#kingdoms fall

Morning came, well, morning proper. It took some effort for the teen to find sleep once again after the nightmare. There was nothing more that he wanted than to rush out to take this challenge head on, however, this was not something he could tackle alone. He knew this. He shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, his fingers brushing through his pink locks. A soft sigh escaped him, his midnight shower left it a tangled mess. With a sleepy motion he reached for a book that sat at the head of his little alcove bed. The journal had been beat. It’s once vibrant red cover now covered in wear, a few places were torn along the spine, and it was obvious which pages were used and not by just a glance. He shifted about halfway through the book and grabbed his quill and that signature vibrant blue ink. It was a color that seemed to bring him a bit of comfort in the chaotic world around him. There was not even a moment’s hesitation before the first name was laid to page. Trystan, Vincent’s best friend and closest ally. The man who promised that he would always be there when Vincent needed the help. The one he probably felt the most guilty for leaving in the dark over all this. The second name came just as quick as the first. Korrina, Vincent’s cousin. The woman who had earned the title ‘Lioness of Garlemald’. She probably knew the most about the teen, despite how little they interacted while he was younger. She had just come back and he knew that she would lend her sword. Tala, the Keeper had become close to Vincent during Menphina Madness and become another incredibly close friend. He had several encounters with the Empire with her by his side. She was most certainly someone he knew he could trust in combat.

Zahra, another good friend of Vincent. She was one of the newer members that he had come to trust. He had opened up to her in ways that no one else had gotten him to do so. A very inspiring individual, for Vincent and the other members of their group.

Gail, this woman was still a bit of a mystery to Vincent. She joined the group about the time that Zahra had and took an almost motherly role toward the teen. Her skill with a gun, contacts, and quick wit surely would be useful.

A smile swept his face as he looked over the page, but there was one detail he was missing. None of those on the list really had much knowledge of the city. He paused but a moment as he crunched his nose in thought. He wanted to be careful who he picked to get involved, this was not a task to be taken lightly. Nervously, he began to chew on the corner of his lip as he almost seemed to zone out in thought. Eventually, his quill was brought to the journal again. He thought of someone, a name that still made him a little nervous. With little interaction with the man, there was this concern that they would not agree. But still, he had to ask. With a few sweeps of the quill, he finally wrote down Sarto on his list. He really didn’t know much about the mage, but he did know that they seemed to have some understanding of the city.

He pulled the ribbon of a bookmark into the spot to mark the page. He can work through the list and contact them one by one, but first, he had to get his morning started. Training for the Minor Leagues had to be done and despite wanting to remain in his bed, that wasn’t how his routine would get done. Suns like this always took some effort to muster the will to start his morning, the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll.

It had been happening off and on all sun, but nothing as bad as what had just struck the teen. Everyone was standing around, laughing, talking, enjoying cake in two ilms of glitter when it started. At first, he could ignore it. It was no big deal, the pain was nothing new. Even if the other cycles had been fogged, he always would remember the pain.

Slowly, that ache would grow. As he held the box that was given to him for his nameday, his eyes moved to the injection site on his forearm. Nothing looked unusual. His gaze would shift back to the vibrant gold box held shut with the deep red ribbon. A steady hand opened the gift, revealing the plush that was held with in. The burn would begin. His mind would take more to focus, as his blood shifted to lava. The heat coursing through his body as he gave his thanks. Thanks turned into good nights. Like an avalanche the pain began to swell at alarming rates. He couldn't hide it much longer. No sooner had he informed the others he was going to bed, he was turning for the stairs. Each step up to the dorm that he had come to lay his head felt as if it had been lined with nails. The pain surging through each pace as he made he journeyed to what he hoped would be his salvation. He could still hear them, saying goodnight, but he couldn't respond. If he responded, they would hear the pain.