Chereads / ABOMINATION / Chapter 32 - True Colors

Chapter 32 - True Colors

Prince Damian had been dedicating himself to his studies and training, becoming stronger and more skilled with each passing day. Prince Logon, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to harnessing the power of air and was now venturing into mastering the art of water manipulation. Meanwhile, Princess Aeryn was determined to make a name for herself, carving out her path.

King Aerin summoned his children to a meeting, "My dear children, we must journey to the main city for an important meeting with the fire clan. They are requesting more resources from us."

The young royalty all nodded in agreement.

"Excuse me, Mother," Prince Logon interrupted, "but can we visit the elf city with our brother? We would like to show him around." The young prince's request was met with a hesitant look from Queen Estel and a firm nod from King Aerin.

"I understand your request, my son, but we will be too far from the elf city to help you if something happens," King Aerin said with a heavy sigh.

But Princess Aeryn was not one to give up so easily. "Father, please," she pleaded, her big, beautiful eyes shining with determination. "All we do is train and eat together. We want to bond with our brother and show him the sights."

King Aerin looked at his wife, who rolled her eyes, and then back at his daughter. "I cannot resist my sweet little girl," he said with a laugh. "So ask your mother"

Queen Estel sat in her chair, surrounded by her children. "Ahem, kids, it's very..." she began but was interrupted by her youngest son, Prince Logon.

"But Mom, please, we'll be safe. We just want to walk around the city and brother wants to as well he asked" he pleaded, while Prince Damian, his younger brother, sat quietly eating and listening.

"Is this true, son?" Queen Estel asked, turning to Prince Damian.

"Well, yes, Mom. I've spent all my time with the adults, and I want to spend some time with my siblings," he said with a smile.

Queen Estel sighed. "Alright, then I suppose I can't stop you. But you'll be accompanied by guards at all times. And if you two little rascals give them the slip again, there will be trouble," she warned, giving them a stern look.

"Yes, Mom," they both replied quickly.

"You'll check in at lunchtime, and the guards will check in with me. Do you remember the royal payment method?" Queen Estel asked, looking to Prince Logon as Princess Aeryn had never used it, nor had Prince Damian.

Prince Logon nodded in understanding.

"Damian, you should also get some new clothes and anything else you want. And you two can buy some things, but only some. Your rooms are already full," she said, smiling at her them.

"Thanks, Mom and Dad," Prince Damian said, while the two younger children thanked the queen as well.

"Guard, call General Qiren, please," King Aerin called out, and a guard quickly rushed off to fulfil the request.

A short while later, General Qiren arrived and bowed. "Your Majesty, how may I be of assistance?" she asked, keeping her head lowered.

King Aerin explained the children's request for a royal escort and for someone to carry the royal seal, as the children were too young.

"Your Majesty, if I may, I would be honoured to accompany them and protect them from any dangers," General Qiren offered.

"Yes, please, Qiren. That would make this worrying mother feel at ease," Queen Estel said, smiling at the general.

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will ensure their safety," Qiren declared before standing and making one final bow.

She then turned and walked away, ready to carry out her mission.

In the heart of the Forest Elf Clan, the city was a mix of modern and natural beauty. The houses were covered in lush vegetation and some were even built into the trees overhead.

As Prince Logon, Princess Aeryn, and Prince Damian strolled through the city, hand in hand, they were greeted with admiration and congratulations from the citizens of the clan.

But suddenly, the mood shifted as a voice shouted, "You're not one of us! Why should I bow to you?"

General Qiren, not one to take insubordination lightly, demanded, "Who dares to speak such blasphemy? Show yourself, coward!"

The crowd searched for the source of the voice, but to no avail.

Qiren then ordered, "All of you, kneel!" All but three elves obeyed. "Arrest these three for defying the King's decree," Qiren ordered.

But Prince Damian, now known for his merciful nature, interjected, "No, let them be. They have a right to their opinion. A cage is not a place for something so trivial."

The crowd was shocked by the young prince's words, as most royalties were known to flaunt their power. King Aerin and Queen Estel, however, were not like the others. They had hoped that the new Prince, being human in appearance, would not be power-hungry.

General Qiren cautiously asked, "Are you sure, young Prince?"

"Only a monster would cage someone for having an opinion," Prince Damian stated. "You three, I may not be one of you, but would you show some respect to Prince Logon and Princess Aeryn at least?"

The three nodded in agreement and kneeled before the royals. The young prince and his companions then continued on their way, leaving the incident behind them.

…..

As Prince Damian walked past a brewing building, he couldn't help but ask, "What's this place?"

Princess Aeryn, who had a bit of a competitive streak, replied confidently, "It's an Alchemy brewing building, your brother."

Excited by the prospect of learning more about Alchemy, Prince Damian declared, "I've heard so much about Alchemy. Can we go inside and take a look?"

Prince Logon and Princess Aeryn eagerly agreed and the three of them entered the building. The air was filled with the scent of various ingredients and the sounds of the Alchemists at work.

Although they were not allowed to practice Alchemy themselves, the three were fascinated by the process and wanted to observe the Alchemists at work.

They had been told that they would learn the art of Alchemy, Rune Translation, Weapon Forging, Formation Designing, and Pioneer Crafting in school.

As they entered, a young man rushed over to greet them and bow. "Good morning Prince Logon, Princess Aeryn, and Prince Damian. How may I be of service?" he asked.

"Is Master Zora in?" Prince Logon asked, recognizing the young man as a Scholar Alchemist from his robe.

"Indeed, Prince Logon," the Scholar Alchemist replied. "Would you like me to take you to the workstation?"

"If you would be so kind," Prince Logon replied.

The Scholar Alchemist led the way to Master Zora's underground workstation, which was filled with the scent of various ingredients and the sounds of both success and frustration from the Alchemists at work. The journey took about 10 minutes, and finally, they arrived at a door with a sign that read "Master Zora" and a "busy" sign hanging on it.

As they approached the door, Scholar Alchemist turned to the group and whispered, "Let's go inside...but please be quiet, don't want to break her concentration." Everyone nodded, and he slowly pushed open the door.

Stepping inside, Prince Damian gazed upon a breathtaking sight. A female elf with vibrant green hair stood before a large cauldron, focused intently on her work. Her assistant was quickly passing her ingredients as she requested them, and she was completely absorbed in her task.

The assistant signalled for the group to be quiet, and they watched in awe as the alchemist continued her work.

After a few moments, the alchemist turned to face the group, and Prince Damian caught a glimpse of her green robes, adorned with the symbol of her clan. She picked up a small pot and added its contents to the larger cauldron before requesting two more ingredients and placing the lid on top.

Master Zora let out a triumphant curse as she finally succeeded in perfecting her latest creation. "Fucken finally, the stupid trick was to simmer these ingredients together," she exclaimed.

Her assistant immediately started clapping, and soon enough, the rest of the onlookers joined in. But as the applause died down, Master Zora suddenly realized that she was not alone in her laboratory.

She turned her gaze towards the door and saw none other than Prince Logon and Princess Aeryn, accompanied by a young prince she hadn't met.

"Ahhh... good... ummm... fuck, whatever time or day it is," Master Zora stammered, caught off guard. "Prince Logon and Princess Aeryn, and you must be the new Prince Damian, pleasure to meet you." The royalty graciously returned her greeting.

As the assistant diligently wrote down notes of Master Zora's creation, Prince Damian approached the bubbling mixture. "Is it rude to ask what you've made?" he asked with a curious gaze.

"Of course not, I don't mind," Master Zora replied. "It'll probably be on the shelves by tomorrow. It's a new potion I just invented… not reinvented, going to name it Zoned. It's a mix between poison expel and body recovery."

They all erupted in applause, Master Zora was showered with congratulations for her impressive accomplishment. Making a combination potion was no easy feat, as the ingredients must find a harmonious balance, lest they clash and destroy one another.

"Are any of you interested in Alchemy?" Master Zora asked the room full of possible eager students.

"I want to do it!" Princess Aeryn exclaimed. "Watching you work is wonderful, you're my idol, Master Zora."

A smile spread across Master Zora's face as she thanked the Princess for her kind words, grateful for the inspiration she had provided.

"I think I'm going to go with Rune Scribing and Formation Designing," Prince Logon declared. "I'm sorry Master Zora, but I'm not super smart."

Prince Damian, on the other hand, remained unsure. "What I saw today was very interesting indeed," he said.

"No problem, Prince Logon," Master Zora replied. "Alchemy isn't for everyone. It can be a tedious and frustrating process, as you need to find the right ingredients and often waste a lot in the process."

She then explained the properties of the potion she had just created, capable of restoring the body to its pristine state before being poisoned, but only for basic, low-level poisons. Master Zora shared her goal to create a potion that could cure even the strongest of poisons, her passion for Alchemy impressing those in attendance.

Princess Aeryn's eyes lit up as Master Zora offered to take her on as a student should she complete her alchemy course and show potential.

"Come on, young royals," General Qiren said, bowing to Master Zora. "Let's give Master Zora some space. She's very busy and you've taken up much of her time."

The group of royals left the bustling workshop and made their way to the bustling streets of the city.

Prince Damian's eyes lit up at the sight of the many clothing stores, and he quickly made his way inside to pick out some new attire.

Meanwhile, General Qiren stood by his side, ensuring that the royal emblem was emblazoned on each garment before they were purchased.

As they continued their journey, they stumbled upon a collector's shop filled with rare and exotic items. Prince Logon and Princess Aeryn couldn't contain their excitement, eagerly browsing through the shelves, but were quickly brought back to reality by General Qiren, who reminded them of the Queen's orders.

Despite the setback, Prince Damian managed to find some unique trinkets that he desired for his room, and General Qiren was more than happy to purchase them for him.

Their next stop was the Jungle Grounds, a sprawling adventure park filled with water slides, tree tracks, and ponds for swimming. The royals let loose and had the time of their lives, bonding with one another and making new friends as they explored the park.

But as the day drew to a close, General Qiren reminded them that it was time to head home.

The group didn't hesitate and made their way back to the palace, where a delicious dinner awaited them before they retired for the night. King Aerin and Queen Estel, however, had to spend the night in the main city. And with that, another day of adventure came to an end for the royals, filled with laughter, new experiences, and memories to last a lifetime.