"Is it so bad if I become King? After all, I agreed to be the leader of the Blutheim branch but that's different." Kyle thought as he barrel rolled landed on a roof. "That could've been dangerous if I weren't so light." He thought as he dropped into an alley.
As Kyle ran through the alley, he realized Chief Chorian and the other Watchman weren't following him. He was able to make it through most of this area without trouble, he could tell he was just a handful of buildings away from the gates walls.
Just as he took a step off of another building, a Watchman came and grabbed him by the waist. Throwing him out of the alleyway and across the street like he was moving some sort of sack, he ended up flying into the wall of another store.
Knocking the air out of his lungs as his back was slammed into the wall. Kyle could see the Watchman bolting towards him as if he was holding a red cloth for a bull. Unfortunately that hit made him struggle to catch his breath, and even move his body. For some reason the world around him was getting darker and darker as if someone was slowly dimming the suns' lights.
Just before everything faded, he heard someone's voice that seemed familiar. "How ruthless, you treat a mere child like this. You dead hounds really have no care for life, do you?" He couldn't figure who it was prior to him passing out.
â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"
â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"
â€"â€"â€"â€"-
*Clip-Clop* *Clip-Clop* He soon heard the cantering sounds of a horse, though it seemed heavier than what he'd remember until he finally recalled the fact that he wasn't in lower realms.
Kyle jolted awake with that realization and was taken by surprise as he noticed that he was being carried by Drey.
He erratically pushed himself off as he noticed Drey was carrying him. "Where's Melissa?!" Kyle said as he fell to the ground.
"Relax, she's right there." Drey said as he looked to the right.
Surprisingly Deiamos was with them again, he let Melissa ride his steed since her leg was missing. She also seemed to be unconscious at the moment.
"Why are you here?" Kyle asked as he stood up and looked around.
Seeing that they weren't in the Alfheim Kingdom anymore and were just outside the Empress's Plains, Kyle realized the one who saved him before he passed out.
"It seems we both have been lying to each other. I don't want any thanks, I just did what a retainer would've done in that situation." Deiamos said as he avoided eye contact with him.
"A retainer?" Kyle thought. "I may have twisted my past a few angles." He said as he dropped that suspicious attitude quickly.
"Is that right, then that makes me feel much better. Why don't we restart our introductions." Deiamos stopped his steed from walking and showed a bit of his face. His ruby-like eyes were the first thing they noticed, feeling the Vampiric blood and a bond between him and someone else.
"I am Deiamos former lieutenant of Blutheim's 2nd platoon and retainer of Kraios, the first son of the Queen." He knelt down with his hand on his heart.
"I'm Kyle Gorge, captain of the ANM's Blutheim branch and the last son of the 5th Princess Mnesyne." Kyle held his hand out to him.
"That would make you the last Prince and the sole heir to the crown. Unless the princess has also returned." Deiamos said as he stood up to shake his hand.
"Unfortunately, my mother has not returned. She's still banished from Terra Principium." Kyle said before they started walking again.
"That is rather unfortunate, natheless you are here that is greater than anything." Deiamos said as you can tell he was slightly disappointed. "I'm assuming, you weren't able to meet up with the Queen." He finished.
"No, I stupidly made my retainers head into a dangerous place unprepared which is why Melissa's foot is like that now." Kyle said regrettably as he looked around.
"It's almost tradition for the Royal siblings to risk their retainer's life a few times. What matters is the fact that you learned from it. What's life without a few failures anyway, as long as you keep getting back up nothing shall weigh you down forever." Deiamos said with a small smirk on his face.
"You acted as a decoy so they could escape didn't you, not even thinking about your own life. You wanted your retainers to live no matter what, even being unequipped you stood against them. How great is that? Don't you think so as well, Drey?" He asked.
"Hmph, I agree. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have made it back here. I don't think Melissa would hold you accountable anyway, she was actually worried about you and questioned whether or not it was right to leave you and so was I. We may have had a major set back but like Deiamos said, that's bound to happen. Next time we won't let it happen, right?" Drey reassured him as he put his right fist up.
"Right." Kyle said as they bumped fists.
"A wound such as that shouldn't be a cause for concern. With the right treatment it'll heal within 3-4 weeks." Deiamos explained as he looked at her legs which were now wrapped in bandages. "She passed out from the ongoing pain of the wind hitting her wound." He finished.
"What's the right treatment?" Kyle asked almost instantly,
This brought up Kyle's mood a bit, even though he still felt bad about Melissa losing her legs. He was glad to think they weren't mad or disappointed with him, he actually felt relieved and motivated. Kyle was also thankful for the Vampire blood flowing through them because if not for that, this wound wouldn't have been temporary.
They decided to stop and take a break in the same woods they met with Deiamos earlier. They felt it was best to continue when the night rises. Melissa rested with Graison beside a tree while Kyle, Drey and Deiamos rested around a fireplace. A couple of hours passed as they waited for night to rise.
"I've been wondering, how are you able to withstand the sunlight, does it not make you feel weak?" Deiamos asked as he removed his robe. "Are you also a product of a different species?" He asked again.
Kyle and Drey were astonished by the attire under his robe. He was dressed in a slightly tattered military uniform which was all white with 5 red streaks going around his chest and neck. White and messy, long hair that clearly hasn't been maintained despite keeping its beautiful style. He also had a bushy beard that covered his face like a mask.
"In the land I was born on, the species had a substance that protected them from the sun's light called melanin. My blood cells were able to adapt and evolve to the sunlight the more I was exposed. And my retainer acquired this when they took my blood." This was the explanation Kyle got from the ANM but it wasn't exactly the same, he left out a few details that he felt wasn't necessary at the time.
"I see…. Princess Mnesynes's wits are still prospering even in these times. How wonderful that is, My lord was more than right to believe in her." Deiamos said as his head faced the sky.
Although Kyle wasn't sure what he actually meant, he was glad that Deiamos had at least a little bit of relief.
"Are you the only retainer of the royal family left?" Kyle asked.
"…No, the Kings of the other nations left one retainer alive per royal member even though they were locked up. Unfortunately they had to pick which retainer who had to die." Deiamos explained as his mood fell. "She seems to be waking up." He quickly changed the subject as he saw Melissa waking up.
Both Kyle and Drey looked towards Melissa who was getting up from leaning on Graison.
"Where are we?" Melissa said as she looked at her legs.
A small smile was on her face as she saw Kyle and Drey were sitting together but was surprised when she saw Deiamos, as she never saw him under his robe.
"We're in the woods, Deiamos put those bandages in your leg." Drey said as he turned his body slightly.
"He did…. Is that Deiamos?" Melissa asked as she saw Graison pick his head up in the corner of his eye.
"Yes, I am. This is your first, seeing me without the robe that is. I hope those bandages are helpful. I'm not sure how long I had those for." Deiamos said as the Tulpar wrapped its tail around so she wouldn't move.
"They're great, the pain has let up now. Thank you." Melissa said as she pet Graison's head. "How long was I out for?" Melissa said as the sky was much darker looking as if night finally rose.
"Only 2 hours had passed." Deiamos said as he checked an item that was tied to his wrist. "I think now is as good a time as any to get going. Most animals should be asleep by now." Deiamos said as he looked at Kyle.
"Right, let's get going." Kyle said as he stood up.
Drey stood up as well and walked over to Melissa. "You ready?" He asked as he put his hands under her arms.
"Yeah." Melissa said before he lifted her. Graison stood up right after and lowered himself so Melissa could ride on his back.
"Good boy…" Deiamos said as he rubbed Graison's chin. "The walk isn't all that far, however the entrance to the Kingdom is North of here. We'll be heading to the hole in the wall." He said as he walked along the path heading North of the woods.
"It's directly opposite the Alfheim Kingdom?" Kyle asked as he walked beside him.
"Yes, The Great King and the Empress were very fond of each other but for some reason our people never had the same feeling. Even now." Deiamos explained.
Kyle and Deiamos walked ahead of Drey and Melissa as they had more to talk about apparently.
"Kyle seems more comfortable around him. Wanna fill me in on what happened while I was knocked?" Melissa said as she kept staring at the trees.
"There's a lot so make sure you don't pass out from shock." Drey said jokingly.
"Funny joke, I can feel Graison holding in his laughter." Melissa said sarcastically as she tried to kick him.
"But really, there was more that he left out than we thought." Drey said as his demeanor changed almost drastically.