The Kingdom

[crimson92]

Getting up as well, Max made her way to the entrance of the cave and cautiously peered outside. She didn't see anything and didn't feel any strange powers that might have been lurking by; still, she couldn't take the risk of an ambush and sent Troph and a few other shadows out to check. She stood by quietly for a few minutes, unmoving, so very still that anyone that wasn't paying attention would think her a statue. Troph came back not too long after he was sent out and sat down obediently in front of his master and looked up at her, the two seeming to have a silent conversation. Max smiled after a second and turned back to Eren.

"It's okay. Troph says that it's just Eli and Sparks; they apparently flew back over us in the other direction to look for food. You got yourself quite a nose there, it'll give us an advantage."

She looked at the young man and noticed how he kept himself at a distance from her, this fact making her frown thoughtfully, but she said nothing of it at the moment. Instead, she walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder to push him down gently so he was sitting again.

"You still need a little more time to heal," she told him, standing back up and going to the entrance to keep a look out, "So...what are you anyway?"

She glanced at him curiously, "There's obviously something not fully human about you and you said that Armi bought you, so he must have done that for your ability to smell."

She was silent before adding, "What's your story, Eren?"

[❖Amani❖]

Eren took a breath and shifted his eyes up to look at Max. He meekly studied her for a moment before swallowing and beginning his tale.

"My mother and father were both born into the same tribe on the Native Isles. My father was a hunter and my mother a gatherer, both of which required the innate ability to smell things even at great distances. Our tribe was overall a very healthy one, protected and ordered off-limits by King Rajus, but nearly five years ago we were ransacked by this group of men. They claimed to be the King's Men but we knew they were supposed to protect us, not attack us. Soon I learned as they put me into service, that these men weren't the King's Men but instead claimed the name and sought power. I don't know much about the origins or why or anything like that. All I know is that after they killed my mother and father and ripped my sister from my arms, I was forced onto Armi's ship where I was forced to do his bidding."

Eren subconsciously rubbed his arm and pushed the black memory out of his mind. He wanted so much to see his family again, but he doubted they would be alive...

------------------------------------------------------

Vesper collapsed to the ground, panting and gasping for breath that didn't seem to come to him fast enough. He shuddered as he lay on the dried grass in the middle of a wide open field. Images replayed themselves over and over again in his mind and he couldn't help but scream at them to go away, despite his lack of oxygen. Yet the ugly image of Rofus's twisted neck and lifeless head remained and Vesper couldn't take it. He continued to scream and yell until his voice gave way and he passed out from the lack of air. He tarried in darkness for what seemed a very long time before he finally began to see a background taking place and figures materializing.

Vesper stood stock-still as the figures of both Tafe and Rajus sat upon twin thrones and stared down at him, both of the men five times the size of himself. He felt a needle of fright but numbness shied it away and he gave into the deadened state of mind, staring with dull, angry eyes. The two men looked at him and Tafe spoke.

"Your first death... It is always the hardest one. People take it different ways depending upon the person but you must always remember not to let this shape you negatively."

Rajus then spoke, as if ignoring the previous man's advice.

"Vesper how do you feel?"

Vesper took a moment to stare at Rajus and then let his gaze drop before responding.

"Dead."

Rajus nodded solemnly and sighed.

"That is to be expected. Anything else?"

Vesper shook his head lethargically.

"Then you must realize that you cannot use this "dead" feeling... You can however," Rajus leaned forward and his eyes were worn with age and fatigue but sparked with fire and anger. "Use your vexation. You can mold it into something that will spur you to be a great King. Balance these two and you could have a rule as great as mine."

"That would be foolish!"

Tafe now leaned forward after his interjection and pleaded with equally fiery eyes. He somehow seemed more imposing than his son. More commanding and forceful. Yet Rajus... seemed more cajoling and coaxing. The older King shook his great head and took on a warning tone.

"To rule like that would be complete folly. You would be like a limp hand struggling for a grip over your subjects-"

"An iron fist! I ruled like that my entire reign!"

"You must be respected and loved by your subjects, and you can be neither if they see you as weak or lacking. Walking around dead like that is dangerous."

"Nonsense! You speak lies and you're filling the boy's head full of fabrications! Vesper, it's alright to give into this feeling. I'll help you along and teach you how to cut yourself off from feeling when you need to. To kill is essential to being a king," Vesper cringed at the thought of killing again, the first one so raw in his mind. "And in order to do that and still be sane afterwards- You need to learn to detach."

Vesper looked up, a sharp pain of disbelief stabbing through his heart and bringing him back to life. Tafe took the moment to speak once more.

"Cutting yourself off from others is only going to endanger you. Your rule will fail and the King's Men will fall to pieces. After centuries upon centuries off hard work. And Sparks. You love her. Do not give up so easily. Allow her to help you through this."

"You do not need help Vesper. You can do this alone. With me to help you learn to stand on your own feet. Continue on. Leave them."

"She loves you Vesper... You love her. You need each other... Go back."

Suddenly Vesper's eyes shot open in a burst of energy and light to find himself lying back in the clearing. He slowly, painfully, lifted his head and flattened his ears against the echoes of their voices. He wanted to stay with Sparks and have her by his side throughout this entire ordeal... and even after. But he couldn't help but want desperately to run away. The last thing he wanted was the shame of having to face her now. He didn't know what to do so he remained lying there for a while longer.

[crimson92]

She had been excessively quiet their entire journey and Eli couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind. However, considering that Sparks was no Max and therefore more obvious, he felt he had a hunch as to what she was thinking and decided to try for it.

"Dear Sparks, you need not worry for Vesper so much," the wise dragon started, chuckling to himself when he heard her squeak from his sudden words, "and you need not beat yourself up over him running off. This is something that he needs to figure out for himself."

Sparks remained silent for a moment longer, biting her lower lip as she brushed her pink and blue hair out of her face, "...I just feel like whenever I try to comfort him, whenever I try to tell him that everything will be okay, I just make it worse. I feel...that I'm just making it harder for him to cope with everything."

"Trust me, Sparks, you are not at fault. Vesper still has some...growing to do," Eli answered, "He still needs to obtain the strength and wisdom of a king in his own rule. He needs to decided what is best and how certain situations need to be handled. All you can do is support him to the best of your ability without crowding him."

"I'm crowding him?!"

"That is not what I said," Eli replied, his voice stern, "I said to support him without crowding him, which means don't let it get to that point. Vesper is a strong young man, I can see it, but he has a lot of insecurities and now a lot of responsibility that he brought upon himself, but is still very difficult to handle."

Sparks listened to the dragon's words and yet felt a tug at her heart, "So what do I do now?"

"You love him, yes?"

"...Yes. Yes, I love him."

"Then wait for him. Since he is the one that asked for space, trust his judgment for now and wait for him to come back to you," Eli answered, dipping low when he spotted a gathering of fruit trees down below.

"And if he doesn't come back?"

"Then he is a cause that you can not help. I'm certain that he will return, though."

Sparks nodded and wiped away the tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes, "Thanks Eli. You're a great friend."

"It's my pleasure, Sparks. Now, let's gather some of these fruits and get back to the cave. Max and Eren must be starving."

-----------------------------------------

Max stared at Eren for a long moment after he explained his story, watched him fidget and squirm as he touched his arm and his wrists. She tilted her head to the side in thought and chuckled in the back of her throat.

"It appears that everyone in this little group of ours has some tragic past. You'll fit right in," she said, cooing as Troph and a couple other of her shadow dogs materialized next to her.

Troph himself made himself comfortable right next to her, cackling when she scratched the top of his head. Another dog came up and put it's front legs over her shoulders, laying its chin on top of her head while another one lay on its back in her lap, giving a hollow bark when she scratched its belly. One more shadow dog materialized next to Eren and stared at the boy with its red eyes, opening it's mouth to show its white, razor sharp teeth in a strange, sinister like grin. It leaned back, cackled, and then leaned back in to stare into Eren's eyes. Max laughed and shook her head.

"Milio seems to like you. Hey, Milio! Away! You're freaking him out!" she ordered the dog who obediently moved away but only to give the boy breathing room while the dog himself lay next to him.

"Now that you're free, Eren, and if you think your sister is still alive out there, you should look for her," Max suggested, grinning at the young man, "Don't feel that you're obligated to help us. It wasn't your fault that you got caught up in all this mess anyway."

She stood up, the three dogs surrounding her evaporating into black smoke and then reappearing sitting at attention. She walked closer to Eren and bent forward to stare into his eyes, her own shining bright.

"And once we get out of this mess and get things settled, if you want, we can help you too," she said, grinning as she ran her fingers through his hair.

With that, she stood straight again and then made her way towards the cave's entrance where Troph and the other dogs were now facing, as if waiting for something.

"It looks like Sparks and Eli are coming back. Let's hope they were successful with their hunt, hehe."

[❖Amani❖]

"Hunt yes. Food sounds very good."

Eren scrambled up and rushed to the entrance, standing behind Max. He deeply inhaled and nearly choked on the thick scent of sulfur and smoke. He gave into a short fit of coughing, shaking his head at Max when she glanced back in concern and clearing his throat just as the great dragon and his passenger landed before them. He lingered around the entrance while Max and Sparks exchanged a few words, looking to the dragon and shivering. A beast that size could cut him to ribbons in no time. He knew that he shouldn't worry, but after the tactics Armi had- Nevertheless he forced a short smile and looked back to the two girls conversing. He waited for a moment before he spoke, surprised at the wavering in his voice. He wasn't used to raising it.

"Umm... Who exactly is this Vesper? I know this may not be the right time but... I just wanted to know why Armi would have wanted him so bad."

He immediately glued his gaze to the ground after speaking, cringing very slightly out of habit.

_______________________________________________________

Vesper forced himself to his paws very slowly and shuddered in complete shock over what had happened, the image of the two kings flickering through his mind. And then her face appeared. It drowned the other images out and drove them away like an avenging angel after tricky little demons. Vesper sighed and hung his head completely ignoring anything that had been put to him. He'd made his decision already. He forced himself to get moving along the way he had come, choking on shame with every step of the way. No doubt he'd hurt Sparks. He hadn't meant to, but panic and grief had overridden his senses and any brain function he might have had. Thus he had run from her thinking she would hate him. But when he thought back to the look in her eyes, he knew that couldn't be the case.

He suddenly stopped and slammed his paw down on the ground in anger. With all the passion he had in him he threw his head back and let loose a howl that could have (and no doubt was) heard all the way back down to the shore. As soon as the howl broke off, he furiously raised his head and stood powerfully looking before him at the clearing. He swished his tail lividly and watched as an image shimmered and flickered before him before flashing brightly and disappearing. Vesper growled in frustration.

"Tafe! Let me see him! I wish to speak with him. You as well you old bag of bones!"

Suddenly the image reappeared and another one materialized with it. Vesper swallowed a lump of rage and forced himself into his human form, staring down Tafe and Rajus as they stood before him, stationed as far from each other as possible. Vesper simply tugged at his ring and flashed it at them before speaking.

"You both have been nothing but troublemakers since you've come back to me. I cannot- no, I will not put up with it any longer. It's always one or the other in my ear!"

Rajus opened his mouth to speak but Vesper held up his hand, eyes flashing. However, Rajus grew angry at this and his tone grew hard.

"You will not silence me boy. I am your elder. I am wiser than you. You still have so much to learn that-"

"I am not foolish Rajus!" Vesper clenched his fists and found that his anger was building. But this was a different kind of anger. It wasn't blind fury or pure rage, but it was instead and defensive, clearer anger. "I am not stupid enough to think that I could take on the King's Men and this point and save them. I know I'm not ready. But I have other teachers and I do not need you. You cause me nothing but grief."

Vesper straightened himself as Rajus' image shimmered with outrage and then turned to Tafe.

"And though I have only know you for however long we have been on this island Tafe, you are a nuisance and you cloud my thinking. The tension between the both of you is distracting and quite frankly I think it is putting all of us in danger having you two around me. I do not need dead men telling me the secrets of life. Surely even you can see the irony in that."

Tafe looked as though he were about to open his mouth but Rajus beat him to speech and Vesper simply pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"You are becoming impertinent Vesper! I thought that your father would have taught you better! And how can you say we are hindering you when it is necessary we guide you? I have always looked out for your well-being! I love you and I want you to succeed-"

"THEN LEAVE ME BE!"

The two jumped at the force in Vesper's voice and even Vesper himself slightly cringed at it. But when he looked them in the eyes they all knew. Rajus looked, if it was even possible, pale and he stumbled forward with a mixture of ire and hurt.

"Vesper, love has no place on the King's Men's throne. That's what I've been trying to tell you. I saw the way she looked at you and I cold tell how you felt when you fled back there. I hadn't really gotten it until then but when I saw it I knew. You must concentrate on the King's Men first and foremost Vesper! I put everything aside just for them. You must do the same. Vesper please listen. I know I sound cold but I've never steered you wrong before-"

"Precisely! There's always a first for everything Rajus! Don't you remember when you told me that? No, you've had your say and I will not abide by anything you put forth to me. Be gone with you Rajus! I choose her!"

Vesper turned his cold gaze to Tafe.

"And you. I want to see no more of you either. From here on out, I don't need voices in my ear telling me how to do this and that to become more kingly. I am through with you both! LEAVE ME BE!"

Suddenly, Vesper was left standing in the middle of the clearing with an immense quiet upon him and a sudden peace. The two figures were gone and the only noise he heard was the wind through the clearing. He smirked... then grinned... then smiled... then let it fade. He stepped backwards and swallowed, tilting his head back to look around him and pursing his lips. He thought once more of Sparks and smiled, albeit painfully. Suddenly, as he sprang up transforming midair and thrusting his wings downward to soar in the air, he found that his heart ached and an immense desire and want filled him. Flying nearly as fast as he had come, he tried not to think about what he had just done as he made his way back to the little cave. Sparks was the only thought echoing through his mind.

[crimson92]

Max looked back at Eren and grinned as she sorted through the food that Sparks and Eli had gathered, "Vesper is a force to be reckoned with, my friend. He's got power and authority that jealous, greedy old men want. He's a king and you know how people envy royalty."
She laughed lightly as she pet Eli and looked down at him, "Thanks for going with Sparks to get food, my friend. This stuff looks great and it looks like you got enough for everyone."

Eli chuckled, the sound deep and warm as it came from the very pit of his belly, "It was no trouble, Max. You know you can count on me."

The young girl nodded as Eli walked into the cave, gently bumping Eren on his way; "Let's go, young one. We'll get you something to eat while you rest a bit more," he said to the young man as the two males disappeared into the cave.

Sparks was about to follow when Max stopped her, "Hold on, you."

She turned to her friend as Max looked at her, "How are you holding up?"

Sparks was silent for a long moment, then she gave a small smile and nodded, "I'm alright. Eli cleared some things up for me...and gave me the strength that I knew I needed to have."

Max chuckled, "Yeah, he'll do that for you...It will be okay."

Sparks blinked curiously as Max continued, "Vesper loves you, it's obvious to every single one of us paying attention. He'll come to his senses and come back for you. He does need you, after all."

The pink and blue haired girl giggled and blushed as she looked at the ground, nodding, "Yeah...I need him, too."

Max smiled, the two immersed into silence for a few seconds when Troph materialized next to Max and gave a hollow bark. She looked down at her faithful pet and listened to the sounds he made, his barks and whines and snarls, then she looked up and pet his head as her eyes looked about them.

"Troph smells Vesper near by," she stated, grinning when Sparks snapped her head up to look at Max before turning her eyes to the sky to see if she could see him, "Relax, he'll be here soon, I'm sure. He says he appears to be in a rush and is heading straight this way. He's probably coming for you."

Sparks watched Max go back into the cave, taking a moment to study the skies one more time before following after her.

[❖Amani❖]

Vesper swiftly inhaled a burning lungful of cold air and caught Sparks scent laced on it. His shoulders and wings burned as if a blazing fire had engulfed them and his lungs felt like they'd turned raw. He didn't really even know what he was going to say to Sparks when he found her, but he was sure he was going to wrap her in a hug and not let go. Hed been stupid to run off but he had to swallow that embarrassment. At least for her sake.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice he'd been losing altitude and suddenly he was crashing through branches, trying to fold his wings as closely to his body as he could. When he hit the ground he found himself sliding nearly a foot forward before he slid his paws out form under him and forced himself up from the ground. He noticed that the little cave where they were staying was directly in front of him, albeit a ways off. It was adrenaline that forced his form human again and pushed him forward. He hastily brushed his shoulders and clothes off while walking forward towards the entrance. He heard Sparks voice and his heart commenced to beating quickly.

"Sparks! Angel!"

[crimson92]

Sparks gasped when her name was called, said girl whipping around to the entrance of the cave, seeing something moving and making the sunlight streaming in through the large leaves flicker inconsistently.

"Sparks! Angel!"

It was Vesper.

"Told you he was coming for you," Max commented as she took a bite of the strange, island fruit, drawing a curious look from Eren and making Eli chuckle.

Sparks looked at Max for a moment then turned towards the entrance of the cave when Vesper called for her again; she couldn't ignore him when he called. Standing up on shaky legs, her heart pounding in her chest and the blood rushing to her ears, she left the sanctuary of the cave to face him.

"Vesper!" she called back, seeing him walking briskly towards the cave, towards her.

"Ah...love," Max teased to no one in particular, laughing to herself before crying in alarm when Eli snapped the fruit from her hand and tossed it in the air, letting it fall in his mouth as he chewed it.

Sparks ignored them and ran towards Vesper, her arms wrapping around his neck as soon as she was close to him; "I was worried," she told him gently, burying her face in his shoulder, "but I'm glad you're alright and I'm glad that you're back."