mean ‘divide’ and ‘attack’. 

He’d had little time to prepare as they’d begun their relentless assault. He’d force himself to weave around their attacks, striking, countering, and impaling whenever he could. 

It hadn’t taken him long to realize that they were trying to take advantage of their environment by pushing him closer and closer toward the edge of the pier. He knew that once he was on the edge it’d be nearly impossible to defend himself, so he’d given it his all to try to mount an offense.

He’d tripped, forcing himself to roll out of the way of an attack as he’d watched one soldier impale the ground with his spear. He’d kicked the man in the chest, watching as he flew backward. The opening was small, but it was enough to allow him to slowly begin to push them back. 

But with each opponent he’d impaled or outmaneuvered, two more had quickly appeared in their place. 

He’d managed to block the attack of two incoming strikers when he saw it. The light of more watch towers had gone out. Darkness had now noticeably enveloped half that side of the port.

Just a little longer… he’d told himself before turning his attention back to the guards in front of him. He used all his strength to push forward, catching one off guard before he’d leg-swiped the other. In a matter of seconds, he’d driven the end of his spear into the other guard’s gut as he’d heard the man gasp before toppling over the pier’s edge.

His body had been swallowed by the dark seas below when he’d seen Kogash strike.

He’d moved through the dark seamlessly. His attacks were relentless as their weapons clashed. 

Soon sparks flew, illuminating the darkness before the commander moved his blade.

Erlan only had a second to dodge before he felt pain envelop his forearm. 

He’d stumbled back, feeling the blood run down his arm as he’d caught sight of the commander’s now bloodied spear. He’d forced the panic from his mind as he’d watched the commander’s lips slowly spread into a smile. 

He’d charged at him once more. This time forcing him backwards. It had taken everything from Erlan to try to dodge and counter his attacks as his breaths came out in uneven gasps.

He watched the man grin. “I admire your bravery boy, you have the spirit of your father. Pity you don’t have his fighting skills as well.”

The sheer force behind his last attack had pushed him to the very edge of the pier. 

“I…I don’t need them-,” he grunted as he’d barely blocked another strike that had cut his sleeve. “-To beat you!” 

Erlan’s body wavered, threatening to fall backward as he gritted his teeth. He’d drawn one shaky breath as he forced his gaze on the man in front of him.

“Are you certain about that?” Kogash asked, dragging his spear’s curved edge along the ground after him. The sharp sound of the metal clawing away at the pier’s ground was enough to grate Erlan’s nerve as he felt himself waver once more. The edges of the pier crumbled beneath his feet before disappearing into the dark waters below. 

He’d nearly taken a step forward when Kogash started to move towards him. His speed was overwhelming as Erlan forced himself to block.

His spear shook within his hands as he felt his arms protest at the sudden weight of Kogash’s weapon. He’d moved his leg. But it had been so quick that Erlan barely had time to prepare for it before he’d felt himself fly backward. The pain from his stomach was nearly inconsequential as he’d seen the world sink beneath his eyes.

It was only by luck that he’d managed to reach out in time. His fingers screamed in protest as they caught the edge of the wooden pier. His body hung in the air carelessly several meters over the dark sea below.

He’d known Atlantean warriors had been dangerous, but he hadn’t expected the skill gap to be that vast.

His thoughts were promptly dismissed as the commander’s laugh echoed from above. “Are you sure about not needing them?” he’d called as Erlan felt his boot painfully crush his fingers. He grunted, feeling his grip ever so slightly slip. “Because your circumstances seem to diffe-,” his words fell short as Erlan watched his body jerk forward. 

A strangled gasp left his lips as he knelt over, cradling his right shoulder. Then he’d fallen backward, out of view before a hand reached down, pulling Erlan back onto the port’s pier. 

“Kokaf?” he’d whispered. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of his friend. “You…you saved me.”

“It’s the least I could do after everything I’ve done to you,” he confessed. His eyes lowered before he caught sight of his arm. “Erlan! Your arm-,”

“Will be fine,” he said as he glanced at his blood-stained sleeve. In the distance, he could see only one watch tower, the closest one was still alight. 

“Foolish child” came the commander’s voice. His eyes were dripping with venom as he pulled the blade from his shoulder. “Do you have any idea of what you’ve done?”

“Yes,” Kokaf had challenged. “I’m setting the record straight!”

“Straight? Ha!” the commander laughed as he roughly brushed the blood away from his nose. “You’ve just condemned yourself to a fate far worse than death. And for what really? Glory?” He’d let out a harsh laugh. “You’ll all be lucky if you’re remembered as anything more than fairy tales in a decade!”

“Secure the ports!” he’d barked to his remaining guards. “They’re mine.”

The guards nodded,  scattering in the darkness.

“Erlan,” Kokaf started as the commander stared them down. “Are you sure you want to do this? Kogash is a highly trained Atlantean. He’s got at least a thousand years of combat experience under his belt, both in technique and strength.” His eyes followed the commander’s as the man slowly began to approach them. 

“But we don’t need to beat him,” he’d whispered to Kokaf in their native tongue. “at least not yet. Just keep him busy.”

“Alright,” Kokaf drew in a shaky breath. “We can do that. Or at least try.”

Erlan nodded. They could try. They had to.

Then he’d attacked. Erlan had known better than to hope that having an injured shoulder would’ve slowed the commander down. He’d moved so fluently and precisely, easily countering and parrying their attacks that Erlan had almost doubted that they’d ever injured him in the first place.

His thoughts were only confirmed as he’d barely blocked one of the commander’s kicks. The commander’s strength nearly overwhelmed him as he’d forced himself to hold onto his leg. He swallowed the pain as he’d sent his elbow straight down into the man’s calf. 

He’d been promptly rewarded with a pained hiss as Kokaf attacked, slicing his leg through the cracks in his armor. 

Kogash toppled over backward, rolling out of the way as Kokaf stabbed the ground where he’d once laid. Then he’d struck Kokaf’s face before disarming him in one swift motion. He’d re-aimed his spear, pushing the tip dangerously close to Kokaf’s chest when Erlan intervened, intercepting the blow with his own spear.

Kogash had scoffed, rising to his feet as they continued to exchange blows. The fight’s intensity increased ever so slightly as both boys resumed their assaults. Soon the commander’s once pristine armor sported cuts and dents. 

Hesitantly, Erlan had risked a glance past the commander towards the final watch tower. Dismay filled him as he realized the tower had remained lit.

How much more time would they need? He wasn’t sure he could hold off the commander for any longer- But he had to. Despite the exhaustion that was eating away at him, he knew that if he wanted his plan to work, he would need to do this. He would need to be strong, stronger than he’d ever known himself to be.

“You don’t look very good,” Erlan had spat in between deep breaths as he grinned at the commander.

“Funny,” he’d deadpanned. His expression betrayed no sense of emotion as he’d attacked Erlan with his spear before pushing him back with another kick. Erlan’s back roughly collided with the pier’s railing, effectively cornering him. “You look like your father, but you certainly don’t fight like him.” The commander sighed, moving his spear forward once more. Only this time the spear was glowing blue, as if it had drawn power from the very crystal he wore.

“Move to the right,” Allepac’s voice called out in his mind. And he had, or at least he’d tried to. But it hadn’t been enough. The commander’s blade was going to piece his heart. Or at least it would have, had his stone not intercepted the blow.

The sound of glass shattering filled his ears as he watched the stone around his neck explode into millions of pieces. This shouldn’t have been possible. The commander looked equally shocked as he stepped back. His stone, like their ships should’ve been virtually indestructible it should’ve been-,

The commander’s laugh broke his thoughts as he neared once more. “Shocked?” He’d thrust forward with his spear once more. This time breaking Erlan’s spear with ease. “Don’t be.” His foot lodged itself in Erlan’s gut before it sent him flying towards the middle of the pier. His back roughly collided with the wood as he felt it force all the air from his lungs.

“You really thought you and your little anomaly would be a match for us?” he laughed. “You were better off staying dead-,” he’d paused. Turning around as his blade clashed with Kokaf’s hunting knife. “Oh, you’re back.”

Erlan had looked on, as Kokaf had tried attacking from any and every angle he could. Their darkened silhouettes danced around the other, but Erlan had known, that despite all of Kokaf’s efforts and unpredictable tactics, the commander was in no danger.

His suspicions were only confirmed as he’d watched the commander’s blade slice Kokaf’s side before he’d turned his attention back to him. The world had slowed as his blade raised, ready to end the fight when Kokaf’s arms wrapped around his neck, attempting to lock in a choke as the commander staggered. His injured legs provided him no support as the two stumbled across the pier. 

Kokaf’s face had nearly contorted with pain, but he’d refused to let go.

He’d held on with all his might until the commander withdrew a hidden blade of his own. Swiftly flipping Kokaf’s body over his head before he implanted the dagger into his chest.

Kokaf’s screams were swallowed by the sounds of the commander’s metal armor clanking as he pushed him to the side.

“Kokaf!” Erlan screamed. Helplessly watching as his friend’s body hit the ground. Blood pooled beneath him. He’d taken his eyes off the commander. It was a mistake that would soon prove costly as he felt himself quickly slammed to the ground. Kogash was now on top of him as he’d restrained his body with one hand while holding a bloodied weapon in another.

“It’s a shame you could never fight like your father, but at least you can rest well knowing that you’ll die like him.” His voice was laced with disgust as Erlan felt his grip tighten painfully. “Not that you deserve that honor, anyhow,” The commander hissed, before turning to the surrounding guards. “remove the anomaly.”

“No-,” Erlan screamed as he felt the commander reach for his pocket. Only this time they’d opted for the left one instead. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with- don’t!”

Then the commander withdrew his hands. Confusion painted his voice as the soldier carefully held his hand towards the commander, “Is this some sort of ploy?” He whirled around to Kokaf, fury evident on his face as he painfully tightened his grip on Erlan. “You said the anomaly would be here.” Erlan craned his neck back, catching sight of the rather large silver-colored lizard the commander held in his hands. “So why am I holding a lizard?!”  

“Same reason why you and your best men were here, and left the rest of the city blissfully unexposed,” Erlan smiled. 

The commander halted. “What?”

“Aw c’mon, commander. You didn’t think I’d just waltz into this without a plan, did you? I had to keep you distracted-,”

“Distracted?” one of the soldiers repeated before Kogash glared at him. 

“Yeah! How else were we going to douse the watch towers, and cut you off from any form of outside communication while sweeping through the city?”

The panic and fury that had been in the commander’s eyes was nearly priceless as the sounds of running footsteps neared.

“Sir!” cried an Atlantean voice. “Sir it’s them-,” his voice cut off as Erlan heard a heavy thud. Immediately the other soldiers stood up. Their eyes all focused on the other side of the dock, as Erlan wrestled his head up to see. Lying there on the edge of the pier was the body of an Atlantean soldier with a hunting knife sticking out of his back.

“Sorry we’re late” came Geron’s voice as several masked hunters approached. “We just had to pick up a few friends on our way here.”

The commander yelled out something in Atlantean as the sounds of their flying ships filled the air. In the darkness Erlan could make out the figure of his aunt with her bow, carefully drawing the bow string back. Then she released it. An arrow sailed through the darkness before piercing the chest of an Atlantean. 

Soon several more arrows followed, with many hitting their flying targets. 

The hunters sprang into action, cutting and engaging the remaining Atlantean soldiers. Erlan’s heart soared as he recognized a few Seralix merchants within the mix as well.

“Foolish child,” the man sneered as he pulled Erlan’s neck upwards, forcing him to face him. “Do you really think this little calvary will be enough to defeat me?”

He shook his head as he smiled. “Nope. But she can-,”

“Who?” he’d murmured as the lizard sprung to life in his hands. Its teeth sharpened as it bit into his palm. He screamed, dropping both weapon and lizard as Erlan shifted his weight. Reaching forward to grab the fallen weapon before he turned around. 

“It’s been a pleasure commander,” he called as he’d lodged the blade into the commander’s chest. Then he’d pushed back, sinking the blade deeper as the commander had slid off of him.  

He’d forced himself to his feet, quickly reaching for the lizard. He couldn’t quite keep himself from smiling as he gently picked it up. “Thanks, Allepac,” he whispered to it, as it narrowed its silver eyes at him.

Geron was the first to reach him. “Are you alright?” He’d asked him. His clothes and armor had been covered in blood stains.

He nodded, “I’m fine. But Kokaf is hurt!” 

“Kokaf?” He could practically hear the frown in Geron’s voice. It’d been no surprise that he too had taken Kokaf’s betrayal to heart. 

“It’s a long story. But he saved me.”

“Erlan-,” his voice had sounded more akin to a commander than the man who’d patiently taught him and Kokaf how to hunt. The man who’d more or less become his own surrogate father upon losing his family the day their kingdom had fallen. 

“Please,” he’d pleaded with him. 

He sighed, slowly relenting as he nodded “Alright. We will check on him.”

“Thank you,” Erlan let out a sigh of relief as he watched Saraki venture towards Kokaf’s body before asking, “How have things been going?”

“Surprisingly well. It seems as if he’d placed most of the guards and firepower here to confront you tonight. The rest of the city was nearly empty, just as you expected,” 

“I had a feeling that he wouldn’t be taking any chances once he’d learned that it was in the city,” Erlan had answered as he turned his eyes toward the commander’s body.

The man had dragged himself upwards, leaning against the pier’s railing as he’d writhed in agony. 

“No! NO!” The commander weakly yelled as he looked around the dock. The sight of his men’s bodies littering the ground with the bodies of the Seralix and hunters must’ve been too much for him to bear, as tears had begun to escape his eyes. He’d cradled his arm which was now turning a strange shade of gray. His fingers painfully decayed as the veins in his arm blackened.

He screamed in agony as the gray discoloration spread across the rest of him.  He’d reached into his side, pulling out a strange crystalline spear as he’d turned his eyes upward. Blood seeped through the corner of his lips and nostrils as he murmured something incohesive. 

“A flare signal!” Geron yelled. His voice drew the attention of every warrior who’d stood on the dock. “Don’t let him release it!”

Immediately every warrior, both Atlantean and non-Atlantean, had scrambled towards the commander. But the Atlantean soldiers had been quicker, either restraining or injuring their opponents as their commander aimed the spear upward. 

A laugh slipped through his lips as his finger began to apply pressure to the side of the spear.

That was all Erlan needed to see before he grabbed a bow and arrow from the nearest Atlantean body. His body effortlessly took the form he’d been practicing for months as he shot the arrow, watching as it soared through the air before firmly embedding itself in the heart of the Commander.

The Commander weakly reached for the arrow, only to halt as he slumped over.

His eyes had met Erlan’s for one final time just as he’d held the spear, pushing its button before his body went limp.

“No!” Geron screamed, watching as three red bursts of energy left the spear’s crystalline tip before disappearing into the cloudy night sky above. 

The port had gone silent as all eyes fixated on the sky.

Then they felt it. 

A low growl from overhead as something began moving through the clouds.

The commotion quickly spread as Erlan heard the sounds of the nearby streets awaken. People stepped out of the inns  to stare up in awe as Geron took an uneasy step back.

“No,” he murmured. He looked as if he were on the verge of passing out. “It couldn’t be.”

“What is it? What’s going on?” Erlan yelled to him.

“That flare signal…it wasn’t just a distress signal….no, it was a signal beacon.”

“A signal beacon? For what exactly?” He’d asked as they heard the creature above move once more. He couldn’t see it, but whatever it was, was huge. 

“One of the worst of the Atlantean inventions,” he’d murmured as the creature above moved again. Soon they could see blue eyes glowing from behind the clouds. 

The roar it released shook the ground once more as he heard his aunt cry, “They wouldn’t send it to attack a civilian port, would they?”

“They would if they’ve sensed it’s been overrun by hostiles,” Geron whispered back. Its eyes turned red as he heard Geron scream “Retreat!”

All hell had broken loose as he’d watched the warriors on the pier scatter. Pushing, shoving, and tripping as all raced to evacuate the pier. The monster roared once more, this time revealing itself as it slipped from beneath the clouds.

A large stone serpentine dragon with several carvings along the side of its body appeared. The energy glowed and pulsed along its side as it unhinged its jaw before aiming.

The blast of energy that had left its mouth had struck the sea a few kilometers away from them. The shockwaves rocked the very island itself as several people fell over.

Now he could hear the sounds of the distress bells, ringing in the city as an Atlantean voice yelled out evacuation instructions to the panicked crowd that had filled the streets.

How had this gone so wrong?

They’d been so close to winning. So near to victory and yet-

Another blast hit the ocean, this time far closer as he’d felt the heat from the blast singe his skin.

The ground rocked violently, as the waves began to gather rising higher and higher as they swept onto the pier, pulling people and bodies back into the darkness below. 

Lightning had torn the air as a large wave began barreling towards the pier. 

“Retreat! Retreat!” Geron screamed as Erlan raced over to where Kokaf lay. Sakari was there, slinging Kokaf’s arm over her shoulder as she pleaded with him to get up.

He groaned in pain, clutching his bloodied side as sweat gathered on his brow.

“Here,” Erlan yelled, slinging Kokaf’s other arm over his shoulder as he helped them up.

Sakari’s eyes had met his immediately. Then she’d looked past him towards the incoming wave. The fire from her eyes had been missing as he’d heard her scream, “What do we do now?”

What do they do? He wishes he knew.

“Allepac-,” he’d yelled over the sounds of the roaring wave that neared. “Allepac?” Horror filled him as he noticed the creature’s absence. “Allepac!” He’d screamed into the darkness of the horrified crowd.  “I have to find her-,”

“Find who? Are you crazy?!” Sakari yelled. “We’re all going to die!”

“Considering that I sold my soul for this,” he gestured to the pier as it was now covered in the wave’s darkness. “Yes!”

“You sold your What-?!” She’d screamed as the wave arrived. Erlan had braced himself, trying not to think of how it would feel to get swept away when the air had crackled. A beam of silver energy tore through the wave as it promptly dissipated into trillions of water droplets and steam that hung suspended in the air.

Gasps of horror and awe surrounded him as he watched the droplets shimmer before racing toward the stone serpent in the sky. 

The serpent was moving, firing its own beams of energy at the droplets. But it had done little to dissuade the incoming droplets as they’d promptly splashed it, quickly slipping through its cracks as it roared.

Darkness soon seeped around its body as several tendrils emerged, trying to rip it apart from the inside out. Slowly it had started to writhe. Its eyes flickered between silver and blue before its body tensed.

“Come on!” Erlan had yelled to Sakari and the surrounding warriors. “Everyone evacuate the pier now!”

They’d nodded quickly making their way off as Erlan, Kokaf, and Sakari had followed. Kokaf’s groans quieted as Erlan fearfully took note of his friend’s sudden stillness. 

“Hang on Kokaf,” he whispered. “We’ll help you soon. I promise.”

“Look!” Someone screamed as the people pointed to the sky. A brilliant light emerged from the serpentine creature as it faltered and fell towards the sea. Its body collided with the ocean, sending shockwaves through the city as the Atlantean ships began racing toward the shore. Large waves emerged from the sea, quickly swallowing them whole before dissipating into nothingness. 

 The waves in the distance shivered and glowed before going still.

All eyes rested on the waters as they began to swell and shake. 

They weren’t certain how much time had passed before the serpentine’s head had floated lifelessly to the top of the waves. Its once glowing eyes were now darkened pits as the water around it began to freeze, encasing it as the ice soon spread through the ports, just as bits and pieces of the serpentine's destroyed body broke the surface as well.

The people had looked on in awe and confusion. Their murmurs filling his ears as he made out the sounds of cheers and yells from the hunters and Seralix people around him. 

“We won! We won! We won!” Someone yelled as the rest of the crowd broke into cheers. The Hunters and the Seralix laughed and embraced as Erlan’s eyes returned to Seralix princess, and then his friend.

The princess’s eyes were filled with tears as she gave him a look that he could only describe as hopeless. 

“Kokaf,” he started. The ground beneath his friend was now stained a deep crimson. He’d cursed himself for not grabbing a crystal as he’d felt the broken shards of his own stone hang around his neck.

“Erlan,” Kokaf quietly whispered back.  “They’d discovered me the day after…Saraki had brought me to the first rebel meeting. And they’d known that my father had been a general, one that was nothing compared to yours…But they’d threaten the lives of my family, and hers,” he’d weakly look towards Saraki as she’d taken both of his hands in hers. “Unless, of course, I complied….” he stopped shaking.  “They’d never seem happy that you’d been allowed to live…So they told me to get you involved in our schemes. It would be your life for ours.” A tear had left the corner of his eyes as he’d drawn in a shaky breath. “I…I didn’t want you to die-,” he whispered before wincing. “I remember the day all of our parents were executed. I remember seeing my father before they carried him away. He’d made me promise him… to always look out for my family…no matter the cost.”

“A life is a life,” Erlan spoke quietly. His voice was nearly lost over the sounds of the sea as the other hunters joined him, all kneeling at the side of Kokaf. “And in this world, I can’t fault you for doing your best to preserve the lives of those close to you. I know that I would’ve done the same for you if it’d been demanded of me.”

“Then promise me you’ll forgive me,” Kokaf pleaded, every breath he drew was more shallow than the last. His eyes now staring aimlessly at the sky above as the light of the rising sun pierced the cloud.

“I do,” Erlan promised. “I do.”

“Erlan,” came a voice as all eyes turned towards the large creature that descended from the clouds. Darkness had enshrouded its form as it landed a few yards away from them.

“Allepac” he’d replied. Its silver eyes met his as he approached. The crowd was speechless. All staring in awe at the strange creature before them, before the Seralix princess stumbled forward.

“Please!” she begged, tears streaming down her face. “He’s dying! Please save him!”

Allepac had stood there motionlessly, looking over the form of the princess, then Kokaf’s. “The fate of the traitor’s life ultimately rests in the hands of those he has betrayed,” its voice hissed as he watched Saraki’s face pale. 

The hunters exchanged glances, looking uneasily at each other and then towards Merendellis. She’d nodded. Her hand resting on Geron’s shoulder. “Geron,” she spoke softly.

“He has a lot to answer for,” Geron whispered. His face hardened before he sighed. “But not with his own life.” His eyes had wondered to Erlan who’d nodded in reply.

There would be proper retribution for Kokaf’s actions later, but for now, Erlan had other plans in mind. He’d turned back towards Allepac as it whispered into his mind, ‘ We do not intend on saving him.’

He frowned, watching as its eyes narrowed before it continued speaking to him telepathically, ‘This is a fitting punishment for a traitor and is far more merciful than any death we could have given him.’

‘No,’ he’d replied back, taking note of the pleading look in the princess’s eyes. ‘Not quite.’

Allepac had watched him curiously as he’d looked back at Kokaf’s form. ‘Regardless of what we feel about his betrayal. Kokaf has proven himself useful, as have the Seralix this night. He is brave, and he is far more valuable to us alive than dead. The Seralix value him as he’s sacrificed himself for their princess. She seems to like him as well. So if need be we can use him to secure a much stronger alliance with them.’

The creature’s eyes rested back on the princess who’d still held Kokaf’s hands. ‘I see. Very well then. We will allow the traitor to live for the sake of your alliance.’

“Thank you Allepac,” he bowed, and with that, he’d watched as Kokaf’s wounds began to glow silver. The princess and several onlookers gasped in awe and wonder as Kokaf’s wounds vanished.

Slowly his eyes had opened as he’d groaned, looking from Saraki to Erlan in surprise. “Saraki?....Erlan? What happened?”

“You’re alive!” Saraki gasped as she tightly embraced him. “It worked! Erlan it worked!”

“Keep on hugging me like that, and you won’t be able to say that for much longer-,” he’d choked out before hugging her back.

She’d promptly released him before turning back to Erlan, then Allepac. “Thank you,” she smiled. “We won’t forget what you’ve done for us today. We, Seralix are proud to call ourselves your allies.”

“Likewise,” Erlan replied with a small smile.

Kokaf hesitantly sat up as he’d bowed his head to the hunters. “I know I owe you an apology,” he started. “All of you. For saving my life and for taking back the port. I was a coward to betray you all as I did, and I understand if you don’t want me around anymore.”

“Kokaf’s it fine…But why don’t we discuss this later?” Erlan started softly as his aunt and Geron nodded in agreement. 

Kokaf hesitantly nodded, “Alright…But I guess I owe you this for saving my life then, don’t I?” Kokaf replied as he’d dug through his tunic before pulling out an Atlantean crystal. “Here. Take it. It was their ‘gift’ to me in exchange for information” His eyes cautiously wandered toward Allepac’s form as he added, “Plus you seem to know more about dealing with these crystals than I do.”

“Thanks, Kokaf,” Erlan grinned as he held up the crystal for Allepac to see. “See? I told you the plan would work out!”

Allepac rolled its eyes as he carefully slipped the crystal into his pocket. Its eyes focused on the lingering Atlanteans who’d watched it fearfully. Already Erlan could tell what Allepac had planned to do, and he’d shook his head. 

His eyes landed on Kedakh standing not too far off with his family. Several Atlanteans had joined him as they’d looked on uneasily. He’d taken note of the look of passive resignation in Kedakh’s eyes. His words had effectively come true. Things were changing.

But they wouldn’t get worse, not if he had anything to say or do about it.

“ You wish to allow them to stay?” Allepac’s voices had asked.

He nodded, “of course. Not all of them have supported the actions of the royal family or their country’s quest for world domination. They are citizens who’ve been living on this port for generations. When my people made this port, they built it to allow everyone regardless of origin to do business here. So it is only right that we allow them to continue doing as they wish.”

Kedakh had nodded, relief coming to his face as cheers enveloped the harbor. 

A few Atlanteans had joined in the celebration as the sun rose, bringing with it the dawn of a new day.

“Look out!” Erlan yelled as he and Merendellis had ducked for cover. The ship sparked as it flew overhead, swiftly flying around before it promptly sailed into the forest. A loud collision was soon heard as the ground shook.

“That was insane-,” Merendellis breathed.

“That was perfect!” Erlan grinned. His silvery blue eyes widened in amazement. 

“What?!” Meredenellis cried as she and several of the men gathered, cautiously following after Erlan. “It could’ve killed us! Look Erlan when I told you to take some time off, I didn’t mean to take time off to build weapons that would destroy everybody!”

“I know- but it worked! Did you see the way it fired the energy or how fast it flew?” he’d called before he’d made his way out of their coliseum. He’d bid his greetings to the women who’d sat outside weaving as he passed, racing through the village. 

What had once been a mere gathering of small clay and mud houses were now stone buildings all exquisitely designed for both business and living.

Seeing the faces of people, sometimes from other countries such as the Adakhi, the Seralix, the Relaki, and even the Atlanteans had become a rather common occurrence. As with the reclamation of the port cities, the nations had begun to permit more traveling and intermingling. 

A few of the ships he’d invented had flown overhead with their riders bidding him good morning as he’d passed by. It had been hard to believe that it had only been half a decade since they’d reclaimed the port, but he was proud to say that things had mostly changed for the better. Convincing the people to rebuild the village in their old architectural style before the Atlantean invasion, had been met with a surprising amount of resistance. They’d claimed that the old style was far too reminiscent of the Atlanteans and had instead opted to go in a new creative direction, integrating all sorts of bold architectural styles and designs he’d never seen before.

It shouldn’t have frustrated him as much as it did. He’d understood the want to distance themselves from the past and the pain that it had brought. But he’d be lying if he’d denied that a part of him had secretly wished for them to restore their nation to its former image, an image that was said to have been so great that even the Atlanteans had admired it.

It had taken him two years until Allepac had deemed him ‘sufficient enough to teach’ allowing for him to return to his village. His powers had yet to awaken, but he could read, and write well, a skill that had quickly proven useful as he'd quickly learned his other subjects. 

Of course even after his 'graduation', he'd still dropped by to visit his former teacher whenever he wasn’t busy helping his people establish more trading partners and at times, recapture more port cities.

Part of him was ashamed at how much he’d love the rush of doing something so thrilling, but it had all been for the betterment of the people he’d assured himself. Even as Allepac scolded him for any injuries he’d sustained during the process. But it had been worth it, as, after the last most major victory, the Atlanteans had gone suspiciously silent.

He’d posted spies in every country to keep an eye on any activity, along with even recruiting a few Atlanteans such as Kedakh into his ranks. But all the trails had gone cold, which he had suspected hadn’t been unintentional on their part.

That’s why he’d been so intent on building weapons. Weapons that could level the playing field.  He knew it was only a matter of time before things escalated, and either side would declare war. 

He’d passed a training class, watching as Geron had instructed several children and women on how to use various weapons. A few of the children had stopped to greet him, with some even begging him to demonstrate. He’d (unfortunately) had to pass on the offer, but he’d promised them that he’d be back to visit soon.

Finally, he’d entered the forest, tracking the ship with relative ease as he quickly reached its crash site.

To his delight, the ship had remained in one piece. “Great!” he’d smiled as he slid down the rock before landing next to the ship. “I can also add ‘indestructible’ to the list!” He’d knelt at the ship’s side, taking note of the sparks that had emerged from where it had collided with the tree. 

He’d have to reinforce that side a bit better. He’d pulled out a small piece of paper as he’d begun to jot down a few notes. Finally, he’d nodded, Slipping the paper back into his pocket as he’d risen to his feet.

It had taken him a minute or so to notice the abnormal silence that had once filled the lively forest around him. He couldn’t remember hearing it this quiet before…

BARK

He’d paused, rising to his feet as he heard footsteps race towards him and a familiar Wolf-dog appear.

Faiolia!” he’d murmur in surprise as he kneeled down to greet his approaching pet. She was carrying something in her mouth. Something he hadn’t been able to see until she’d dropped it in his hands. It had only taken him a minute to recognize was it was, before he’d found himself withdrawing a communication device, hurriedly signaling for the ships to join him as he climbed onto the ship that had crashed a few feet away. Faiolia barked, eagerly taking her seat behind him as the ship began to levitate once more and they took off.

How had they been able to get in? His mind reeled with confusion and anger as the terrible screams of people pierced the air. The distress bells rang as he heard the sounds of evacuation orders. Plumes of smoke filled the air as he caught sight of the fire that had eaten away at the fields.

The Atlanteans were attacking their food source. A sensible tactic that was no doubt was part of a far more intricate plan. But whatever said plan was would have to wait as he caught sight of several stone sea serpents flying through the air. 

They fired towards them as Atlanteans swarmed the city below. His warriors returned fire, as several war machines exploded, filling the air with brilliant colors as his communication device had crackled to life. 

Kokaf’s voice rang in his ears, “on the way!” he’d called. “Bringing reinforcement.”

“Received!” Erlan called back, before turning to his soldiers. 

He’d barked commands to his soldiers, dividing their forces into three. One group to deal with the fire. The other was to deal with the war machines and the final was to deal with the ground assault. The soldiers had voiced their agreement as he’d turned his ship towards the serpent, locking onto it, before he’d grabbed an all too eager Faolia, and jumped, just as his ship collided with the serpent.

The explosion rocked the air as he felt himself fall downwards. Relief filled him as he watched one of his subordinates ship near, grabbing him as they pulled him into the ship.

They’d reached the ground in a matter of seconds as he’d leaped out of the ship, Faiolia followed suit. Quickly leaping onto an Atlantean as she’d pushed them backward. 

“Careful Faiolia!” he’d called as he quickly disarmed the first attacker before he’d dealt with the second. 

How had they managed to slip in undetected? He’d wandered before he’d heard Faoilia bark. Turning towards one of the storehouses. 

“Hold your ground!” he’d called to his soldiers. “I’m going to investigate.” They’d nodded as he took off in the direction he’d seen Faolia bark. Entering the house, he’d been greeted by nothing but darkness. He’d held his necklace up, allowing its silvery light to illuminate the darkness as he pressed forward.

“Let me know if you find anything,” he’d whispered to Faoilia who’d barked before taking off. The air was strangely still as he searched the house. This storage house had been much older than its other counterparts. Its support pillars were tall and partially decayed as cobwebs seemed to cover nearly every inch of the room.

He could hear Faoilia sniffing as she carefully made her way through the storage room. So far he’d seen nothing, but he knew better than to doubt Faoilia’s instincts, as she’d proven more times than not to be far smarter than most thought.

“See anything, girl?” he’d whispered as he’d ducked underneath a cobweb. 

She barked, which he could only assume had meant yes as he traveled towards her, watching as she stood a few feet away from a large pit in the ground.

It looked as if the ground had caved in. He’d heard rumors of the Atlanteans having interconnected underground tunnels that had run deep into the earth, allowing them to not only travel but flee in times of danger.

Of course, most of those rumors had been unsubstantiated, but he’d cursed himself for not considering them a possibility sooner.

Faolilia’s sharp barks caught his attention as he turned his eyes toward the direction she’d been barking in. A figure had stood near the entrance, shrouded in Atlantean warrior garb as their crystal had glowed.

“Take cover-,” he’d yelled to Faoilia as he’d ducked underneath one blast.  Faiolia had retaliated, her teeth clamping into the arm of his attacker as they yelled in pain. They’d tried to shake her off as he’d neared drawing his weapon to strike when they’d turn back towards him. 

Their eyes had met his as he watched them aim their weapon once more. But he’d been faster.  Drawing his blade swiftly as he dragged it across his attacker’s chest.

Faiolia barked happily as he watched the figure stumble backward. Their eyes widened with pain as their back hit the wall. It had only been out of mercy that he’d drawn his weapon again, hoping to make his attacker’s pain end when they’d struck once more.

Abruptly aiming their weapons towards him, they fired.

This time the beam hit the pillar, destroying it as the building began to shake. 

“Run Faiolia!” he’d screamed as they’d began bolting towards the entrance. He’d nearly made it when the debris fell, cutting him off from the outside world as his vision darkened. 

When he’d awoken the first thing he’d felt was pain. The darkness swimming across his eyes as he felt his body pinned beneath the debris of the storehouse. 

His heavy breaths echoed through his ears as he heard the faint sounds of Faiolia barking, followed by more shouts and yells. His eyes turned upwards, catching sight of the stray beam of light that had managed to slip into the cracks of the debris.

“Down here!” he’d yelled as he felt the ground shake. The sounds of the Atlantean war machines screamed overhead as he heard his people continue to shout.

He’d tried to move the debris off of his leg. But to little success. “Please,” he’d whispered as he felt the ground tremble once more.

The wail of his people filled his ears as he could smell the faint scent of smoke.  Faiolia’s barking grew louder. 

They couldn’t die like this. He couldn’t die like this. 

“That’s Seamus’s son,” he’d heard Kokash’s voice ring out from the darkness. “Pitiful in life and death.”

“That can’t be?!” he’d cried, reeling back as his eyes scanned the darkness. The figures of Kokash and Kerakash along with several other Atlantean soldiers slowly materialized in front of his face, all wearing the armor he’d last seen them in when they’d been alive.

“I’m not dead!” he’d cried.

“Not yet, no,” Kokash had sneered as Kerakash had ventured forward, kneeling next to him.

“What’s with the confusion, boy? You got what you wanted didn’t you?” His heart had stopped as he heard Kerakash’s voice speak to him. 

The pain must’ve been getting to him now as he’d replied without thinking, “I didn’t want this. I didn’t want any of this.”

“Didn’t you?” his voice had soothingly replied. “You spilled Atlantean blood, didn’t you. Yes, I’ve seen how you’ve practically littered the ports with the bodies of your enemies. Tell me, child, how did it feel? It felt powerful, didn’t it? Having us at your mercy?”

“No,” he’d coughed out. “It didn’t. I’m not like you. I only did what I had to. Not what I wanted.”

“And yet you all suffer the same for it.” Kerakash’s voice mocked as he felt the surrounding coldness begin to seep into his bones. “They’re going to wipe you out after this. They’ll torch your lands and salt your fields. Soon nothing will be left. Not your people, nor your lands, or even your animals. Nothing.”

He’d struggled harder against the debris trapping him. A cry escaped him as he’d found little success in freeing himself. 

“But I suppose you should find some pride in it,” Kerakash sighed. “Before we’d allowed your people to exist because they were nothing. You were nothing. The battle had been long decided before we’d ever claimed the lives of your parents.”

He stopped his struggles, “What?”

“Oh come now! You’re supposed to be a politician, aren’t you? Or some great statesman! Surely you aren’t ignorant of the past political intricacies of your nation.” When he’d failed to answer he’d watch Kerakash’s expression sour. “Of course. The spirit of the people, of a kingdom, ultimately lives and dies with their king. And your people were no exception. You see, your king was a special man. So you can only imagine how the people’s spirit had crumbled when they’d seen their king, once so brilliantly full of power, die like any common man.”

“Power,” he’d murmur. “You killed everyone within the royal family because of the king’s power?”

“Of course we did! Why else do you think we’d allow the other royal families to live and not yours? Yours were just too dangerous. You are dangerous,” Their laughter echoed through the space as fury filled him. His vision reddened as he’d unsuccessfully tried to free himself once more.

Powers. He’d never known the king had powers. In fact he’d never even thought that humans having powers was a possibility until Allepac had told him about his. Wait.

He had powers, didn’t he? He just needed to awaken them.

“Whatever you’re doing won’t work boy,” Kogash’s voice had harshly cut through the silence as he’d felt the walls of debris begin to close in. Breathing was becoming more difficult. “Every time you’ve cheated death has been because of the power of the anomaly with you! You have achieved nothing on your own!” Their voices had joined in unison as they’d screamed, “You are nothing!”

“I am,” he’d agreed as he felt the debris push against his body. “And I’ve always let it bother me. No matter how proud of my heritage I’ve tried to be, deep down I’ve always been ashamed of how little I had. It’s what made me chase after our past glory days.” Now he was pushing back against the debris that had threatened to cut and bloody his fingers. But he’d ignored the pain, continuing on, “Not only to reclaim our heritage but to be more like you, to reclaim a past image that you’d approved of.. But now I know this is not the case. The legacy and strength of our people have never lied in chasing our past, but rather forming our future.” His voice had wavered as he’d desperately tried to draw on any power he could sense within himself. He’d come up short once more, but there’d been no disappointment with it this time. No, only anger, as he’d called out into the darkness. “A future where we will be free from the shadows and ghosts of our past. A future where we will be free from you!”

The air around him crackled and burned as he felt it. Something within him moved as power flew from his body, disintegrating the debris and shadows around him as it swallowed the cries of his demons.

His body had felt light as it lifted itself from beneath the rubble. Bright blue and white energy gathered and crackled around him as he found himself back on the surface on top of the debris. All eyes drew towards him as he’d turned his eyes towards the sky where the sea serpents resided. 

The sea serpent roared, its body pointed towards the city as it released its attack. He’d barely managed to draw all his power as he’d reached forward. 

It had only been because he’d remembered what Allepac had said during his lessons to unlock his powers that he’d even been half successful. His powers pitifully deflected the incoming blast as it’d sent it elsewhere. It collided with the ground, knocking him over as he heard the creature growling.

Its eyes were now red as it unleashed another beam. One that he could barely answer with a half-formed shield materializing itself in the way of the beam. 

The two forces collided, nearly knocking him over once more as he’d forced himself to remain standing. His body quickly ached as the creature continued its assault.

“Erlan!” he could hear a muffled voice call. 

“Go!” he’d yelled back. His shield was starting to break now. “Get everyone out of here!” 

His legs had trembled, as he felt his knees threaten to buckle. Blurry figures raced past him as he forced himself to draw on his power. Deeper and deeper he’d gone, his mind screaming in protest as the cracks in his shield began to grow.

He’d been prepared to die here today.

He’d nearly resigned himself to said fate until he heard a familiar roar tear through the air. Instantaneously the clouds had parted as he’d watched a beam of silver energy tear through the sky like lightning, striking the serpent. The serpent screamed, its body burning as Allepac’s form appeared through the clouds.

The serpent hadn’t stood a chance as he’d watched Allepac practically swallow the creature as clouds enveloped its darkened figure. Seconds later mangled parts of the serpent's body descended from the clouds. Its final roar echoed through his mind as he felt his knees buckle. 

“ Erlan ,” Allepac’s voice had called. Darkness enveloped his vision as his head hit the ground.

“It’s unmistakable,” his aunt’s voice broke the silence as he felt the darkness gradually release him. He was in the castle’s infirmary now.

“We all knew it would come to this,” Geron sighed. “It was only a matter of time.”

“ Battle plans will need to be made. In the meantime, we trust that you two will be able to address the citizens?” Allepac’s voice answered. “ They no doubt will want answers for what they have seen.”

“Yes,” His aunt agreed. “They will, and they do. Word has already spread amongst them like wildfire. It seems as if they’re all aware of Erlan’s abilities.”

“There’d always been rumors that his father had been the illegitimate son of one of the princes,” he’d heard Geron murmur. “Unconfirmed rumors of course. But I always believed they’d had some merit to them. The resemblance between the two was uncanny.”

“I was hoping that it wasn’t,” he’d heard his aunt draw in a shaky sigh.

“ Why not? ” Allepac’s voices cooly echoed through the room, as Erlan’s eyes searched the ceiling, patiently awaiting his aunt’s reply.

“It’s a heavy burden being king,” she’d said. “And they’d already been suspicious of his existence given that he’d been the son of a great general. If they’d known the truth of this, then they would’ve killed him when they’d executed his parents.”

“ It is poetic justice then,” Allepac replied, sounding amused. 

“Any particular reason why your spirits are so high?” Erlan had asked, as all eyes in the room turned towards him. “Or was your trip back to space just that enjoyable?”

“Erlan!” his aunt had cried as she’d rushed to his side. Geron had cast the creature an uneasy glance before following after her, evidently not comfortable with being in such close proximity to it alone. “How are you feeling? You’re not hurt are you?”

“Other than feeling like a building collapsed on me, I’m fine,” he smiled at his aunt. “I finally awakened my powers.”

“So we’ve heard,” she cast a small yet sad smile. “And you’ve probably heard us discussing it as well.”

He nodded, sliding his legs over the side of the bed as he asked, “So what’s all this about me being king? And illegitimate bloodlines?”

His aunt had looked to Geron, who’d stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Well, Erlan. You see. The royal family of our kingdom has always been…special. Special in the fact that its bloodline had carried certain powers, capabilities, if you will, that had allowed them to do the impossible. It’d always been the mark of royalty, as well as the greatest secret of the kingdom. Anyone who’d been blessed with said powers regardless of whether or not they’d been related to the royal family by legitimate blood was often considered a royal. Now, nothing was ever confirmed, but people have always suspected that your father was an illegitimate grandson of the last king.”

“Why was he illegitimate?”

“Protection, I think. Most believe that due to his uncanny resemblance to the second son of the king, and the fact that his mother, your grandmother had been a rather favorite of the prince, your father was his son. Of course, the second prince knew better than to reveal his son after the three brothers had taken an oath to remain fatherless until they’d split the kingdom after their father died.”

“But they never got the chance…”

He shook his head sadly. “No, but even if they had, they’d all been so popular with the ladies that I doubted said vow had any meaning to begin with.”

“But the fact that I have powers,” he’d murmured as he gazed into his open palms. “Do you really think that it means I’m related to the last king?”

Geron nodded, “I do. From what Kokaf and the others tell me, it sounds as if your powers are nearly identical to your great-grandfather’s.”

“But…if I’m the descendant of the king, does that mean?”

Geron nodded as he took a seat on the bed next to him, “By law, I do suppose the kingdom, or rather what’s left of it is yours, if you so wish to claim it.”

“You don’t have to,” his aunt interjected. “Not if you feel as if the burden will be too much to bear-,”

“This burden that we have is all because of me,” he said. His head lowered in shame. “I’m the reason why the Atlanteans are attacking, so if anyone should be shouldering the burden for this. Then it’s me.”  He’d slid off the bed as he’d stopped in front of Allepac. “I won’t fault any of you for walking away,” he’d started. 

Geron and his aunt had exchanged uneasy looks. 

“Ay son,” Geron protested as he stood to his feet. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“What?”

“As a general, I’d swear my allegiance first and foremost to my king and my country. I did it for your great-grandfather and your grandfather. So why not you?”

His aunt nodded, “he’s right. We’ve already come this far, Erlan. Why stop now?”

“We could fail-,”

“We could, but what other option do we have? The Atlanteans have declared war upon us. But I know you’ve been preparing for this, haven’t you? The weapons you’ve been building. The warriors you’ve been recruiting and training as well as the alliances you’ve created. It’s why you even blessed Kokaf’s marriage to Saraki…All of that has been leading to this very moment.”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I wanted to make sure that if they’d declared war, then they wouldn’t just be fighting us. They’d be fighting the world.”

“But they’d conquered the world-,” Geron started.

“As individual countries, yes. But as United forces hell bent on vengeance? No.” He’d turned back to Allepac. “I may need your help once more, just to ensure last-minute reparations. And proper training.”

“ Consider it done,” it answered, much to his surprise. “ Do not mistake this for charity. We only wish to see you succeed if it will mean that the shard fails.”

“Great,” he’d sighed. “But I suppose beggars can’t be choosers so I’ll take all the help I can get.” He'd turn back to his aunt and Geron, gratitude filled his eyes as he'd bowed and smiled. "Thank you. Both of you, for everything." The other two nodded, their voices becoming muffled as Asha watched the scene blur and meld before her. 

Now she and the star were standing on the outskirts of the kingdom, where she could see a proud yet beautiful castle sitting in the far-off distance. Fireflies gently circled as she heard the incoming waves crash on the nearby shore. 

She'd watched the figures of Erlann and several warriors appear on the beach. All were in battle armor wearing silver stones around their necks as she’d noted that their eyes were all a startling shade of gray. All save for Geron, whose eyes remained a deep brown.

 Several mounted their ships as Erlan stood there, talking to them. They nodded. Their ships took off, leaving Geron alone with Erlan. The two had exchanged words that she couldn’t quite hear before they’d embraced. 

 Geron had stopped to stare off into the distance, his eyes meeting hers before he’d turned his attention back to what he was doing.

Then they departed. 

Geron on his ship.