The golden rays shone on this mid autumn day, highlighting the forest leaves' bright colors. Shades of red, orange, and yellow gently danced with the wind. Occasionally, a leaf or two would unwillingly release its grip from their branch and fall to the forest floor.
Loud sounds of horses and men slowly disrupted the song played by the wind. It was the sounds of metal horse shoes lightly hitting the road, sounds of wooden wheels rolling across rocky ground, and the sounds of men in metal and leather that broke the serene atmosphere of the forest. A dozen or so knights, dressed in light armor of enhanced iron and leather, carried swords around their waists while riding noble stallions. The knights surround an exquisite carriage that had a small flag on its hood as they traveled down the path. The flag bore the insignia of the Jadeith Royal Family, signifying the carriage and the knights' status. Behind the royal carriage were a series of wagons protected by hired mercenaries.
An animus could be felt between the knights and mercenaries as they journeyed on the road, but no action was backed by this hostility as anyone who steps out of line would face punishment from their respective leaders.
The middle-aged knight captain and the old mercenary leader held this escort journey in great importance. The reason? It is quite simply because they are escorting twin princes of a kingless kingdom: Deldion and Zinra.
The two princes could be seen inside the royal carriage. Zinra, the younger of the twins, looks tired and stressed as his eyes seem red and puffy from crying. His pure white hair seemed unkept and unbefitting of a prince as his head lay on his brother's lap. He was like a Daisy after pouring rain. Deldion, on the other hand, seemed to contrast with Zinra in almost every way. The older prince had lush nightblack hair and sat in a strict position on the carriage. His eyes gave a clear view to his grey pupils as he stared off into space, seemingly to be in deep thought. It was only after the carriage stopped when Deldion's eyes regained clarity.
Deldion gently moved his sleeping twin to the side before opening the lavish grey curtains. The evening light rushed into the carriage and brightened its space before Deldion was met with the sight of an autumn forest.
Deldion couldn't observe the scenery for long, as a knock was heard on the carriage door. The prince quickly went into the entrance room of the carriage and opened the door. In front of Deldion stood a young looking knight. The knight had light brown hair, and on the waist of the knight lies a jade accessory with the Jadeith family's emblem. This was the captain of the knights. Despite the Captain's young appearance, the knight is already in his forties. Age speaks experience, and this is evident by the Captain's dry, rough hands that were covered with scars and the Captain's tired eyes.
"Your Highness, we will be stopping here for the day." The Captain spoke almost indifferently while giving a small bow.
"When will we arrive at the Sanctuary?" Deldion gave a small nod before asking.
"We should arrive there in a month and a half." Answered the knight.
"And what of the young lords of the Dukedoms?" Deldion asked. His head slightly tilted to look at the reddening sky.
"They will arrive two weeks later than us."
"I see," Deldion nodded before dismissing Damien, the Captain, and entering the room where Zinra rested.
Two eyes, with pupils that express an abyssal shade of grey, stare almost thoughtlessly into Deldion's eyes. The older prince frowned at the missing light that had once beamed with joy in his twins's eyes. Along with his unkempt white hair, Zinra's clenched fists and gritted teeth exuded feelings of disbelief and unwillingness. It was a sight that would garner pity from many.
"Father didn't die, father didn't die, father didn't die." Zinra mumbled fanatically. His eyes suddenly turned crazed as his entire being was shaking. His hands reached to grab and pull his white hair as tears started forming in his already puffy eyes.
Suddenly, a crisp sound of a slap resounded from the carriage. The sound was large enough for a certain old man to hear but quiet enough to not travel far from the carriage.
"Wake up." A single command came from the mouth of Deldion.
It was truly a sight one would rarely see. Two princes, nine years of age, facing one another. One with raven black hair and a noble demeanor, the other with pure white hair and a humiliating red palm print on his face.
It was all but a second before Deldion's noble facade collapsed. He bent down and hugged his brother, tears coming down from his eyes as well.
"Father is dead. He isn't coming back." Deldion's words held Zinra back to reality as the twins embraced each other.
The sorrowful atmosphere that permeated in the carriage came to a sudden halt as Deldion's surroundings changed. Space collapsed into a swirl of matter with Deldion as the vortex.
In the minuscule amount of time where Deldion was in the collapsing space, his mind felt as if thousands of needles were piercings into his body all the while his limbs and head twisted in unspeakable manners. Despite the immense pain, the nine year old prince wasn't even able to let out a whimper of a sound. Deldion, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, felt his surroundings turn pitch black.
The indescribable pain that tormented the prince had disappeared. What replaced this pain was an unimaginable sense of insignificance and emptiness. Darkness that was deeper than any shade of black and vastness beyond the human comprehension enveloped Deldion.
At first, the prince simply thought his eyes were closed or he had become blind. This thought was swiftly eliminated as it felt as if his body was floating. This feeling of levitation numbed his senses towards the presence, or rather the lack of his body. It was as if only the mind of consciousness existed in this unidentifiable space.
Now, only two possibilities remained in the mind of Deldion: he had perished, or he has been called to overcome The Trials. Deldion believes it to be the latter. A small smile would be on the young prince's face if his body was present. If this were truly the trials made by the gods, he would finally find the truth. The truth behind the curse on the Jadeith family bloodline.