The Third Prince

Thomas is run away. And, while all people living in the Palace are in despair, he reaches a coast city and met a strange double

Bad News
Eliria was running through the palace stairs, and finally reached the King, who was in the top

- Dad! Daddy!

- Eliria?

- Dad…

She was ofegant when finally reached King Zether Albiore, with the hands in her knees and a heavy breath

- Why you’re out of your bed this time, young lady?

- Thomas… He… Is… Not… In… The bedroom… Ah…

- What?

- Yeah. He was not in the bed, and the window was opened

- You searched for him?

- I looked through the window. He was not in the gardens

- You called the guards?

- No

- Call them. I want all the Inner Auditors searching for him now

- Father – Eliria started to bite her lips – You think… His promise

- Your brother is not sufficiently fool to do something like this – He said – Or I think that he’s not. Only call the guards, daughter

- Yes, Father

She turned away and runned through the following hallway, in the direction to the most next guards. However, in the way, a shadow was waiting by her

She stop running, and looked to him

- Luke…

- Hello, dear cousin

- What you doing here?

- I will ask the same to you

- Thomas… He disappared from the bedroom. I’m searching for him

- Me too – He smiled – You know. He fulfilled his promise

- No – She said

- Yes. And you need to admite it

- No – She turned away – I will never admite it

Two Killers
- Oh! I love this city! – Lina exclamed – Look to this port! Is so old and stupid and cool! And that cats! Wow! I love cats!

- So many entusiasm to a simple mission – said Damien, behind her

The two are above a rooftop, looking to the great city below them. In the coast, the calm waters form several waves, and, in the horizon, is possible to see the end of the island’s waters and the start of the Sea of Clouds

- But this city is too…

- Everything you say, the capital is better

- The hell is better for you too – She took a deep breath before continuing – So, what is our mission?

Damien picked up a letter from his pocket, and opened it

- This – He showed the letter to her, and Lina catched it from his hand

“Lina, new mission to your. The one who contracted the services of my best killer is a noble from the Capital. Your mission lies in Zeus, the greatest city in the Storm Bay. Your target is a young boy. Blonde. Blue eyes. Tall. His name is Thomas. The client asked to be most speedy possible

From your very, very, very, very loved chef, Klaus Dietrich”

- This verys in the end are to be interpreted as a signal of love or foolishness? – asked Damien

- Foolishness – She said – Thomas… Good name. Let’s go, Damien. We need to search for a dead boy

- Is not necessary – Damien pointed down, to the streets – I think is him

- How you can be so certain of that?

- Intuition

Lina looked to him, unbeliever

- Serious?

- Yeah

- I prefer to not attack until I’m knowing something

- Like…?

- The name – She said

City of Zeus
- Awake, boy – When the voice said this, Thomas opened his eyes – We are here. Now, is time to go

- Shit – Thomas pulled up, and looked through the caravan’s white curtains, to saw the city

Great houses and large strees at the seaside, and peoples walking through the streets, some talking, and some very hasty to reach some place

- Zeus is so…

- Great? Yeah. But the Capital is bigger, no?

- Yeah, but… The Capital is so homogeneous. I prefer here

- Hum… So, little boy, I brought you to Zeus, so, you’re in debit with me

- Here, the Albalis – Thomas picked up eleven golden phoenixes, and the driver widened his eyes in surprise – I think is sufficient, no?

- O-Of course… Yeah, is sufficient

- Here – He putted the coins in the driver’s hand

When the caravan stopped, he jumped out

- And thank you for the ride!

Thomas walked away, as the driver was impressed

Thomas entered in a main street, and looked to all peoples walking in an amazed expression

- Okay – He picked up the letter – I want you to be certain, Luke. I’m trusting in you

- Hey! You! Yeah, you!

He turned and looked to a girl with black hair, painted in pink in the front. She was looking to him, happly. Behind her, was a boy with purple hair

- Hey! – She screamed, approaching him

- Hello! – He said – I… I know you?

- No. Probably, no – She said – What’s your name?

- Why you want to know my name

- Only answer her question – Said the boy behind her

- Thomas – he said

- Hum… Interesting. Come with me, Thomas!

- What… Wait!

She tooked his hand and started to run, bringing him with her. The other boy was behind him. She runned until they reached a alley, and then, stopped of running

Thomas was ofegant

- Why… You… Doed… This?

- Is not beautiful klling someone in the street – She said – So, I bringed you here

He paralized instantly

- What… What you said?

- My name is Lina, and I’m your grim reaper – She said – Nice to meet you

- Damien, pleasure – Said the boy

- Wait… Kill me? Why you’re going to kill me

She showed a letter in black letters

- You is our target – She said – Don’t worry, is nothing personal

- Your target? Why I’m your target?

- We don’t know. Is not our responsibility known. We only complete the mission – Damien said – Someone payed our boss for our services. Only this. Is our work. Killing the people

- Simplifying: Someone want you dead – She said – So, you can choose: You want to die teared to pieces by ice, or burned to death in a stake?

- What the hell is this question!?

- The combo? Okay, you’re the boss! Ice Needle!

She moved the hand, and the air coolded and was solified into eight ice stakes

- Ready, Aim, Fire!

She shot the stakes, and Thomas, in a second, avoied the attack going to his left, however, a sound come from behind him. He throwed himself to the ground when the flames passed above him

- Shit – said Damien – I lost him!

- Don’t worry – She extended her arm, and, with a glowing blue light shone – Ice Sword – A Sword made of ice appeared – He will not survive this

- Shit! – Thomas

- AH! – Screamed Lina

She jumped in him, attacking with the sword. He avoided and Damien extended the hands towards him

- Fireball

Several spheres of fire were shot against him. Thomas avoided Lina’s sword one more time before sawing them, and avoided, but a single ball harmed his arm

- AH! SHIT!

- He will be dead soon! Ice Extension!

The sword’s blade shined and then, increased it length to become a strange kind of spear, who pierced the air in Thomas’ direction

- Thunder!

He raised his hand to the sky, and, with a golden light, a large lightning spear was created, and he throwed it in her direction. Lina clicked fingers

- Barrier of the Tundra

The light materialized into the form a great wall of ice, and the lightning spear colided against it, and dissolved itself against the strong ice. Lina smiled, and the ice was reduced to ashes with a hand gesture of her’s

- Okay, the Lightning Magic part surprised me, but, first, you need to learn many things about fight to defeat me. Second, seriously? You really think that a simple lightning will defeat me? Haha! So fool. Now I think I know the reason because the client want you dead

- Goodbye, Thomas – Said Damien

- WAIT! – He fell to ground, in his knees – Please, don’t kill me

- Huh… Cold-hearted bitch here! – Said Lina

- This was a joke? – Damien

- Yeah, baby

- You need to enter in a joke class – Thomas

- After we kill you and get our salary, I’ll enter in a comedy class, don’t worry about this

- You’re ridiculous – Damien

- I’m aware of this – She said – And, now, Thomas, you can say your last words

- Okay – He said, and taked a long breath, before saying: - Why you hair is black and pink?

Damien laughed

- AH! WHY EVERYBODY I KILL ASK THIS?

- Cause look so natural, but is painted, no?

- No! It is naturally this!

- No… You’re lying

- No! I’m not… Ah! This is ridiculous! I answered you, and now is time to die!

- NO!

And then, she stopped. When she looked directly to his face, she sawed a boy. Blonde. Blue eyes. White skin. In gray, old and dirty clothes, in chains. At her side. When the King came, he breaked free. The attacked. She remembers the lightnings and flames. She remember the castle crumbling, and she remembers the boy saving her. She never saw the boy again, but known that he was adopted. And that he became a prince. And that he…

- You… - She said – The boy…

Damien looked to her atonitous face, and asked, without words, only moving his lips:

- He is?

- Yeah. He is – She said

- What

- You… In the past… You’re not a slave in the High Mountains, is?

- Me… How you know…

- A cell. Big, made of grey blocks, which several children inside. A blonde boy was with me in that cell. Serving slave traders. When the King came and attacked the castle, the destruction caused make a part of the cliff broke apart and fall into the sea. The cell was in this part. The soldiers broke one of my chains, but the another was here. And then, when I lost all the hope to survive, the boy came and breaked the other chain with magic

Thomas widened his eyes

- You…

- Yeah – She said. The sword in her hands shined and became dust – Sorry, Klaus, but I… I cannot kill him

- The Third Prince – Damien said – Why someone like you came to Zeus?

- I – He thought before saying: – I run away from my home! I’m tired of my father’s sins. I don’t want to be the successor of a Fallen King. So, I run away with the help of my cousin. To search for my uncle

- Uncle? – asked Damien

- Yeah. Lecthor. The old Prince who killed the mother, and run away to be not judged and killed

- Lecthor… You means… Lecthor Cliffe? – asked Lina

He picked up the letter and readed that part

- Yeah… Lecthor Cliffe. How you know this?

- You saved me, now, I will save you – Lina said – Lecthor Cliffe is the greatest merchant of this side of the Kingdom. And is a friend of our boss

- He is the one who showed us to him – Damien said – If you want to see Lecthor Cliffe, come with us

- Seriously… Wow! This is marvelous!

He raised form the ground and jumped to her, trying the hugh her. However, she avoided this

- No! This is only a retribution of favors. You helped me in the need. So, I will help you in the need. But, only this. Nothing more. Nothing less

- Hum… Okay! But, thanks!

She suspired

- Let’s go? – She asked

- Yeah, let’s go – Damien said

The High Advisor and the Shadow
- Yes, My King – said Siara, kneeling up before the King, sitted in his throne – Why you call me?

- Thomas. He is…

- Run away – She said – I know

- Yeah, and, what you suggest as punishment

- Punishment, my King?

- Yeah, cause, when he come back, he will suffer more then ever in his little life

- Zether – She said – I think that is being stupid. He is your son. He…

- He is run away. So, he will punished when he come back

- And what confirms to you that he will come back? – Said a voice, on the shadows

Siara and Zether turned the heads to look to the shadows in the wall. From them, merged a boy, enveloped by a shadow armor. The King and the High Advisor cannot saw him inside the shadows

- Pride – said the King – Is you?

- Of course, is my, your fool – He said

- What you asked? – Questioned Siara

- What confirms me is that the will not survive in the external world

- How you can be so certain of that? You know, my shadows saw everything… – Several eyes and mouths appeared in the shadow armor, with a great red eye in the center – That are traitors in you home. Persons who helped you son to scape

- WHAT!?

- Yeah. I don’t know who is the one who betrayed you, but, I know that your son will not come back

- I understand – Siara said – You want the mission, no?

- Mission? – asked the King

- Yeah – He said – Give me this mission. You know, everybody can do this, but me? I will achieve the perfection and bring the lost son back to his little home

- Yes! Of course! The mission is yours, only bring him back! Is everything!

- Thank you, My Majesty – He said – I promise that anyone will scape from the shadows were I reside

The shadow armor merged with the shadows in the wall and disappeared, lefting the two alone

- I’m talking the truth – Siara said – This boy scares me

- Siara, you can discover who is the one who traited me?

- Yes, My Majesty – She holded her Lacrima with force, and, focused, said: – Parallel Worlds

The Lacrima shined, and then, multiplied itself in a explosion of Lacrimas. In a matter of seconds, several Lacrima spheres were floating around her

She looked directly to one, and then, the ball showed a face, occulted in darkness, but, soon, it came to light, and…

- AH!

The falses spheres became ashes and the true one fell to the ground, breaking. She, then, calmed herself, and restored the Lacrima using the Arc of Time

- What? – asked the King

- Nothing – She said – The image was hard to see

- Okay – Said Zether – You can get out now

- Yes, My Majesty!

She turned away, with a single thought in mind: ''Luke, why you do this?''