At the cliff....
"Hey!!Hey!!Wake up!!"
Immediately Aldrin reached the cliff where he usually met his comrades, he fell into a deep slumber beneath the enticing shadow of the Eric's favorite tree. The spot was so comfortable and cozy,driving Aldrin into a place he didn't know.
"Hey!!Hey!!Wake up!!" Talon poked a finger in Aldrin's cheek.
"Huh!!Wha....what??What happened??" Aldrin asked,sitting up and wiping off a trail of drool from his chin.
"Human, didn't you have enough sssleep lassst night??" Kogra asked. She was coiled around a branch,just above Aldrin's head.
Eric was leaning against the tree, sharpening sticks and looking calm like he always did.
"Where am I??" Aldrin asked,looking around.
Suddenly.....
"Uh oh!!" Aldrin exclaimed,jumping up," for how long have I been sleeping here??"
"For as long as you didn't have enough sleep last night!!" Talon said,sitting on a boulder.
"Tell me,human!!Were you thinking about everything??" Kogra asked, gliding down the tree.
"Not really!! I just had a bad dream!!" Aldrin said,scratching his head. His hair was tousled and untidy.
"Do you mind sssharing it with me??" Kogra hissed.
"I saw....never mind!! It was just a dream!!" Aldrin said.
"You never should underlook your dreamsss,given who you are!!" Kogra hissed, gliding off to the edge of the cliff, "you know,for a being like you, dreamsss could become reality!!"
"Aww! C'mon!!It was just a dream!!No big deal!!" Aldrin waved the naga off.
"Oh I sssee!!" Kogra hissed.
"I'll be right back!!" Talon said, leaping into the bushes.
"Alright!!Come on now!! We'll go on with our training!!" Eric said, tossing Aldrin a sword.
"But why don't you guys get me a sword??" Aldrin asked, unsheathing the steel sword.
"Our orders were to guide you,protect you and train you!!Not get you a sword!! Understood!!" Eric said.
"Oh I see!!" Aldrin said,broken hearted.
"Now, come on!!Show me what you've got!!" Eric said,bracing himself.
Talon and Kogra watched while the pair practiced. Gradually, Aldrin was becoming a perfected swordsman. At such a point in his success, Aldrin deserved to know what he really was, what his real abilities were and what he was feared for.
While they were watching Eric and Aldrin dance with the blades.....
"I'm hearing something!!" Talon said, his ears twitching.
Talon had supernatural hearing abilities,which gave him a privilege to hear something from really long distances.
"What??What is it??" Kogra asked, interested.
"I'm hearing horse hooves!!" Talon said,touching the ground, the hairs on his arm standing up straight.
Soon, the clatter of horse hooves filled their ears. Eric and Aldrin stopped what they were doing and looked at the direction of the sound.
Soon ,two horses stopped a distance off, and two people, a female and a male jumped off.
The female had long golden hair and the male had black hair. They both looked to be royalties.
"Annabelle!!And who is this with you??"Aldrin exclaimed, surprised.
Aldrin was completely surprised. He hadn't seen Hamden for years. Hamden had grown into a handsome man. He had a fine face and finely chiseled body. His coal black eyes were as intimidating as they always were.
Suddenly, Hamden lunged for him.
"You killer!!" he roared, punching Aldrin in the stomach.
"Hey!!Hey!!Hamden stop!!" Annabelle called,reaching for Hamden.
"Hey young human!!" Kogra roared, lunging for Hamden.
Eric sheathed his sword and leaned against the tree,enjoying the dilemma that had just started to unveil as Kogra,Talon and the golden haired girl fought to free Aldrin from the punches that the black haired boy kept planting in Aldrin's stomach and insults he kept bellowing.
"Hamden!!Stop!!" Annabelle shouted, pulling Hamden away from Hogan.She held Hamden in a tight back hug while the half snake half human girl and the half tiger half human boy helped Hogan who was clutching his stomach.
"Hamden!!Stop?!" Annabelle pleaded.
"Let go of me, Annabelle!!That boy killed our father!!I need to pay him for what he did!!" Hamden yelled,fighting to free himself from Annabelle's grip.
"Hamden!!You have to stop!!We are not here to kill him!!" Annabelle said.
"Human!!Are you okay??" Kogra asked, patting Aldrin on the shoulder.
"Hey you!!If you are here to hurt my best friend, then you have to beat me first!!!" Talon called, unsheathing his daggers.
"Easy!!Easy!!Talon calm down!!" Aldrin soothed.
"Do you know these other humans??" Kogra asked.
"Yes!! That's Annabelle!!" Aldrin pointed at Annabelle," And that is Hamden!!They are family!!"
"Then why is he beating you up if he is family??" Kogra asked,observing Hamden.
"I also don't know!!" Aldrin grimaced.
"Oh yes you do!!Stop pretending!!" Hamden roared,straining to free himself from Annabelle's grip.
"Forgive me,Hogan!!I'll have to apologize on his behalf!!" Annabelle said.
"Hey wait!!I'm not Hogan!!I'm Aldrin!!I told you before!!" Aldrin said.
"You know you don't have to hide anymore!!I know who you are!!" Annabelle said.
"Whoa!! Stop calling me what I am not!!" Aldrin demanded.
"You know the palace is overrun by demi gods!!That makes it very easy to find out who someone really is!!" Annabelle said.
"How is that even possible?? Aldrin asked, surprised.
"Don't ask many questions!!We just need your help, young prince!!" Annabelle said