Fast forwards about a week and Marcus had prepared everything for his departure. His boat had been stacked with food and water, however his true storage was his inventory. He had packed a portable bed in his inventory so that he could sleep comfortably in the forest and had prepared carefully so that he was prepared for any possible situation he could think of.
He stood atop a small pier overlooking his kingdom's harbours and enjoyed the scene of his people living in harmony in the homes that he had built for them. There were some houses larger than others, however he had ensured that noble titles hadn't gone to any families that may plan on taking over the kingdom by force, and had established laws to ensure that, whilst people could grow in power, everyone must have access to minimum facilities to live in as long as they gave back to society through work. This included a house with running water and enough beds for everyone.
Marcus had managed to replicate some of the facilities found where he had been raised by using artifacts of his creation and by making a loan from the monkey kingdom, which he had paid back before stepping down.
Marcus's loyal fans had gathered by the harbour to see him go, so he had planned to make an epic arrival before boarding his ship before his adoring fans, departing at the peak of his Kingship and leaving behind a legacy to be remembered when he returned years later.
The opening of the island to the Human Realm did not happen on a random basis but rather occurred when the moon eclipsed the sun and left a mystical purple haze from the Vis that clouded the air. Once the light focused on the island's anchor, the partitions between worlds would unite temporarily, and movement between them would become possible.
As soon as that happened, Marcus would have to sail through the barrier in the short interval it was open because if he was caught on the island for another three years, he wasn't sure if he could stay sane.
[ "We have 21 minutes 30 until the barrier opens. I'll leave a timer for you" ]
As Artemis said this, a blue screen hovered in front of him, showing the countdown before the barrier opened. It ticked slowly, and Marcus felt closer to home than he ever had.
[ "You're the only one who can see the screen in front of you, so don't worry about other people discovering your powers. We should probably make our entrance now" ]
"Agreed"
Marcus sent a blast of Vis into the sky, making it unstable so that it would blow up in the air.
It went as he planned, erupting in a small plume of energy that radiated in a black vortex of colours and hues of purple, his regal colours.
Fingers were pointed into the air and eyes were quickly drawn to the energy, gasps sounding out from the crowd.
Marcus readied himself, before using his tentacles to launch himself up into the air, over the crowd and down towards the stand by the harbour where he'd be making his departure.
As he soared through the air, he gathered two more balls of Vis in his hands, throwing them towards the ground but using his tentacles to catch them before they hit the floor. The two balls of Vis were squeezed by the tentacles, exploding into two more plumes that lit up the atmosphere around him.
In all the chaos, he landed on the two tentacles that had reformed after being blown up. They folded as he landed, acting as a shock absorber to stop him getting hurt, and landed upon the top of the pier before the eyes of the people who had been too distracted by the explosions to see or hear him coming.
The few that had managed to see him, however, would only have seen a blur as the Vis around him blended him into the night sky behind him, making him practically invisible to the naked eye.
"Hello, my people! I am glad you have taken the time to come say farewell to your King. It brings me great joy that you all care for me enough to come and see me go, but cut the formalities. You are all my legacy and are like a hoard to his dragon. I care for all of you, and so before I go, I wanted to give you all a gift. Something to remember me by. A unity that would rock the world when I return. I present you the Arctic Monkeys!
On cue, a parade of monkeys jumped out from their places on nearby boats, trees, under bridges and every single other nook and cranny you could find. Audience members were shocked to find that some of the monkeys had hidden amongst them and watched in amazement as they appeared in festival outfits of feathers and bright colours, arms flailing at acrobatic movements taking place.
They were performing the traditional dance of the Arctic Monkeys, an acrobatic almost circus-like performance that involved a lot of leaps and bounds and moving through tight spaces. Flaming rings were used, along with spikes of Vis and ice, or even leaping through a cage of wild beasts.
Whilst the tradition hadn't been known of by the people of Marcus's kingdom, it had become quite popular on the west side of the island where the Arctic Monkeys lived, and there would often be travelling bands of the monkeys who ventured the island in search of an audience to watch them perform.
The Monkeys performed for the starstruck audience, captivating them with their intricate and delicate movements. The audience went silent and the only sounds that could be heard were the acapella coming from the monkeys, ranging from sounds like beatboxing to dramatic screams.
The audience only grew as more people came out of their homes to check out what the sounds were. Whilst Marcus had gained the love and affection of his people, there were still many who cared little for their King and only bothered with their own affairs, simply enjoying the low taxes and freedom they enjoyed, as long as they did not break any laws.
The show went on for about fifteen minutes, before finally coming to a close as a Monkey ran up a cliff before leaping backwards, facing the cliffside as it did so. It avoided flaming rings, Vis bombs, spikes being raised from the ground, and even a pack of wild bird beasts!
As it did so, another monkey stepped forwards, commentating on the "exaggerated swagger of a Monkey teen".
The monkey gracefully landed on the ground, bowing towards the audience before striding confidently back to the rest of the performers. The monkeys were met with a standing ovation as the citizens erupted in cheers and shouts, lasting another minute or so.
Marcus took another look at his timer, which now read 6 minutes and 12 seconds. He decided to wrap up the show now, raising his hand to silence the crowd and gather their attention.
They silenced quite fast, showing their respect for their ruler.
"People of this great nation, I announce the official treaty between our Great Nation, Eleuthera, and the nation of the Arctic Monkeys, Gelu. The two nations shall now be closely intertwined, supporting each other and helping to guide their counterpart through any tough times we may face. This is my final gift to you all. A friendship with an incredible species of animals, and access to a whole new world of culture!"
This was met with more cheers, as Marcus led the final celebrations.
Marcus saw some of his greatest allies on the island gathered in a small cluster to the right of him, arms around each other's shoulders as they saw their leader leave.
He went over to them, saying his farewells one by one.
"Sigrud, I will forever remember the incredible training sessions we shared, and the brilliant control of the army you still control. You have my gratitude."
"I still think I was better than you" he huffed back in a gruff voice, grinning toothily
"Alexander, you have been an incredible help with the politics of this world, and I will forever remember the paperwork you took the burden of. You have my gratitude."
"Thank you, sir. Maybe you'll become better at debating when you get back," Alexander replied, joining Sigrud in the train of making fun of Marcus.
"Ferox, old man, you will forever be my first mentor, first teacher, and a man I look up to. Your training sessions made me the man I am today, and I hope you never forget that. You have my gratitude."
"Of course you look up to me! I'm about four inches taller than you!" he snarkily replied
"Edna, my cook and ever-impressive comrade, I will forever remember the valour you showed at my side in battle, and the meals you have made that have gotten me through my training sessions. You have my gratitude."
"Are you sure you packed everything? Enough food? Water? A map? Medicine? Money? Spare clot-"
"I'm glad you worry about me so much. I truly am lucky to have you!" he replied, before turning to Kolkar.
"Finally, Kolkar, my most trusted advisor and heir to the throne. Your work will be remembered as the backbone of this nation and the reason we have done so well. Your advice has never failed me thus far, and I don't think it ever will. Turn this kingdom into a real superpower before I return."
"You bet I will, sir. I will make sure every child sings your name and this nation is set for world domination when you get back," the centaur replied haughtily.
"Maybe not world domination, but that works all the same."
Looking at his timer, it had begun to flash red as it approached the last minute, signalling Marcus to get moving. He leapt onto his ship, taking the helm and commandeering the boat. He turned back to his citizens, arms in the air and face full of tears.
He had really enjoyed his time here, and he would never forget the experiences he had had during his time there.
It was time for him to move on, however, and to set a legacy that would make his people proud.
The barrier at the edge of the island's waters slowly began to fade temporarily, and other small islands came into view in the background.
He set out towards the outside world, travelling towards the largest mass of land he could see on the horizon.
'Most importantly', he thought to himself, 'it's time to save Alice!'