The children, a motley crew of sun-kissed faces and wild hair, rushed toward him.
"You did it! Come play with us!" they cried, their eyes sparkling with mischief and delight.
"It's your reward!"
With a laugh, Lorian allowed himself to be swept along by their infectious energy. "What's this about a reward?" he asked, feigning ignorance as he glanced down at the eager faces tugging at his sleeves.
The littlest among them, a girl with wild curls and a smattering of freckles, looked up at him with wide, earnest eyes. "You helped Kali! That means you get to play our special game!"
"It's a ball made of silk, fabric, and leather!" Shouted a boy with a shock of sandy hair, his voice rising above the others. "You kick it with your feet, and you have to pass it to each other without letting it touch the ground!" The sheer delight in their voices was infectious.
Evan, still seated on the bench, wore an expression of surprise and curiosity. "Oh? You guys are letting David play Sektama?" he ventured, intrigue flickering in his eyes.
Boris nodded with a grin. "He did help you, Mr. Evans, and so he has earned our trust."
"Call me Uncle, Boris—"
"As I have said before, I cannot show such disrespect—"
"Whatever! The game, guys!"
Lorian laughed as some of the kids began dragging him away and the rest dashed toward a sunlit patch of sand. While Selene and Kali sat in Evan's hands, their eyes sparkled with amusement.
In the open space, the children formed a loose circle, their excitement palpable as they settled down. The ball, stitched together from the remnants of old clothes and soft leather, glimmered in the sunlight.
"Who's going to start?" one of the boys shouted, bouncing on his toes.
"I will!" Declared the freckled girl, her determination evident as she bent low to pick up the ball. With a swift kick, she sent it soaring through the air, and the game began in earnest. Lorian watched with a smile as the children darted around, their feet dancing across the sand, laughter spilling from their lips like a sweet melody.
"Pass it to me!" shouted a boy with a bright blue scarf wrapped around his neck, his arms outstretched in anticipation. The ball arced gracefully through the air, and with a deft kick, he sent it flying to another child, who caught it with a triumphant squeal.
"David, you try!" one of the girls called, her eyes shining with encouragement as she gently passed it to Lorian. He stepped forward, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin.
With a swift kick, he sent the ball soaring, his aim surprisingly accurate. The children erupted into cheers, their voices blending into a symphony of happiness. "You're good at this!" They exclaimed, admiration evident in their eyes.
As the game continued, the sun shone brightly, and time passed. The children, fueled by the thrill of the game, showed no signs of fatigue. They ran and kicked, their laughter echoing against the backdrop of the desert town.
Lorian blinked, finally noticing the adults.
Some standing and others seated either observing with faint smiles or laughing at the contagious energy of the children. A few began shouting pointers, while others clapped in rhythm with the game. As teenagers meandered over to join in, the atmosphere shifted.
The game, initially simple, evolved into something more.
Those who missed a kick were playfully called out, required to switch with spectators, creating a fun twist that included even the parents and grandparents watching.
Laughter and cheers filled the evening air of Nuya Town.
…
Activia City.
Lorca hummed happily as he descended steps made of ancient, weathered bones. He wore a flowing ivory-white cloak that draped gracefully over his shoulders. The cloak's edges were subtly embroidered with golden thread, detailed with floral patterns and ornate insignias. Beneath the cloak, he wore a fitted white tunic and tailored pants, both adorned with intricate patterns of gold and bronze threads that shimmered faintly in the morning light.
As he approached the gathering, his eyes fell on another man waiting nearby. He had short black hair, with dead-looking black eyes and heavy eye-bags underneath. The man wore similar clothing, but in black and without embellishment, with a bow strapped behind him.
"Corvix! I'm surprised you're here so early. Everyone is supposed to meet in front of the palace at six," Lorca said with a faint smile.
Corvix turned his gaze toward Lorca, his expression unreadable before he replied lightly, "Are we really going after the second prince? He should be safe with Selene."
"Normally that's true… But there's been a sharp rise in the beasts' tides," Lorca explained, the shadow of concern flickering across his features. "The report from last month stated a town west of Ortiva called Shalo… They saw a Type III tide."
Corvix fell silent for three seconds. "Over ten thousand beasts? Where were they headed?"
"Toward the Activia border."
Corvix nodded, his brow furrowing deeper. "No wonder… Still, Selene should be able to take the second prince to safety. There should be no reason—"
"Don't be silly, Corvix! It's obviously because we'll be grouping up with Lorian and Selene to help deter the tide away from Activia!" a cheerful voice rang out, chirping through the somber air.
"Iko…"
Corvix sighed, and Lorca's smile grew wider as a friendly, light-hearted figure made her entrance. Iko, a woman with long, flowing blonde hair, skipped toward them like a sunbeam breaking through storm clouds. Her sky-blue eyes sparkled with joy, and the black cloak she wore swished around her, accentuating the glimmer of her golden shield on her back.
"Now, Iko, we won't be dealing with any beast tide. The Ascendants in the towns will properly evacuate the towns and villages if needed," Lorca explained, his voice steady, but Iko's enthusiasm remained undeterred.
"What about the large number of Ascendants who were deployed last month? Obviously, it's to deal with the tide, no?" she asked in a cheery tone, leading Lorca to blink in surprise.
"How did you—"
"She pesters them enough that they give up and tell her," Corvix said quietly, his eyes now closed, as if resigning himself to the fate of being drawn into Iko's excitement.
"Tsk, I wanted to help them. But I had another task with Maken."
"More like they dumped you onto him and me," came a steady, familiar voice from behind. Lorca turned to see three more figures approaching. The man with striking raven-black hair tied in a high ponytail continued with an unhurried gait. "We came early after seeing Iko rushing towards the palace, shouting she could finally leave."
"Oh? You saw me, Septim? Then why didn't you, Maken, and Venus call out to me? We could have come together."
"Uh… You kind of vanished before we could say anything, Iko," Venus chimed in nervously, his curly brown hair tousling as he averted his hazel gaze, a great sword made of bone swaying gently at his side.
"Besides, yelling your name wouldn't do any good. Everyone in the street was cheering and congratulating you too loudly for you to even hear us," Maken said with a chuckle, his golden eyes shifting from the beaming Iko to Lorca. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair, while his other hand rested on the pommel of his bone sword. "Alright, prince. We're all here, what's the plan?"
Lorca chuckled softly. "The council believes Nuya Town is our best bet."
"But… that's the closest town to Activia," Venus said, his eyes widening in surprise.
"It's because when Lorian, Selene, and Uro made their escape, it was around four PM," Corvix stated quietly, his voice measured. "If they wished to survive the night, they would need to either go to Nuya, hide in a cave, or seek refuge in a beast skeleton's remains—"
"Oh, but I think Lorian is most likely to pick the skeleton!" Iko bounced on her boots.
The group fell silent. Lorca blinked before laughing, Corvix tilted his head before sighing, and Maken and Septim raised a hand before slowly putting it down.
Only Venus managed to hesitantly speak. "B-But… He wouldn't do that though, when there are better options."
"Actually, Iko isn't wrong. My little brother would do something like that," Lorca mused, a knowing smirk gracing his lips.
All those who got to know the second prince would easily say he craves wonders. So, if given the choice between staying in town or experiencing what it's like to spend a night inside a makeshift skeleton hut. Well, the answer will always be the skeleton hut, with him dragging all those around him in for the experience.
"Right, so which path will we try first?" Lorca pondered aloud, his voice steady as he surveyed his companions. "The town seems like the best to cross out first, and then we look around for any caves or skeletons—"
"We should just head towards the prince's goal or the area close to it," Septim interjected calmly.
"The Founding Emperor's Tomb," Corvix remarked, his eyes lowering slightly with a frown. "The closest town to it is Glaze Town. But it's filled with outlaws."
"Not really, Corvix," Iko chimed in. "There are also normal people there, and besides! The outlaws there are nice, they even told me about their adventure through the sand the last time I visited!" Her beaming smile lit up the air.
Maken shot her a dry look, lips pursed in skepticism. "Iko, that was two years ago. And they almost struck you when you scared them."
Iko waved her hand dismissively, her demeanor undeterred. "Doesn't matter! After we made a connection, everything was fun and enjoyable!"
"Only you would think—"
"Regardless," Septim interjected, a sigh escaping his lips. "We can check Nuya Town on the way to Glaze Town. Are there any other places?"
"Uro has been shown to visit towns such as Silica, Chulong, Eversy, and Tully. Multiple towns," Lorca said, leading Septim to frown.
"Some border Rolay City…"
"It does, but it shows my little brother has been busy!"
"Alright," Septim looked up at Lorca, "I'm assuming we're going tomorrow because of the sandstorm moving past the gate?"
"Yep! So go home and get yourself ready. Because we have a prince to capture!" Lorca said with a faint smile.
Venus shifted nervously, glancing from face to face, anxiety creeping into his features. "Um, do we really need all of us?" he asked hesitantly. "We have an Expert, two Adepts, and three Apprentice Ascendants with us. And Selene wouldn't be allowed to use her ability on us anymore since the first prince is here…"
"There would be far more forces to capture the second prince," Corvix said softly, making Venus' eyes widen.
"Yep, the forces would be over a hundred Ascenders. But there are a limited number of Ascendants since most at the moment were sent to deal with the beast tides around… This lineup is meant for us to quickly track him down, capture him, and bring him back before a tide arrives on the northeast side."
"Besides," Septim added, "the second prince is dangerous, far more terrifying than Selene. If there's anything you should know… it's those who went to Rolay with him, those who watched him in action, and those who were given instructions by the second prince."
The expressions of the others such as Corvix, Maken, and even Iko changed. While Lorca glanced upwards, expressionless as Septim's words rang out.
"They would rather end themselves than ever wish to be the enemy of the second prince."
…
Unknown Area.
A thick stream of fog rushed past him, swirling and flashing with a chilling embrace that sent a shiver coursing through Lorian's body.
Blinking to clear his senses, he muttered softly, "Paradise."
His gaze swept across his surroundings that was no longer filled with fog.
Below him, golden clouds drifted lazily and spun in hues of sunlit dreams, adrift in a sapphire sea. Yet this wasn't a sea but a sky at his feet, one of gold and sapphire. At the center, a glowing crescent that wasn't a moon, but a luminous arc of light like a halo.
Casting his gaze upward, looking at the unusual circle framed by a mixture of shades. A few golden sections gleamed brightly, while others were obscured by a grey fog. The circle was segmented into multiple planes; he could make out four of those golden expanses, however, the fog concealed the rest. Strange symbols could be seen on the golden planes, with some parts scratched out. Around the edges of the circle, golden lines stretched endlessly downward.
It was at that moment that shimmering orbs of light zipped past him, drawing his gaze forward. With golden eyes brimming with intrigue, he spotted an open door, a mesmerizing spiral of intertwining gold, red, grey, and silver. Surrounding the doorway was shimmering stardust, caught in an eternal drift.
It did not fall, nor swirl in the wind, simply moving with a purpose.
Each particle glowed faintly with its own light, casting gentle flickers across the two figures standing in front, their presence ghostlike but solid guardians at the threshold.
One appeared as a man adorned with a tall hat that cast a shadow over his features, obscuring his face from view. The other was a woman whose silhouette shimmered faintly at the edges, as if she were not entirely tethered to this world, her essence melding into the backdrop of starlight.