"What an annoying bunch" Abelard remarked coldly as he gazed upon the mutilated bodies of the men who had tortured his father's soldiers. Their bodies were damaged and broken beyond repair, making them unrecognizable to anyone who knew them before. They had fearful expressions on their faces; it served as proof that their deaths were not quick and painless.
Abelard tore his gaze away from the 'dirty' corpses. Even he was reluctant to appreciate the work of his hands. He faced his father's men with a wry smile on his face. The two soldiers who had watched him grow in the palace all these years had cautious looks on their faces. The slight trembling of their bodies when they were subjected to his gaze didn't go unnoticed. Maybe if it was a few days before he wouldn't have realized it, but as a scholar such a detail didn't escape his enhanced perception.
Abelard didn't know what to say to them. He had quickly become a stranger to his own people. And these were people he had a great relationship with. He couldn't blame them. The kind and loving prince they knew was nowhere. Instead in his place was a merciless reaper who had tortured their enemies for twenty good minutes. Surely they felt avenged when the screams of the men reached their ears initially. They were certain that their deceased comrades would finally be able to rest in peace. However after the screams exceeded the 5th minute they felt more dread than they did satisfaction. And before they knew it, they felt pity for the men who had heartlessly butchered their entire squad. What terrified them more was what Abe had said midway:
"If not because of the very limited time we have, I wouldn't let you die this quickly"
They shuddered upon seeing the side of the lovable prince they had never seen before. Abe wasn't going to tell them that 'he was still the same person they knew'. That would be a lie. He definitely wasn't the Abe they knew, and he would never be the Abe they wanted. From the time he chose to be a wielder his destiny was set aside from theirs. He had done worse things to captured Dark Kingdom prisoners, and he was certain that he would do worse in the future to come. Besides a war was coming. He couldn't hide his power forever. He might as well let them peak into the den of the dragon, and slowly invite them into its lair, than surprise them by pushing them fully into the dragon's gaping mouth.
"You have really grown. When your father told me I didn't believe him at first" Captain Zakai sighed. He had awakened midway through Abe's torture. He didn't see the entire thing, but he saw enough.
"Then how come you asked for my help" Abe asked curiously? He knew the captain well, even better than he did his own father. The captain wasn't one to do anything he didn't have absolute certainty in. The fact that he called for Abe showed that he believed that the young prince was strong enough to shoulder the storm.
"I met your friend Mane" Captain Zakai answered with a bitter chuckle. His answer was enough for Abe. As long as Captain Zakai has experienced a bit of Mane's power, it would be enough to change the older man's understanding of power.
Captain Zakai smiled bitterly when he recalled how he had met the boy called Mane. It all happened two years ago. He was in charge of tracking down a fire wielder who had stolen the emperor's sword. This was a very valuable weapon crafted by the best blacksmiths Zandor had to offer. The sword was stolen five years ago, and Captain Zakai had failed in apprehending the culprit the first time. After some years he finally had a lead and pursued it. In the end, he found the culprit. By the order of the Emperor he went after the culprit. His orders was to recruit the talented fire wielder into the ranks of the Royal Guards – a task he had failed the first time; he wasn't eager to fail again. However when he did, the thief wasn't alone. Apart from the fact that the thief was actually a young boy, there was something else that grabbed his attention. There was a blond-haired boy right beside him. Although Zakai had broken in with over twenty soldiers, none of them was fazed.
This intrigued Captain Zakai who at the time, felt that the blond boy looked familiar; however, at the time he had a hard time placing the boy in his memories. When he asked them to give up willingly, the two boys smiled. The blond boy nonchalantly raised his hand; it was an act of power that Captain Zakai would never forget. All the soldiers he came with lost their consciousness under the boy's wave, and Captain Zakai himself almost passed. In the end, it was his sheer will and determination that saw him through.
The blond boy seemed impressed by this act, and had said something about the earth elements favoring him, yet in his semi-drowsy state he didn't catch his words accurately. After a few minutes the captain regained his bearings, only to see that the two boys hadn't escaped. They sat side by side and talked about something in hushed tones. It was after the captain cleared his throat to garner their attention that they returned their attention to the older man. And it was at that moment that Captain Zakai recalled how it was he knew the boy. He was the prince's mysterious friend! A boy that the emperor had warned him never to offend because his parents could easily flatten the empire. Initially he thought the emperor was being too careful; however, upon witnessing the power of the child himself, even h had to admit that those who could birth such a monster had to be monsters themselves. But he couldn't leave empty handed. He needed the emperor's sword. The boy admired his courage and said the sword was lost. However, he offered to replace the emperor's sword.
Captain Zakai caught the sword that was thrown his way, and was marveled by the power it concealed. He was no weapon smith, but even he knew that this sword was far more valuable than the emperor's. He delivered his thanks and informed them that he had a message from the emperor for the thief.
"The Emperor invites you to join the Royal Guards" Although Zakai felt that it was useless to ask someone acquainted to such a perversely powerful figure to join the Royal Guards, he couldn't ignore the orders of his monarch. So although he didn't expect a positive answer, he asked all the same. The reply was pretty much expected.
"Joining the Royal Guards is good – generally. However, my friend's growth would be stunted, and his talent unexplored if he does join you. The answer is no. But I would give you something else in return. Our help is yours if you ever need it"
A long and slender needle was tossed to him. He accepted the object and carefully hid it in his clothes as he received instructions on how to use it. And that was how their meeting ended. After reporting his findings to the emperor he wasn't punished; rather, he was commended. Not only had he retrieved a priceless weapon, he had also gained valuable information and received the promise of an expert. After the event, Abelard was summoned by the emperor and questioned. To their surprise the young prince had become a wielder without experiencing his bloodline awakening. Not only was Abe a wielder, he was very strong too.
Initially Abelard had informed them that he was strong now. He was strong enough to head an entire army he said. But the two of them didn't believe him. Now they had no choice but to believe the words of the young boy. His strength was enough evidence. And even if it wasn't, his friend's strength was proof that Abelard would grow to be just as powerful - If not more so – eventually.
"You should go" Abelard commanded. He could feel three strong auras approaching their location, and he didn't want the remnants of the Royal Guards to be caught within the conflict. Their presence would be a distraction to him. He would be unable to fight to the best of his abilities if there were people who needed his protection. He made an opening in the earth dome so that they could leave.
The captain seemed to realize that something was amiss. However, before he could utter a word Abelard reiterated, "Go now. Mane is in the city - The Flowers Inn. If you want to help me you should leave and fetch him now."