Chapter Text
7/21/1278
3:55 PM
"Who does he think he is? Trying to hide something like that from me. Does he honestly think I'm that idiotic?" I thought out loud, knowing only my royal guardsman, Rensuke was around to hear me as we wandered down the back alley of my kingdom's Royal District.
"I too, am unsure as to why he would try such a thing, Prince Sae. However I do get the feeling that he's going to try something drastic." Rensuke responded to my rhetorical question.
"Yes, well… Even if he does, I doubt it will be outside of what I have already anticipated." The clicking of our footwear on the stone synchronized as our brisk walking paces began to match eachothers, with Rensuke following slightly behind me as usual. Far enough as to not be breathing down my neck, but close enough as to show that he is with me and can reach my side in an instant.
"You seem…Tense, My prince. Is something bothering you? Besides the other Prince, of course." Rensuke asked, with much more politeness then you would expect from a larger man like him.
"*Exhale* Unfortunately, yes, Kunigami. My list of issues that needed to be sorted out with 'Utmost Urgency' seems to be growing by the day. What, with this new criminal gang rising from the slums, Rin running unleashed and unchecked, the presence of the witches in The Black Forest, and the lack of a king, it seems like every turn has a new incident report sent to the file manager. What was his name again?"
"Kuon, Sire" Kunigami re-informed me.
"Ah yes, him. We must remind someone to up his pay, I imagine he is most definitely swamped with paperwork as of late."
As we reached a crossroad in the pathways, I pulled to the left, taking the fastest way to the front gate of the Mikage Estate. The front gate guardsman opened the way for us the moment he caught sight of us. Smart man. The Mikage Estate was a large square of beautifully kept gardens, fields, and plants, with a large wooden manor, white in color, at the back middle of the property.
We strode down the cobblestone path towards the imposing structure.
"Why are we here, of all places Prince Sae?"
"The Mikage House has taken the role of hosting our "Pre-Meeting Council."
"...I'm not entirely sure what that is Prince, would you Elaborate?" Kunigami questioned
"Yes, a meeting between the new generation of royalty across all of Prometheus before the true Royal Council Meeting."
"Further more, to lighten the load of work I need to do, I am going to assign the task of watching over Rin to an… Acquaintance of mine. He should already know we're here."
Much to my not-surprise, As soon as we got near the front porch, the door opened to show a tall man with an average build, and purple hair.
"Kunigami." I began as we stepped onto the deck.
"This is Reo, the head of the Mikage House. Due to his major wealth, he has a large amount of influence over many different people in many different professions."
"Ah, you flatter me, My Prince. Hello there, Kunigami. You are… the Prince's royal guard, I presume?" Reo asked, extending his hand for a formal handshake.
"Yes. That is me." Kunigami responded stoically.
"Wow, your a cold one huh? Looking at your impressive build, it seems you've found yourself a rather good knight, Prince Itoshi."
"Yes, He is certainly something, that's for sure." I concurred.
"I appreciate the respect, but I am standing right here." Kunigami vocalized his comedic displeasure. "Ahaha, yes of course! My apologies good man. Let us talk inside Prince Itoshi, the others are waiting, and the tea must be getting cold by now. However, your guard must unfortunately wait outsi-"
"Yes Reo, I'm already aware of the customs, and so is he." I cut him off.
"Yes, I should've assumed my Prince, my mistake." Reo apologized, however his impish smirk implied zero trace of remorse nor being apologetic.
"Due to my line of work, I may not leave the Prince completely guard-less however, so I will be staying on the property, if I am permitted to." Kunigami informed Reo.
"…Yes. Of course, Good Sir." Reo obliged, obviously to his distaste.
"Now, shall we then, Prince Itoshi?"
3:59 PM
The wooden door barely made a creak as the purple haired royal opened it to lead the way inside. The door lead into a medium sized room with glass walls, and small shelves on the floor, each with a small array of shoes.
"If you would be so kind as to take of your walking shoes? I don't like making the maids work harder then necessary." Reo asked with a casual sense of formality surrounding him.
"Of course." I replied simply as we both dismounted our feet apparel.
Opening the next door led into the main common area. The room's floor was surrounded by a wooden walkway on the edges, with the middle being a slight sunken carpeted floor, with a small set of steps around the edges. At the back center of the carpeted area, were four cushioned chairs, a large coffee table in-between them, and a fireplace attached to the back(stone) wall.
"Please. Have a seat, my Prince." Reo offered, indicating the seat on the south side of the square table(Author's Note: The door is on the south side wall). As I took a seat, I took note of who else sat around the table.
To my left, sat a decently muscular, imposing man, with smooth dark hair and piercing green & purple eyes. Oliver Aiku, Heir to the title of "Itoshi Military Captain". He was well known for his combat endeavors and achievements during the second Salem Witch Extermination, aswell as the Witch Raid on The Itoshi Castle 10 years prior.
On my right, sat an athletic man with a calm demeanor about him. Otoya Eita, Prince of The Pale Frontier, the foreign kingdom of the northern plains, which are well respected in The Itoshi Family for providing aid during both of the Salem Witch Exterminations.
Finally, Reo Mikage himself took his seat in the opposite chair to my own, the firelight behind him providing an ominous glow. House Mikage was a royal family, famous for their neutrality in political situations, aswell as their mass wealth and influence over the people of the kingdom Aswell as the unnatural purple hue of their hair. So it was no surprise the Mikage heir would host an event such as this.
"Shall we begin, then?" the purple haired man asked, clapping his hands together lightly.
"So we shall." Otoya responded simply. We bantered and conversated over simple topics and polite formalities for a while, asked eachother about their personal lives. Eventually, four cups of a herbal tea were brought over.
"Oh, This is excellent Mikage! Truly!" Aiku called outwardly.
"Yes, a very pungent herbal blend. What have you added?" I asked.
"Oh, it isn't that special really" Reo began, "Just a simple blend of rich, earthy plants. The butler's know more about it then I do. I do, however, know that the petals of the exotic Elpis Flower were used during the brewing."
"Truly? The North Frontier is unable to grow such materials, due to its harsh climates." Otoya Said
"I apologize for interrupting your friendly banter, but I do believe we should begin discussing the actual reasons for why we're here today" I interjected into the conversation.
"Ah, yes. I suppose Prince Sae is right as always." Aiku sighed in a unserious tone. Reo then began to speak.
"Yes. Well, we all know that twice a year, the Council of Crowns holds a meeting to discuss agreements, laws, and world issues. However, we, as important voices for the topics of which shall be discussed in this said meeting, come together three days before these meetings to discuss what the biggest things that require addressing are."
"There are many things we could bring up," Reo continued.
"But I believe that there are three very important issues that must be discussed. Do any of you know what they might be?"
"Well, I've heard The Black Forest and the Witches within are becoming a large thorn is your side?" Otoya offered.
"They are not becoming a "thorn in our side"! We have it under control." Aiku shouted back defensively. "What is a problem though, are those damn hellbent anarchists that keep operating right under our fucking noses!"
"Calm down Aiku, there's no reason to shout. But yes, The Reavers are becoming quite an issue." Reo agreed in his usual collected demeanor.
"Both of these points are large problems yes. But what we have to concern ourselves with the most, is the coronation." I stated firmly.
"A coronation?!"
"Oh really? I'd not heard of this yet." Otoya and Reo both asked respectively.
"Yes. The Queen is getting past her years of rule, and must decide on a heir to the throne." "How is this even a problem?" Aiku asked, "Prince Rin is nowhere near ready nor fit to rule" "Neither was my Father, yet look at what he did for this kingdom. However, I also am of the mind that Rin should not be the one to rule the kingdom." I stated firmly. "He is… Unfit for the role, and his recklessness and selfishness would lead this kingdom to it's doom." I finished.
"Sounds like someone else we know, right?" Aiku joked, to no response. "No?… Okay then…"
"What do you suppose we do then, Prince Itoshi?" Otoya questioned. "My plan is much simpler then would be expected, and if I am not mistaken, Rin is already enacting the first step for me."
4:35 PM
The other two had already departed by now, so it was just Me and Reo by now.
"Thank you for coming Sae. Really. It's an honor to have you." Reo praised me as we shook hands to depart.
"Allow me to escort you out."
"Very well. However Reo, one more thing. Earlier, you asked what you could do for the Coronation plan, and I said there wasn't anything to do, do you recall?" I began
"Yes…?"
"Well… I have heard rumors that you happen to have several… covert workers in your legion." "Ohh. I think I'm following you now." Reo said as what I was requesting dawned on him.
"I need someone to follow my younger brother and report to me what he finds. Without being spotted, of course."
"Heh, the Prince finally gets his hands on black market business, I've been waiting for this day. I think I have just the man."
"Nagi, My darling? Would you come hither for just a moment?"
Reo called out. After a few seconds, a slow pair of footsteps came down the hall. The man who approached was a tall, lanky character, with white hair, and grey, baggy eyes.
"…Yes Reo?" This supposed Nagi asked.
"I have a job for you dearest. You know of the young Prince, yes?"
"Uhhhh… Yeah? The emerald/raven-haired one?"
"Yes! Could you perhaps follow him and keep note of his actions for me dear?" Reo requested rather politely.
"Mhhh… Do I have to?…" I had only know this person for 30 seconds or so, yet they were already pissing me off.
"Yes Nagi. You'll be rewarded handsomely my dearest, I promise." Reo bribed
"Uhhhh… Fineee…"
"Thank you my darling."
"It should be taken care of now, My Prince." Reo said, now turning back to me.
"My thanks, Reo. Now, I must be going."
"Ah, but it would be impolite if I didn't walk you out." We walked out of the manor, finally letting the cool late-afternoon breeze wash over us.
4:11 PM
{Kunigami's POV
The bench I currently sat upon was made of polished iron. Aesthetically pleasing, sure, but not the best when it comes to comfortability. It was a rather beautiful day outside, the birds were singing, the flowers were blooming. On days like these, children should be allowed to play outside, and have fun. I looked down at the silver band around my wrist, and steeled my resolve. I knew what I had to do.
Maybe it's the shoes he was wearing, or maybe it was the way he treaded without disturbing the faint grassy foliage beneath him, but I didn't notice the figure walking towards me until his long, silky red hair entered my peripheral vision.
"Heya, Ren." The smooth, singsong of the uber-redhead called out to me as he sat on the metallic bench.
"You shouldn't be here, Hyoma." I warned, knowing his presence was forbidden on such esteemed property.
"Oh come on! Relax a little, Plus, You know you love being in my presence." Chigiri taunted with his infamous little smirk.
"Oh hush, cocky Princess."
"Anyways… How's it going? With Sae and all."
"Well enough, although he still doesn't trust me enough."
"Is that why you're out here, and not with him?"
"Yep. How's the business going?" I asked him in a serious tone.
"It's going rather swimmingly, thank you for asking! I managed to sell more then 15 bouquets this sunrise and-"
"You know that's not what I meant, Hyo."
"Ugh, it's always work first with you, isn't it Rensuke?" Chigiri asked rhetorically, giving me a light shove. Not like it did anything, but the thought was there.
"I am pleased to inform you however, that we've been making some progress on all three of the …'Projects' that we've been discussing!" Chigiri said, almost too loudly.
"Oh really now? How much progress are we talking about here?" I questioned.
"Not much in particular" The crimson-head said sheepishly. "But we've pushed through a couple barriers that were rather large nuisances for my teams."
"That's great, Hyo." I complimented him.
"Now, enough about work. You were mentioning something about Bouquets?"
4:38 PM
"Ah, I think that's my queue to leave! Sorry Ren!" Chigiri said as he got up from the still uncomfortable bench. I looked to see what he was talking about, and saw Sae finally leaving Mikage Manor.
"It's no problem, Hyoma, don't worry about it. Plus, I am sure we'll be seeing eachother soon enough." I responded calmly. Without explanation, Hyoma presented his right forearm to me, tracing a line over the shirt, and spoke.
"For Freedom."
My response was quick and quiet. "For the Free."
"Finally courting yourself a maiden there, Kunigami?" Sae asked as he walked up behind me, with Reo on his tail.
"No." I responded, my voice hardening once more. "They were simply, an old friend of mine that happens to work upon the property. How'd the meeting fair?"
"Well enough." Sae responded "The Council's favor shall shine upon us once more."
"Excellent. Now, we have a dinner to catch, don't we?"
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7/21/1278
12:11 PM
The ground gradually got tougher as I reached the treeline, the thick pine tress preventing me from peering very far into the woods. I began walking along the edge of the Everwoods boundaries, and soon reached a small, hidden alcove in the rocky cliffs with a small pond, a large garden of flowers and herbs, and a small cottage with a large backyard near the rickety wooden fence blocking it all in. Oh, and of course, the miniature waterfall feeding into the pond, allowing a cost flow from the river attached to the pond into the Everwoods.
I leisurely hopped the fence gate and landed on the small gravel pathway leading to all the main attractions of my perfect little cove. As I was walking however, a pale figure with tall, spiky blonde hair with pink ends stepped into my path.
"Well, Well, Well. Look what the cat dragged in. Hello, Meguru." Without speaking a word, I ran up to the man, and in a single movement, unsheathed my knife and made an upwards swing towards his jaw. However, he easily predicted by attack and blocked the blade with his own weapon. A katana with a blade made of pure black, semi-clear, jagged crystal. Our blades held steady, clashed against eachother for a moment, then we both retreated our arms at the same time.
We both then raised our hands at the same time, swung them at eachother…
And caught eachother hands in a firm clasp.
"Heyyy Ryu! How's it been?" I asked him
"You're quick as ever, Meguru! but It's been soooo boring!!!! Nothing ever happens when I'm alone…" My best friend Ryusei Shidou whined as we released eachothers grasp.
"Quit being a baby, it wasn't THAT bad."
"You weren't even there!! Ugh, here. Gimmie your bag, I imagine it must be miserable to carry with your tiny stature." Ryusei teased with a wicked smirk plastered on his face. I shoved him lightly as he grabbed the 2 bags of "purchased" goods,
"Oh hush it Ryu! Its not my fault my genetics suck!"
"Aaanyways… How'd the trip go, I see you got what you needed from the markets?" Shidou asked, switching the topic.
"Most of it yeah, although!" I perked up excitedly "I saw the Prince!!"
"Which one?"
"You know which one I'm talking about, Ryu."
"Oh yeah. Heheheh, THAT one. What happened, did he see you?"
"Well…" I began. "Some old man caught me stealing some various veggies, and called the guards, but it just so happened that the Prince and his knight were there! And so a conjured up some smoke to run away like "Foom!", but The Prince somehow managed to keep track of me! Which caused the rest of the guards to follow him to follow me, but then I knocked over some apple barrels which slowed the guards down and even caused one of them to trip! But The Prince jumped over them with ease like "Woosh!". He was so fast though! If I didn't jump to one of the roofs when I did, he totally woulda got me! I lost my cool cloak though…" "Ohh, that's where that went. By the way, nobody saw your face right?" Shidou questioned my with a look of faint curiosity on his devilish face.
"Nope! well… I might have teased the Prince a bit, but even so, how's he gonna find me? I didn't leave any sort of trail at all. Atleast, I don't think I did…"
9:19 PM
“Why cant you just tell me where we’re going Prince!” Yoichi whined for the umpteenth time.
“Look, like I’ve said every other time, you’ll find out when we get there. And before you ask, yes we’re almost there, you lukewarm squire.” The faint creaking of the wooden pathway was a familiar, yet foreboding sound that resonated through the dingy, old buildings of the reformation district.
The Itoshi Kingdom was split into 7 districts, each having a unique purpose. The Low Housing and High Housing Districts are filled with the housing units of the low to middle class people, and the high class people respectfully. All of the people's trading, purchasing, selling, and service providing, are done in the Commerce District. The Ironworks District is for all Military purposes including training, planning, and weaponry storage. Then there is the Harvest District, where all of the lands natural resources are farmed or taken to be prepared and sold. The Royal District is smorgasbord of the homes, gardens, markets, and most other things required to live, however, only royalty or other very important/very high class people are allowed to even walk inside.
Finally, there was the Reformation District, where most Criminals are sent to to be reformed. it is a gross, dingy, filthy area with terrible living quality, almost polluted air, and a dangerous crowd. The only reason I would let myself be seen in this kind of place is because of the fact that almost all of the black market dealing of mv kingdom happened here, and I needed something… not entirely legal.
“Prince, This place freaks me out.” Yoichi hushedly informed me.
“Stop being so paranoid all the time, it's not like I'm happy about being seen here either. Plus, since I’m here, anything even remotely close to a malicious act on us would result in the death sentence, at minimum.” I told him. I would never admit it, but I also felt uneasy as we walked down the dark wooden pathway.
Although I could have just been confusing this unease with the similar disconcertion building inside of me as I kept returning to the thought of that filthy witch. "_I can't get their face out of my head, like it was permanently engraved on my mind! Maybe it was a spell… Yes, That's it, it was probably a curse they had put on me to hinder me. No matter, I shall use this curse as a blessing, by finding this damn witch using their own memory._"
I was roused out of my own head as the boardwalk went down a flight of wooden stairs into a large divot in the ground, with a large murky pond with reeds coming out filling the bottom. Creaks and faint cracks sounded as the wooden pathway became less stable. Ahead laid a shabby shadowy shingled shack, that radiated a dusty smell. It, along with the nearby boardwalk was lit up by green-flame lanterns, further adding to the already unsettling, perturbing atmosphere of the area.
After a small amount of carefully waking, Yoichi and I finally arrived at the decrepit hut, and read the sign that said, in messy scrawl “Collector’s Emporium”. A tiny shaving of wood fell of the door as I pushed the door inwards, causing a chime of bells to ring through the dark room we had just entered.
“Yoichi” I began. “This store is ran by a man who collects the unique in all forms. He is... A tad peculiar, so stay calm-”
“Hello Itoshi.”
His voice was enough to kick Yoichi into high alert, his hand already on his sword hilt. I hate to admit it, but it even brought the hairs on the back of MY neck up.
“...Peculiar, you say?” The storekeeper said. He was an abnormally tall, abnormally skinny man with a thick but short mob of dirty black hair even darker then Yoichi's.
“Yoichi, this is Mr. Jinpachi. He is a merchant that specializes in magical trinkets and strange artifacts.” I informed him as he slowly took his hand of his blade, realizing that I appear to trust him.
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He greeted, although it was unclear how much merriment lined his tone.
“Hello there, Jinpachi.” Yoichi responded, clearly still wary of this borderline creepy stranger. Fair enough.
“Please, call me Ego. Now, before we get sidetracked, what brings such a royal figure like yourself into my humble abode, Itoshi?”
“Ah right,” I began. “Well, this morning, me and my royal guard here ran into a filthy witch in the courtyard and-” Ego cut me off.
“I am aware of your earlier spectacle, Itoshi. I may do business in the Reformation District, but I am by no means ...Chained... to this place, like the rest of the so called denizens are.”
“I... See. Well, during the incident, I managed to acquire a piece of clothing from it. I was wondering...”
“If I could track down their location from it?” Ego then pulled out a golden monocle lens, and held it up to his eye.
"Show it to me.”
7/21/1534
9:43 PM
As Ego took his precious time going back and forth between studying the fabric, and studying various objects, which were surely magical in some way. Yoichi got very quickly distracted by Ego's other wares and 'products'. A green crystal ring in a box labelled "Jennamite Ring", A Cylindrical object wrapped in bandages with weird writing on it labelled "Curse King's Finger", and a deep blue, perfectly round, tiny glowing sphere on a pillow labelled as "Hex Gemstone", aswell as several others.
“I have an idea.” The eerie voice of the shopkeeper spoke after a while.
“Take this. It’s a magical artifact that will most likely help you track down your prize.” What he handed to me was a silver compass with a single blue needle inside, and a wolf face on the back.
“What do you mean, “Might help us” Ego?” I questioned him. I needed guaranteed solutions, not maybe’s.
“...Do either of you understand the fundamentals of Witchcraft?” Ego began “No? Why would either of us kno-” “I’m pretty sure I do! It was part of the Anti-Witch course in Combat Training.” Yoichi chimed in. “Excellent Isagi Yoichi... Then you would know that a witches magic comes from nature, but is controlled by the witches soul, which is why every witch has different magics and spells. This, however, can be manipulated to our advantage with tools like the one you hold. That compass can take identify and track witches using the leftover traces of their magic, which is directly linked to their soul.” Ego explained
“And there’s leftover soul traces on that cloak?” Yoichi asked.
“Correct. This does mean that this will have a limited duration of use, but once you find your target, the compass will never run out of energy. The only downside of this artifact, is that the closer you get to the target, the more likely they will feel that their soul is being interacted with.”
“This is practically perfect!” Yoichi said as a grin spread across his face, although I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.
“How much for the compass, Jinpachi?"
"Ah yes, always straight to business Itoshi… Seems to run in the family, not a bad trait to have in my eyes, mind you. You could pay for it the normal way, with a few hundred gold pieces, howe-" "A few hundred?! That's ludicrous!" Yoichi exclaimed.
"Magical artifacts fetch rather… Ludicrous… Prices, as you put it, although, if you let me finish, you would know that I am offering a alternative way of payment for a relic such as this one" Ego informed us both, hodling up the compass to the dim yellow light in the roof by the small chain attached to it. I looked into my small coin purse I fastened to my waist. 80 gold pieces at most. Unfortunately, since I was not of legal ruling age, I had to ask permission from the royal treasurer to use the Kingdom's funds, and due to the fact that this wasn't a legal purchase, that wouldn't work.
"I suppose it's somewhat misleading to call it payment. It's more of, how to put it… A deal."
"Do we have any other options, Prince?" Yoichi whispered.
"No, I suppose we do not. Fine Ego, I'll hear your damned deal." I stated, diving head first into the unknown.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear… Come with me." He commanded us as the slender man walked into the backroom.
"Here we go, Yoichi."
We sat into the worn wooden chairs as Ego lit a small hanging lantern that lit up the enclosed room rather well, surprisingly enough. Besides the three chairs and the lantern, the only thing
in the room was a table separating me and Yoichi from the merchant, with a stone bowl filled with a crystal clear water-esque liquid inside.
"What's this deal of yours merchant? Do you wish to have The Prince in your debt?" I asked seriously.
"Not quite, Itoshi. For reasons that are my own, I have stakes in the politics of your Kingdom. To put this simply, I believe, that Prince Sae Itoshi will beat you to the throne, and become the new King." I could feel my jaw tighten as I heard those words.
"Infact, I am so sure that is will be the case, that I will make a bet on it. If you manage to take the throne, not only will I never make you pay for that artifact you hold, but I will also give you one other relic of your choosing for free." Jinpachi the shopkeeper offered.
"Even though it won't ever happen, I believe I should still ask. If I don't take the crown?" I tried to keep myself 100% composed as I spoke.
"Simple. If Sae beats you to the status of ruler…"
"I get to take both the compass, and your life, away from you."
My chair suddenly felt a whole lot stiffer as an awful, dreadful chill filled the enclosed space.
"W-what did you say?"
"You heard me, Itoshi." Ego then brought out two identical knives, each with a simple steel blade, and an ornate wooden handle. He slid one of them across the surprisingly smooth table, the knife gliding effortlessly into my palm.
"If you wish to agree to my …"Deal"… then we must both seal it with our blood. Not a large amount, but a single drop from us both."
"This reeks of witchcraft, Ego." I stated, a faint knot forming in my stomach. "It is a fair suspicion to have, but no. This is simply, a ritual… performed by my people."
Looking at the bowl of the silvery fluid, I tightened my grip on the knife I wielded. I had to do this. I had to.
"You first, Jinpachi."
"It seems you have made your decision." Ego said. "Very well then." Ego raised his fist upwards, and extended his pointer finger outwards so it would be directly above the bowl. After, he brought his knife to his pointer finger.
"At the same time. Our blood must be equal." Reluctantly, I copied his movement and hand position. Suddenly, I felt Yoichi grab my arm.
"You can't be serious, my Prince!" He pleaded desperately. "Can't you see how bad of an idea this is?!" I shook off his hand.
"Let go of me, Coward. I know what I'm doing."
I prepared my blade.
"Ready?" Ego asked. I nodded.
"3. 2. 1." In a single moment, we both performed a swift incision, causing a single drop of our individual liquid life to fall into the liquid. The silvery water quickly began to change into a deep crimson hue as our blood mixed together within. The pain was a cold sting, like a papercut underwater. I had to remind myself that this pain was necessary, and that there would be more.
"Perfect." The man muttered, looking slightly more unkempt then usual.
"Here you go, Itoshi. Treat it well, and it will treat you in kind." Ego handed us the artifact.
"That will be all, Ego. We will be taking our leave." Yoichi spoke.
"Very well. See to it that the door is shut tight on your way out."
I took the compass and followed the knight out of the backroom and towards the exit.
"One more thing, Prince Itoshi." Ego called after us. "Remember, Magic is nature's creation, and mortals can only wield it because of Mother Gaia's love for humanity. You are not in control."
"Ignore him, Prince. We have to get out of here." Without another word, I opened the door to Ego's Emporium, and left.
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7/21/1278
10:07 PM
We didn't speak of the peculiar encounter with Ego Jinpachi as we walked, and after 10 minutes, I had to say something.
"Where are we going now? It's getting dark, my Prince!" I called out to him as we began to ascend a hill at the edge of the Reformation District.
"I'll be fine, foolish knight. I have a plan." Rin responded coldly.
"You always have a plan, yet you never tell me what it is, Rin. I'll always be faithful to you, but I feel like I'm running blind here!"
"Look, Yoichi. Finding this Witch could be the most important moment in my life! I never cared much for the theatrics of the believers, but this time, I feel the Fates calling out to me."
It was pretty much the first time I had ever seen Prince Rin speak this intensely about anything. He was already a plenty determined person, always set on completing and scoring his goals(hehe). This time however, there was something else driving him, something more. I believed it had to have been something to do with that Witch we saw that morning. It was in the way he talked about her, the way his voice changed ever-so-slightly when they were the topic of conversation.
We stopped at the kingdom wall. The wall was imposing, tall, and stretched around the entire kingdom. Since the wall was only insinuated under the rule of the previous king, most sections were not entirely complete, so it was completely normal to see a construction crew at the bottom of the Reformation District's sector of the wall.
Rin walked up to one of the crew members, a beefy man with slicked back black hair, and a small black goatee.
"Good evening, Iemon. I assume it is complete?" The man spoke in a tone both gentle and gruff at the same time.
"Yes, Prince. Yes it is."
"Perfect. Your end of the agreement shall be with you at dawn." Rin responded.
The Prince began walking towards and into a small unfinished part of the wall. As I followed, I quickly realized the hole was actually a hidden passageway out of the city. As I exited, a small gust of wind blew over me. It was no different then the wind from within the walls, and it wasn't like I hadn't left the city for Knightly duties before, but this time… Something felt different. A strange foreboding feeling washed over me, is this what people mean by the "Winds of Change"?
Rin stood upon a small boulder, staring out towards the boundless woodland of the Black Forest, the Everwoods cresting its north-western side. His royal cloak billowed in the faint winds, making him look even more serious.
"Are- Are we leaving Prince-"
"Isagi." Rin began. "I need your loyalty now, more then ever. If we fail, it's over for us. We have 3 days until the Council, and not many more after that until Mother passes on the crown. I have to be ready. Will you follow me?"
The severity of Rin's words sunk into me as I realized, this was the point of no return. There was no turning back after this. If the Captain of the Knights had taught me one thing, it was to never do something without giving it your all. I swallowed down my inhibitions, and stood tall.
"Without hesitation, Your Highness."