The Brotherhood: Awakening Book II - 24. Chapter 24

The Brotherhood: Awakening

Chapter XXIV

By X

 

  

I fought the urge to look behind me.

Who’s he talking about?

His eyes, a ghostly pale mint shade, stood in stark contrast to his cascading jet-black hair. They seemed to penetrate the depths of my soul, searching for something hidden. I didn’t know what else to do but allow him to continue his expedition.

I wasn’t afraid, not anymore. His gaze conveyed a sense of warmth and understanding, akin to how The Great Mother would look upon you if you were lost and unsure. Perhaps that is why he felt familiar.

“Your Highness?” Zenial repeated. “Is everything okay?”

God, I hope so.

“Yes, of course,” Iythaeryn replied, shaking his head as if waking from a deep sleep. “My apologies, Jacob. I overstepped.” His hand dropped from my face, and I could feel his hesitation. It was palpable, like he was desperately trying to grasp a fading dream. He flashed a quick smile before stepping back and heading to the windows.

Zenial and I shared a glance but said nothing.

Iythaeryn appeared not much older than me. He was my height but slimmer and not muscular at all. If he was at all toned under his dark dress shirt and form-fitting slacks, I couldn’t tell. He seemed more delicate than the other El’odians I’ve met. I can usually size up a brother's physique with a quick look. They typically range from Q and Zenial's swimmer's build to Eolaeis' towering, imposing stature. But not Iythaeryn. He reminded me of the quiet kid in class who sat in the back and kept to himself. Despite all that, he was, as expected, devastatingly handsome.

I realize that’s not saying much, considering even GQ models look like homely beggars compared to El’odians. Still, some stand out above the rest, even among this crowd. Q is one of them (I might be slightly biased), as well as Zenial, Raz, and Seth. They have an ethereal beauty that can not be overstated.

To me, Iythaeryn easily rounded out the top five. That said, when Soullen matures, he’ll give him a run for his money. However, I’d never admit it to Soullen, even under penalty of death.

After a few minutes of staring out the window, Iythaeryn turned to face us and pointed at the chairs. “Please, everyone, let’s sit.”

That’s when I saw the mark on his face. I couldn’t believe I missed it earlier, but I was so engrossed in his eyes it never registered. He had a white line about four inches long and no wider than an eighth of an inch going down the left side of his face. It ran from his forehead, through his eyebrow—also scarred white—then across his eyelid to the ball of his cheek. When he closed his eyes, the line was complete.

It looked like a birthmark or maybe a badass tattoo.

"Please, sit," he said, but neither of us sat until his butt hit the seat first.

“Again, Jacob, allow me to apologize…”

“No need, Your Highness,” I interrupted, unworthy of his apology. “It’s fine. I hope I didn’t do anything to offend...”

“No, of course not,” he insisted. “I lost myself for a moment.”

“Whose eyes?” I asked timidly, then glanced at Zenial. I was looking for his permission despite already asking my question. He returned my gaze with one of indifference as if he didn’t care one way or the other if I asked.

“My brother…Juyx,” Iythaeryn said thoughtfully. The same smile that appeared earlier surfaced again, but for half as long.

“He had green eyes, too?” I asked, not knowing what to say about such a heavy topic.

“No,” he answered, shifting in his seat. “His were azure, deep ocean blue, and no less dazzling than the brightest sapphires.”

“Oh…” I couldn’t hide my confusion even if I tried.

“Eye color isn’t the trait you share with Juyx, Jacob,” Iythaeryn clarified, his voice as gentle as a morning breeze. “It’s what I saw in them…or rather, what I didn’t.”

“Okay…”

“Forgive me, I’m not making any sense,” Iythaeryn laughed.

“No, I get it,” I said without even thinking. None of that helped clear anything up.

“Oh, really?” Zenial teased. “Please feel free to explain it to me. I’ve known him all my life, and I have no idea what His Highness is saying.”

We laughed—actually, they laughed. I just joined in to avoid being the odd man out.

“You are not cursed like the rest of us,” Iythaeryn said.

“Cursed?” I repeated.

I was this close to asking for a PowerPoint with bullet points and a Venn diagram. Seriously, I needed something, anything, to make sense of what he was saying.

"You harbor no hatred in your heart," he explained gently. "Not for the Nave or anyone. I see that in you just as I saw it in my brother. Or am I mistaken?"

My eyes shifted uncertainly to Zenial, who found my anxious gaze amusing.

“It’s okay, Jacob,” Zenial assured me. “Speak your mind.”

I paused nervously for a moment. “You’re not mistaken, Your Highness.”

“As such, you are not beholden to the El’odian curse of hatred and violence towards our brothers on the other side.”

I think my eyes fell out of my sockets as I sat forward. “Brothers on the other side?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I remember shaking my head and repeating the question a second time. Was there another side I didn’t know about?

“Of course,” Iythaeryn said matter-of-factly. “What are we if not one side of the same coin?”

“I…I just…I don’t…what?!”

Zenial sat back in his chair laughing. “Careful, Your Highness, you might make his head explode.”

“Too late!” I insisted. "I've never heard anyone talk like that. And trust me, I've been on both sides, so I know."

“His Highness wishes for eternal peace between the Skai and Nave,” Zenial explained. “In his eyes, the only way forward is together as one El’odian family.”

“Really?” I think my voice cracked as it went up an octave.

Zenial nodded. “I knew you’d like him, Jacob. It’s for this reason many call him an idealist.”

“Or a fool,” Iythaeryn added with a smirk.

“No one calls you that, Iythaeryn,” Zenial asserted firmly.

“You’re too kind, Zenial.”

“No one thinks you are a fool,” Zenial stated unequivocally, his tone sharper than before. It bothered him that such a thought would pop into Iythaeryn’s head, even in jest.

Iythaeryn yielded with a nod. “Anyway, that’s why you remind me of my brother, Jacob. He never harbored a drop of malice or hatred toward the Nave. He did his best to counsel our father and cool the flames of war whenever possible. Yet, he was also a fierce warrior unafraid to brandish his blade to defend his home and brethren.” Falling silent for a moment, Iythaeryn fixed his eyes in my direction but wasn’t looking at me. His thoughts seemed to transport him far from Zenial's office. “I could never wrap my head around how he balanced this inner conflict – yearning for peace while wielding a blade. I could never match his strength.”

"Sounds like you're just like him," I said, looking at Zenial for confirmation.

“No, not like him,” Iythaeryn corrected. "I still carry an innate animosity towards the Nave. It's in me, like all my brothers, but I resist it and refuse to succumb to hate. I admit I'm not as strong as my brother. I could easily lose myself with the blade—that's a certainty. So, I consciously chose a path of peace."

“Was it his relationship with Sol that gave way to his desire for peace?” I asked.

“No, I’m happy to say,” Iythaeryn answered pensively. “He was like that long before he met Sol. And that gives me a semblance of hope, as misguided as it may be.”

“I don’t understand,” I confessed.

“Like you, my brother was born defective,” he said, putting the word “defective” in air quotes, not meaning it as an insult. “That means despite being, as I see it, a reflection of our better selves, you’re seen as an anomaly.”

The word anomaly made my stomach turn.

“Rarely,” Iythaeryn continued, “a child is born free from the El’odian curse.” His eyes briefly landed on Zenial. "Unfortunately, we’ll never have enough El’odian anomalies to cure us of this madness. Juyx's affliction enabled him to fall in love with Sol in the first place. I suspect a similar case can be made for your feelings toward Qua’quelle."

I tensed the moment Q’s name crossed his lips. I don’t know why. Iythaeryn had only shown kindness and understanding up to this point. But, in my defense, whenever my Skai brothers utter his name, it’s never followed by warm and fuzzy thoughts.

“You give me too much credit, Your Highness,” I said with a gulp. “I’m nothing special. If anything, compared to you, I’m a coward. As I’m sure you know, I gave up the memories of our people to make it easier for me. It was purely selfish on my part.” I took a breath and felt my face flush. “You fight every day to keep your hatred at bay. That’s takes strength.”

“Thank you, Jacob, but you’re no coward. Daring to stand by the one you love, even against impossible odds in a world that would destroy you both, is the definition of courage.”

It was kind of him to say that, but I still felt his struggle for peace while battling his hatred for the Nave made him genuinely inspirational. If only more El’odians fought the way he did…

“May I ask you something, Your Highness?” I asked, rubbing my thighs nervously.

“Yes, but please, call me Iythaeryn.”

“That’s not happening, Your Highness,” I assured him.

They both laughed.

I was starting to feel comfortable enough with Zenial to drop the formalities. Sure, he was a Sanctum Prince, but he was also a chill guy. Soullen, also a Prince, is just a brat I love like a little brother, so there’s no way I’d ever call him “Your Highness.” But Iythaeryn was the Skylarian Prince. Hell, for a time after the Awakening, he was King of the Skai until things were restructured under his order. Being Skai, that hits differently. I wasn’t ready to cross that bridge into casual “bro talk.”

I looked at him for a moment before shifting my gaze to Zenial. I apprehensively looked between the two while I tried to find the best way to ask my question without insulting the Prince.

“Um…if…I mean.” I stopped to scratch the back of my head and noticed them share a glance. “What I’m trying to say is, um, if you…” If tripping over your words was an Olympic sport, I would’ve definitely taken the gold. “You know what? Never mind. It’s not important.”

“Jacob, it’s okay,” Iythaeryn reassured me as he leaned closer. “Ask your question.”

“No, really. Never mind.”

Placing his right ankle over his left knee, he leaned back and observed me closely. His pale eyes moved between me and Zenial as if silently communicating. Maybe they were, or perhaps it was all in my head. It is considered rude to use telepathy when engaging in a conversation with multiple people. A little tidbit I learned from Sunny when I asked why we didn’t use such an ability more often.

“You’re wondering why I don’t push for a lasting peace considering my position on the matter,” Iythaeryn offered with a raised brow. “Or why I didn’t enforce it when I was King? Am I right?”

“Maybe. Sure, let's go with that.”

He snickered while looking at Zenial. “You were right about him.”

“I said you’d like him,” Zenial declared proudly.

“Right about what?” My suspicious gaze fell on Zenial immediately. “What did you say about me?”

Throwing his hands up as if surrendering, Zenial said, “Nothing bad.”

“It’s a fair question, Jacob,” Iythaeryn said. "Simply put, a leader can not command his people to go against their very nature. No more than you can put a pride of lions in an enclosure with a pack of hyenas and expect them to play nice. It would make for a volatile situation, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“The Gods infected us with the curse of hate. True peace will never be achieved until we extract that curse.”

“So basically…never,” I whispered somberly.

“There’s that winning attitude we like to see around here,” Zenial joked.

“You know what I mean,” I said, unconsciously rolling my eyes. “The Gods made us this way. It’s in our ‘DNA’ for all intents and purposes. You can’t exactly cut that out with a butter knife.”

“Very true,” Iythaeryn agreed. “Yet, here I sit…hopeful.”

“Why? It seems fairly clear we’re all doomed to an existence of death and destruction.”

“I need you on my speech writing team,” Zenial teased again. “You have a way of uplifting a crowd.”

“It’s a gift,” I said, throwing my head back against the chair to stare at the ceiling. “I just don’t get where this sense of hope comes from. No offense to His Highness.”

After a moment of silence, Iythaeryn said, “You asked where my sense of hope comes from?”

“I sure did.”

Zenial cleared his throat loudly.

My eyes flew open as I sat up straight. “Um, yes, Your Highness.”

“This gives me hope,” Iythaeryn said, gesturing to the white line on his face.

“What is it?” I asked hesitantly.

“A scar from another life,” he replied.

“Really? I didn’t know we can scar.”

“Oh, trust me, it’s a scar,” Iythaeryn laughed. “But it’s also a reminder of what’s possible, so I wear it proudly. Do you know much about my brother and his beloved Sol?”

I thought about it for a moment, searching my memory banks for all relevant information like I was a fucking robot. “All I know is that they were two star-crossed lovers who met on an island, fell in love, and kept their relationship a secret for a decade.”

“A decade?” Iythaeryn rolled his eyes, expressing amusement. “Try three.”

“Three? I heard ten years.”

“Yeah, Juyx and Sol may have downplayed the length of their involvement a little.”

“A little? People get married, have kids, get divorced, pay alimony, remarry, get another divorce, and are now on their engagement in less than thirty years. It’s a lifetime. Jeez!”

“True,” he agreed, “but what’s thirty years to an immortal?”

“I guess.”

“Contrary to popular belief, Qua’quelle was not the first to discover them on their island,” Zenial stated bluntly.

“Really?”

His confirmation came in the form of a simple brow raise.

“My brother and I were super close, as you can imagine,” Iythaeryn continued. “He was by my side from the moment I was born. He was the ying to my yang, my friend, mentor, and…”

“Hold up,” I interrupted rudely, raising a finger. “Juyx was there when you were born?”

“Yes.”

“Sunny told me you were born after The Great Calamity. Did he screw up?”

“No, Sunny is correct,” Iythaeryn smiled at me like he was making perfect sense. “I was, in fact, born after The Great Calamity.”

“But you also grew up with your brother?”

“For a time, yes,” he replied.

“How in the…” I broke off and looked at Zenial for help. “I don’t get it.”

“Iythaeryn is…unique, Jacob,” Zenial said.

“It can be confusing, I know,” Iythaeryn added. “Many of our brothers born after The Great Calamity don’t remember that I have lived two lives as Iythaeryn.”

“We can do that?” I damn near fell out of my chair. “No way!”

Zenial shot me a ‘tone it down’ look, and I realized I had basically screamed at Iythaeryn. “Forgive me, Your Highness.”

“There’s no need,” his warm smile never faded. “Please, if you’d allow me, I assure you it will all make sense in the end.”

“I can’t wait to hear this! Is there any way I can convince you to skip to the end credits?”

“Jacob…”

I threw my hands up at Zenial and said, “Oh, come on! Can you blame a guy?”

Pressing his finger to his lips, his orders were clear.

I respectfully obliged.

“As I was saying, Juyx spent much of his time teaching and training me in the ways of our people. I soaked it all in because I wanted to be a great warrior like my brother.” Pausing for a moment, he’s eyes fell to the ground as he smiled. “We were inseparable…” Clearing his throat, he looked up at me and continued. “Despite all his royal duties, I was always his main priority – more so after my Awakening.”

"Because now he could really go ham and beat the crap out of you during training," I snickered. "Uh, Your Highness."

Iythaeryn laughed and nodded. “Precisely. For a year or so following my Awakening, nothing changed. Not really. It only intensified. Until, of course, the day everything changed. As abruptly as a lightbulb turning off, I wasn’t his main priority anymore. He wasn’t intentionally ignoring me; I knew that. As the heir, he had additional duties that demanded his attention and consumed his time. I have to admit, he had spoiled me with his time, so while the rational me understood, I still wasn’t happy when his time and attention were taken away.

“I spoke to my father about it, demanding he not burden Juyx with so many responsibilities.”

“Demanded?” Zenial asked, his skeptical eyes flickered in Iythaeryn's direction.

“Ok, more like pouted,” he confessed. “Regardless, my father had no idea what I was talking about and assured me Juyx had the same responsibilities he always had. I grew suspicious.”

“Uh-oh…”

“I see you know where I’m going with this,” he said.

“It’s a tale as old as time,” I grinned.

“I noticed a pattern in my brother’s behavior. The days he would disappear without a trace became all too obvious. There was a pattern, and so…I followed him.”

“Sounds familiar,” I mumbled, reflecting on how Q discovered the pair by following Sol.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“It’s nothing, Your Highness. Please continue,” I replied, catching Zenial shaking his head at me from the corner of my eye.

“I found them on that island together. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There was my brother being intimate with a Nave. And I’m not just talking about kissing and holding hands.”

“Got it,” I assured him.

“I was furious, seething with rage, actually.”

“I bet,” I said sympathetically. “I’m sure you felt betrayed by your brother.”

“Not at all,” Iythaeryn corrected. “I was angry at that Nave for trapping my brother in his thrall. There was no way Juyx would do the things I witnessed unless he were under the spell of that dirty Nave. I was reluctant to do anything right then, for I feared the Nave would somehow hurt him. Instead, I returned to the city and waited for my brother to return. I watched him closely for days to see if there was anything different about him, but there was nothing. In fact, he appeared happier after his visit.

“Eventually, I questioned him about his whereabouts without giving away what I knew. He was evasive and wouldn’t give me a straight answer. Realizing I wouldn’t let it go, Juyx fabricated a fairly elaborate story about training in the mountains. He even told of a curious encounter with a wooly mammoth! None of it was real, of course; it just added detail to ensure I’d buy it. I had never known my brother to lie to me. This was definitive proof that he was under the control of that treacherous Nave.”

“You didn’t know who the Nave was?”

“Not at the time, no. I never saw him clearly from where I was hiding.”

“Then how did you know it was a Nave?”

“The white light gave it way.”

“Ah,” I said aloud but heard ‘Duh, Jacob’ in my head.

“I plotted my next move. On a day I knew Juyx planned to visit the island, I arranged for him to be delayed by one of my father’s advisors. It gave me enough time to reach the island and deal with the ‘Nave problem’ before he arrived.”

“Why didn’t you just tell your father?”

“I considered it but feared it might destroy my brother’s reputation. Allowing himself to be seduced by a Nave would be a mark of shame he’d never live down. I didn’t want that for him. Besides, I was young, impulsive, and…maybe writing myself to be the hero of his epic drama. Juyx had done so much for me over the years. This was my chance to protect him and be his savior for once.

“I found the Nave blissfully skipping rocks over the ocean’s surface while he waited for my brother.”

“You guys skipped rocks?” I don’t know why that surprised me.

“Of course,” Zenial assured me with a slight chuckle. “There was no internet back then.”

“Fair point,” I conceded. “My god, I would’ve died.”

“As I was saying, he was unaware of my presence. I inched closer to him, using the canopy of trees as my cover. Once I arrived at the forest's edge, I knew I only had one shot to take him down. There would be nothing but an open beach between us once I made my move.”

“You still didn’t know it was Prince Sol?” I inquired.

“Not a clue. I made sure his back was to me the whole time. This was an ambush, after all. When he bent down to pick up another rock, I charged at him, summoning my blade mid-flight to strike him down. I heard him laughing.”

“Laughing?”

“Yes,” Iythaeryn mused. “He thought I was Juyx trying to sneak up on him. Apparently, they enjoyed a good sneak attack. He turned around in time to get the surprise of his life. His swords came out just in time to parry my blade with one while trying to sever my head with the other.”

“He used two swords?” I interrupted needlessly.

Iythaeryn nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, both brothers trained extensively with Qua’quelle. For the Nave, you couldn’t ask for a better master. His dual-wielding technique is unmatched and, dare I say, legendary.”

“And deadly,” Zenial added.

“That too,” Iythaeryn agreed. “I can admit I was no match for Sol, and lucky for me, he recognized who I was in time to pull back his sword. Instead of taking my head, he took my pride and left me with this lovely memento of our first meeting.” Pointing to the white line on his face, he smirked. “A fair trade, I suppose.”

“I didn’t think we could scar like that,” I admitted.

“You’d be correct most of the time,” Zenial said. “But not all wounds are created equal. Some never completely heal.”

“But none of this,” I gestured toward my body, “is real. Not really. We are shadow. They are light. This is just a mask we wear.”

“Very true,” Iythaeryn conceded. “But this scar is not on my human flesh but on the very essence of what I am.”

After a moment, it clicked. “Your Askyli.”

Iythaeryn nodded.

“It’s like having a scar on your soul,” I added.

“I suppose you could describe it that way, even though it’s not entirely accurate,” Iythaeryn conceded. “I am energy. So it’s more like having a dark spot on the sun; it’s a disruption in the forces that make me.”

“Wow.”

“Wow, indeed,” Iythaeryn blinked slowly, and I stared at his ‘sunspot’ as it formed an unbroken line. I admit I was mesmerized.

“As the humans say, we were in a pickle.”

“Huh?” My attention snapped back to the room.

“I’m continuing the story, Jacob.”

“Sorry, Your Highness,” I averted my eyes from his face and looked at Zenial apologetically. He looked back at me kindly.

Iythaeryn continued. “I was in serious trouble. Sol spared my life, but he sliced my face with a fully charged eiyrlin blade. His Anavi was already spreading through me like a poison. I could feel it under my skin. It was a web of molten lava trickling from my face into the rest of my body. Appreciating the gravity of the situation, he offered me his hand and yelled for me to get up – that ‘we have to go.’”

“Go where?”

“To the only person who could heal me in time to save my life.”

“The Great Mother.”

“Realizing who he was, I slapped Sol’s hand away and spat. I said I’d rather die than be at his mercy.”

“Bold,” I acknowledged with a pinch of sarcasm.

“Foolish,” he corrected.

Zenial gave Iythaeryn a look that conceded he wasn’t wrong but also made it clear he didn’t like his Prince described as foolish.

Iythaeryn ignored him.

“With little time to spare, Sol ignored my protest, encased me in a field of light, and, after burning a message in the sand for my brother, he flew me to Cyprinia.”

“A field of light?” I interrupted. “You mean a bubble.”

Iythaeryn nodded.

“He put you in a bubble,” I clarified.

“Yes.”

“You were bubble boy.”

“Jacob…” Zenial admonished me with a tone that made it clear I wasn’t as clever as I thought.

“Sorry.”

“It’s quite alright,” Iythaeryn insisted. “While in his bubble, he could drag me, kicking and screaming, to The Great Mother.”

“I guess Sol had much explaining to do,” I said.

“No, not really,” Iythaeryn said. “At least not to The Great Mother. It’s one of those situations where she didn’t know, but she knew if that makes any sense.”

“We’ve met,” I laughed. “It makes sense.”

“As for me, I didn’t want to hear a single word from Sol’s lying lips. I wanted to return to Asevaya, confront my brother, and expose everything. My fighting spirit had not diminished even as I lay there dying.

“Dying?”

“Yes, Jacob. I was dying. Sol’s Avani had spread too quickly, so despite The Great Mother’s efforts, it was already too late. All she could do was make me comfortable.

“Once my brother arrived, we got into it. It was ugly. I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want to understand. None of it made any sense to me. How could Juyx, my Skai brother, be in love with a Nave – especially the Naverian Prince?

“The Great Mother was finally able to cut through all the yelling to break the news to my brother.” Iythaeryn’s voice trailed off momentarily as he looked away from us. “Juyx crumbled. I had never seen him in such a state. He was my strong, warrior brother, after all. But knowing he was losing me broke him completely.

“In the hopes of saving my life, he linked with me right then and there. Through the link, I was able to discern his plan. Surprisingly, I learned that Juyx and Sol could link without harming each other. My brother tried his best to draw the Anavi into himself, like sucking out the poison of a snake bite. It didn’t work. All I could do was feel his anguish - the depths of his sorrow. But he would not break free of me until I understood what it meant to love a Nave.

“I felt it.” Iythaeryn's voice was hushed as he bowed his head and closed his eyes. He was quiet for a while, probably reliving the moment he felt ‘it.’ Whatever that was to him. Pressing his fingers to his eyes, Iythaeryn scrunched his face like he was fighting back a terrible headache. “I felt them. I felt their love. It was real. It was…special. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ve linked with plenty of my brothers, and through that, I experienced what it meant to be in love. It was always beautiful, of course. But what I experienced with Juyx was entirely different. I had never felt anything like it. I don’t know if it was because it was love between a Skai and a Nave, but it touched me in a way words will never convey.” Raising his head, Iythaeryn looked at me. “It was pure.” He then slowly turned his head slightly to the right and, in a shallow voice, said, “I guess you’d know better than most.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Like a nervous monkey, I looked at Zenial for an out, but he simply smiled and looked away.

“Anyway,” Iythaeryn continued, to my relief, “After that moment, my world changed. For the first time, I looked at Sol for what he was - the love of Juyx’s life. Despite my fate, I couldn’t hate him after that. I couldn’t hate any of them.” Placing his fingers on his chest, he made a circular motion. “I still felt it, of course – the hate, but it wasn’t as intense as before. Instead of a raging inferno, it was more like an annoying splinter under the skin. Forever present but easier to ignore.”

Sitting back in his seat, Iythaeryn got lost in his memories. I could see into his eyes, but no one was there. Zenial and I shared a look, but he didn’t appear concerned.

Finally, I decided to take a chance, put on my arm floaters, and dive into the deep end of the pool. “Your Highness,” I said softly and then repeated myself a little louder. “Your Highness…”

“Yes, forgive me,” Iythaeryn said, clearing his throat and sitting up straight. “I was just…”

“There’s no need to explain, Your Highness,” I smiled. “I understand.”

“Thank you.”

“What about your father?”

“My father arrived shortly after the link opened my eyes to their love. I can still feel his arms around me…the kiss he placed on my forehead. He was tender. Kind. But it wasn’t long before his rage for the Nave and my dire situation took hold. He demanded answers. I used my last bit of strength to tell him the story. I came across an unaware Sol and trying to prove myself; I ambushed him. I forced Sol to defend himself. After the Prince realized who I was, he rushed me to The Great Mother to save my life. The blame was mine.”

“You left out a couple of details,” I said.

“Did I?” Iythaeryn mused. “Everything happened so quickly. I’m not surprised a few details slipped my mind.”

I smirked knowingly.

“In the end, it made little difference. After thanking Sol for trying to save my life, he gave the order to prepare for war. I begged him not to. My dying request to my father was not to go to war in my name. Still, a father is going to be a father. My pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Luckily, The Great Mother had a third option. ‘Honor your son’s request, and I shall return him to you,’ she said. Obviously, my father wanted more details, but she would not elaborate. She presented him with a choice. The rest was up to him.”

“Yeah, because just like Fathers, Great Mothers are going to do what Great Mothers do,” I added.

Everyone laughed.

“He put his trust in The Great Mother,” Iythaeryn continued. “The Chosen was summoned to my bedside and…”

“The Chosen?” I asked.

“It’s the Skai selected or chosen to merge with my father to continue the royal line.”

“Ah,” I said as if I understood, but it seemed like a weird way to refer to his father.

“What happened next had never been done before or since,” Iythaeryn recalled. “The Great Mother used an incredible amount of her power to…I don’t even know what to call it. It has no name, but essentially, moments before my death, she was able to separate my Askyli back into the two halves that created me, returning them to my father and The Chosen, leaving behind only the Anavi that was killing me.”

“Are you kidding me?!” I exclaimed, slamming my hands on the armrest excitedly. “No, seriously. How powerful is she?”

“Only The Great Mother knows,” Zenial reflected.

“So technically, the Anavi didn’t kill you. The Great Mother did.”

“Yes.”

“Holy…”

“Regardless, it took her a long time to fully recover, but thanks to The Great Mother, I got a chance at a second life. It’s one of the many reasons she is so beloved and respected by our people.”

The lightbulb finally went off over my head. “So that’s how you were born after The Great Calamity!”

“Yes,” Iythaeryn nodded. “My father’s grief was profound, and his duties vast. Much time would pass before my father could bring a child into the world again. As such, he didn’t merge with The Chosen until after the Awakening.”

“The two halves came together again, and you popped out.” I smiled.

Iythaeryn nodded.

I eyed him from head to toe. “So, you’re really the same Iythaeryn as before? Your father didn’t just give you his name?”

“I am,” he said, gesturing at the white line on his face. “I have the literal scar to prove it.”

“And your father never learned the truth even after you were returned to him?” I asked.

“No,” he answered. “Sharing ourselves while linking is a process, Jacob. That’s not what happened. But I like to believe something of me was passed on to my father, which helped him accept my brother’s love for Sol when their truth was revealed. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part.”

“I don’t think so,” Zenial said softly.

I couldn’t help but break their touching moment.

“That. Is. Wild.” I shook my head fiercely. “Just when I think I’m getting the hang of how things work, you guys throw me a curveball. I can’t believe Sunny left all that out!”

“You can’t blame Sunny, Jacob,” Zenial insisted.

“Yes, I can. It’s one of my many talents.”

Iythaeryn chuckled. “I lived a handful of years before The Great Calamity – a blink of an eye for an El’odian. Compared to my second life, there’s not much to remember. Besides, out of respect for my father and to honor his wishes, most of our brothers locked away the memory of my death. Not only to prevent him from reliving the loss of his son but also so Asevaya didn’t continuously mourn the death of its young prince. I’ve lived thousands of years since the Awakening. That’s the life most of our newer brothers remember – that’s the life I share.

I nodded but tossed out, “I thought The Great Mother didn’t take sides?”

“She didn’t,” Iythaeryn shrugged. “She helped both the Skai and Nave avert a war. It doesn’t get more neutral than that.”

I smirked while looking at the two. “Interesting how she always manages to find a way to bend the rules when the situation calls for it.”

This time, they looked at each other and shrugged innocently.

“Considering everything that happened, I can’t believe Juyx and Sol didn’t, you know, have a falling out or something.”

“It’s a testament to their love, I suppose,” Iythaeryn said, pressing his fist to his chest. “I still feel it in here. Now, if I may ask you a question, Jacob?”

Suddenly, Zenial let out a loud cough into his closed fist.

A devilish grin flashed across Iythaeryn's lips as he glanced at Zenial before looking back at me. “I promised Zenial I wouldn’t bombard you with questions about your relationship with Qua’quelle, and I attend to keep my word.”

Now I was looking at Zenial all shifty-like.

“But if you would allow me just one question, Jacob, I would be forever grateful.”

“Um…” I muttered, rubbing the palms of my hands against the armrests as I looked between the two like a madman. “Sure…go for it.”

Resting his arm against his armrest, he leaned toward me like he was about to reveal a deep, dark secret. “What’s it like to be in love with Qua’quelle?”

“Oh…is that all?”

Zenial almost fell out of his chair in laughter.

“You’re impossible,” Iythaeryn jokingly snapped at him.

“Like your question,” Zenial mocked. “Why didn’t you just ask him for the meaning of life?”

“Zenial’s right,” I confessed sheepishly. “I don’t know how to answer that. Words aren’t enough, honestly.”

“Please try.”

I sighed and looked around for an emergency exit.

“Jacob, are you okay?” Iythaeryn asked.

I nodded.

“What are you looking for?”

“Oh, nothing…”

“Probably the nearest exit,” Zenial joked.

“God, no!” I belted out nervously. “Nothing like that.”

The Prince just sat there, waiting for an answer.

With a heavy sigh, I said, “I don’t know…” I looked down, flicking one nail over the other. “What’s it like to love anyone? I miss him when he’s not around. I miss his cologne. I love how he makes me feel. I love his brooding demeanor and serial-killer stare when I crack a stupid joke. I love how he tries to hide his smile from the world.”

“Why is that?” Iythaeryn asked gently.

“Because it’s my smile,” I answered proudly. “Q’s my world…my everything.” I stopped playing with my fingers and looked up at Iythaeryn. “You said when Juyx linked with you, you felt ‘it,’ right?”

Iythaeryn nodded.

“Yeah…that.”

Iythaeryn's eyes darted quickly to Zenial. If I had blinked, I would’ve missed it. He reached over, patted my knee, and smiled. “Thank you, Jacob. I don’t need to hear more. My apologies if my question was too intrusive.”

“No, it’s okay,” I assured Iythaeryn. “It’s just weird talking openly about my feelings for Q with my fellow brothers considering, you know, everything.”

“Understandable,” Iythaeryn said. “Let us move on to a different topic entirely. I understand you start your training today.”

“I guess…”

“Well, I will not detain you any longer.” Clapping his hands together, he stood up abruptly. “You two should get to it then.”

Zenial was quick to stand up and button his jacket. I scrambled to my feet and nearly tripped over myself. How does one trip standing up? No idea.

“May I observe for a while?” Iythaeryn asked us.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Zenial bowed his head slightly.

Oh, great.

“Jacob?” Iythaeryn looked at me for confirmation.

“Sure,” I surrendered with an awkward bow. “The more the merrier, Your Highness.”

“Thank you,” he smiled and stepped away from the desk while Zenial walked around it.

“First thing first,” Zenial said, arching his hand in the air in a wide sweeping motion. This caused a wave of Askyli to emanate from his body and permeate the room like a mist.

The room changed as the shadow swept across its length. Every piece of furniture, from the chairs to the lamps to the paintings on the wall, disappeared, turning Zenial’s office into a matted gym. It actually looked more like a dojo than anything else.

I spun in place, slack-jawed, awed by the office’s transformation. I was still overwhelmed by the wondrous feats our people can accomplish with the snap of a finger. It was like being a kid at their first magic show.

When I finished my 360° turn, Zenial landed square in my sights, and he was just…wow! His hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, and he was clad in only a pair of silky gray pants that hung a little low on his waist, revealing the black band of his underwear. He was insanely chiseled – I could’ve shredded cheese on his abs, not to mention his firm ass and a prominent bulge that would make anyone drool. It was just out there, begging to be cupped and squeezed – but I digress.

Iythaeryn was only observing, so he remained unchanged. I have to admit, seeing Zenial looking like such a sexy stud made me curious as to what Iythaeryn might look like under his clothes. Hey, Skai or not, I’m still a horned-up guy at the end of the day. Sue me!

“Jacob?” Zenial said, touching my waist as he checked on me.

It was when he touched me, and I felt his hand on my bare flesh, that I realized he had changed my attire to match his own. My pants were black but just as revealing.

“Yes?”

“I hope you don’t mind that I put you in something more appropriate for training,” Zenial said.

“Not at all,” I assured him. The pants were definitely airier and more comfortable than the jeans I was wearing. “I like them. Thank you.”

“Perfect,” he smiled, patting my back before walking away. Raising his hand, the space before him began to ripple like the surface of a pond kissed by a gentle breeze. Within seconds, a dark portal appeared. “It’s time for you to pick a weapon, Jacob.”

“Okay…and how do I do that?”

“Through here,” he replied, gesturing at the portal. “It leads to the armory.”

“I see,” I whispered, staring at the black hole before me. “So, I just don’t get assigned one? I have to pick it?”

“That’s right,” Iythaeryn jumped in. “The relationship between a warrior and his weapon is an intimate one. It is not enough that we give you one. It’s something you have to decide for yourself.”

“You make it sound like I’m going on a date,” I joked nervously.

“Your first time is always special,” Zenial fired back teasingly.

I was about to fire back with another witty joke, but the door opened, and Ms. Cynthia walked into the office, or gym, or dojo, or whatever it was now, with a folder in hand.

“Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen, but this report was just sent over from Argentina. It’s marked urgent,” she rolled her eyes as she approached Zenial. “You know how those southern boys get if you don’t respond urgently to their urgent matter. It’s ridiculous. I’m considering writing them a strongly worded letter.”

She handed Zenial the folder, folded her hands in front of her, and stood there looking around the room while he thumbed through the first couple of pages. “You changed the room again, Suga.”

“I did,” Zenial acknowledged.

“Without telling me…again,” she said sternly, frustrated with the situation. “What if a client walked in here and saw a training facility where your office is supposed to be? What would people think?”

“I would love to see someone get past your desk, Ms. Cynthia,” Zenial snickered softly. “I believe the last client who tried that ended up in the hospital with taser burns.”

“That is not the point, Suga,” Ms. Cynthia affirmed. “We have rules so things don’t devolve into anarchy. You’re supposed to tell me when you do these things so I can protect you. It’s why I’m here, Suga.”

“You’re right, Ms. Cynthia,” Zenial conceded. “It won’t happen again.”

“Of course, I’m right. That’s my job.”

“I thought your job was to protect him?” I teased.

Ms. Cynthia leaned to the side to look past Zenial and the portal. “Do you want some of this?”

“Absolutely not!”

“I didn’t think so, Suga,” she said, walking to the door. “The boys down south will need an answer soon. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t,” Zenial assured her.

“And make sure you put this room back the way you found it when you’re done,” she ordered. “I won’t have it looking like this all day during business hours. It’s unseemly.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Work my last nerve,” Ms. Cynthia mumbled as she closed the door.

Iythaeryn walked up beside me and said, “She’s extraordinary.”

“And terrifying,” I added.

“That too,” he chuckled.

“Your Highness, would you mind?” Zenial said while holding the folder in the air.

“Not at all. Come, Jacob, I’ll accompany you to the armory.”

“Okay…” I said as Iythaeryn walked through the portal. I soon followed.

It wasn’t like using a gate to travel the world. It was more like walking through an open door. I was in the armory as soon as I stepped through. The armory was immense and dark and mostly filled with nothing. It had no walls or ceilings. It might have been too dark to see them, or maybe the room was just that big, or maybe they really didn’t exist. Whatever it was, the armory appeared to go on forever in all directions. I could barely see the floor, but it was cool against my bare feet, so something floor-like was there.

Iythaeryn advanced, yet the space stayed black and empty. Following suit, I took a step, and out of nowhere, a multitude of weapons materialized, hovering before me. Each was bathed in an unexplained circle of light without any visible source.

“Where are we?” I asked as I eyed a pair of mean-looking axes to my left.

“The armory,” Iythaeryn said, a soft echo trailing his voice.

My voice didn’t echo.

“I can see that Your Highness, but where is it exactly?”

“Oh, you’re referring to The Veil,” he clarified. “It’s where we come to exist in our purest form, to congregate and share our thoughts and experiences. It is the nerve center of our people.”

“And where we keep an arsenal of deadly weapons, apparently.”

Iythaeryn laughed. “The armory is a small part of The Veil.”

“More importantly, why do you get a cool echo and I don’t?” I was a little bitter.

His laugh grew louder, seemingly reverberating off the invisible walls. “Come, Jacob, take your time and look around.”

There were so many weapons! You had your swords, great swords, short swords, axes, battle axes, spears, and on and on it went. Most were floating in the air as if held in place by invisible weapon racks, but as I moved through the space, an occasional black stone table would light up and be filled with options I had never seen before, let alone weapons I could name. It was dizzying.

I stopped at a particular “weapon” and was dumbfounded. “Why is this here?”

“Why shouldn’t it be here?” Iythaeryn asked.

“It’s a clarinet,” I laughed.

“Of sorts, yes,” he said while walking around the table and running his finger down the length of the instrument.

“Do you use it to sing your enemies to sleep?” I joked, pressing down on a couple of the keys.

“You’d be surprised the kind of damage sound can cause when amplified by our Askyli,” Iythaeryn said matter-of-factly. “It’s right up there with weapons of mass destruction.”

“You’re pulling my leg, right?” I asked, pressing a few more keys.

“Not at all, Jacob. In the right hands, a single note can level a city.”

“Well, in my hands, it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment and maybe even a war crime.”

Iythaeryn laughed. “Noted.”

I must have spent twenty minutes wandering the vast emptiness, watching weapon after weapon light up as I approached, on my hunt for something suitable. I wanted something to suit my style, not that I had any style to speak of—or really even knew what that meant.

I guess I just wanted to look cool.

At one point, I picked up a bow and pictured myself performing trick shots like Legolas, but I quickly realized I’d likely shoot myself in the eye and never be as cool as everyone’s favorite elf. I put it down, lowered my standards, and walked away.

“How am I supposed to know which is the best weapon for me?” I asked into the void.

The shadows entirely consumed Iythaeryn. I couldn’t see him unless he stood near one of the illuminated displays. His voice filled the room when he spoke, making it impossible to pinpoint his exact whereabouts.

“You’ll know when you know,” Iythaeryn said.

“That’s not helpful, Your Highness,” I fired back.

“It is; you just don’t see it yet,” he countered.

“Seriously, does The Great Mother teach a masterclass on cryptic speak?”

His laugh filled the space once again.

Iythaeryn was chatty, which was nice. He asked me about school, my friends, growing up, and all the other stuff you ask people when trying to get to know them. His interest seemed genuine, and I also took an interest in him.

“If I had to guess, your views on the ongoing conflict between the Skai and Nave are controversial, to say the least.”

“What gives you that idea?” Iythaeryn joked while maintaining a serious tone.

“Call it a hunch,” I said while slipping on a spiked gauntlet. The spikes were black eiyrlin crystals, sharpened to a deadly point. “Yikes, this is brutal.”

“What is?”

“This lovely weapon of war I’m wearing, Your Highness,” I snickered.

“You had a question on my controversial take, I assume?”

“Yes, I did. How do the rest of The Nine feel about it?” Taking the gauntlet off, I went to put it back on its pedestal, but it slipped out of my hand and crashed onto the table, knocking several items to the floor. “Fuck me!”

Iythaeryn's face emerged from the shadows like a fucking jump scare, and that’s precisely what I did. He smirked as he bent down to pick up the gauntlet. “They may not agree with me, but they respect my viewpoint,” he said, waiting for me to straighten out the pedestal so he could place the weapon back in its proper place. “At least, I like to think they do.”

“I’m sure they do,” I said, echoing Zenial’s sentiment. “But it can’t be easy being the odd man out.”

“I hold my own fairly well,” he said before he stepped back into the shadows. “I fight for reason and restraint when the situation calls for it, but I understand and support them when more…drastic measures are required.”

After walking around for a few more minutes, I asked him a more delicate question. “What about your father?”

“My father?”

“Yes, but not our late King Diminuous,” I clarified. “I’ve learned a little about him and would love to know more in time, but I’ve heard nothing about your other father, the one you call The Chosen.” I stopped dead in my tracks and suddenly thought about Soullen. “Come to think of it, the same goes for the Nave. I’ve heard much about their King Villari Zet but nothing about Soullen’s other father. Why is that?”

“Ah, you don’t know,” Iythaeryn mused. “The royal family is, well, different when bringing a child into the world. A normal couple pours all their love, affection, knowledge, and experiences into the creation of that child. With a King, it’s all one-sided.”

“One-sided?”

“A King does not bond with another. It’s not that they can’t bond or aren’t allowed. They simply choose not to. As cliché as it may sound, they are bonded to the state and our people. So when the time comes to propagate the royal line, a Skai worthy of joining with the King is chosen. It’s a delicate process, which is why it takes twice as long for a royal child to be born. Only the chosen Skai’s Askyli brings about new life during the coupling. The Skai is highly trained in not passing on his memories, feelings, emotions, etc., to the child. And the King is trained to act like a filter, blocking anything that might get through accidentally. Ultimately, we are born with only the knowledge and love of the King and no familial connection to The Chosen. Whether King Villari Zet decided to follow this tradition is unknown. Still, if you haven’t heard anything about his partner, especially from Soullen or Qua’quelle, I can only surmise a Chosen One was also selected.”

“So basically, it’s like using a sperm donor, right?”

“I suppose you can look at it through such a crude lens,” he said coldly. “I would argue what the King and The Chosen accomplished is infinitely more beautiful than an injection of seminal fluid.”

I gulped. “I…I’m sorry, Your Highness. I meant no offense.”

His hand emerged from the darkness and grabbed my shoulder.

“Jesus Christ!” I jumped.

“It’s okay, Jacob,” Iythaeryn said warmly. “It was an apt comparison.”

I nodded.

“You’re very jumpy for a Skai,” he teased.

“Or maybe we should be required to wear a bell inside the armory. Or have a few light bulbs installed. ”

He smirked and slipped back into the shadows.

“Why not just fall in love like everyone else? Why go through all that trouble?”

“No society is perfect, Jacob. Asevaya saw its fair share of inner turmoil and power struggles early on. I’m sure the same could be said for Aquaiia. Once the tradition was adopted, the royal line remained secure and uncontested.”

“Seems kind of lonely,” I proposed.

“I don’t think so,” he countered. “My father had the love of his sons and our people.”

“Do you know him? The Chosen one?”

“Of course,” Iythaeryn replied. “His name is Io. He’s in Egypt currently.”

“Are you guys close?”

He chuckled. “He’s not my father, Jacob.”

“I know. I’m just asking if...”

“I love him as I love all my brothers. Is that a satisfactory answer?”

“A bit cagey, but I’ll allow it,” I said, forgetting myself again. “I mean, yes, Your Highness.”

“I told you, Jacob, you can call my Iythaeryn.”

I ignored him. “Would you have followed the tradition, Your Highness?”

There was a long pause, and in his silence, I had time to pick up a titanium frisbee-sized ring with intricate gold and ruby inlays and a fillagree edge. A thin bar of twisted titanium crossed the center. I could only assume it was the handle.

“Chakram.”

“Bless you, Your Highness.”

“No, it’s called a chakram, Jacob. I didn’t sneeze.”

“Oh.” I blushed and set it back down. It didn’t belong to me.

Iythaeryn stepped into the light on my right side, and for the first time since we’d entered the armory, I could see his whole body. “To answer your question, I honestly don’t know how I’d choose to carry on the royal line, but following tradition seems likely.”

I turned to face him. “Is that because you're currently single?”

Iythaeryn laughed loudly. “Zenial said you were slick.”

“It’s a gift.”

I totally blanked on my question when I spotted a weapon over Iythaeryn’s shoulder that made my heart stop. I actually felt it take my breath away.

“No way…” I whispered.

Iythaeryn never turned around, but I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. Then he took a step back to let me pass by.

The curved, slender blade floated just below chest level in front of me. Under it hung a sleek, sexy, black scabbard that appeared to be crafted from volcanic glass.

Placing my hands on my knees, I bent forward to get a closer look. Now, my heart was racing; I could hear it in my ears.

Emerging from behind the display, Iythaeryn stepped forward and declared, “Looks like you found the one.”

“It’s beautiful.” I was so mesmerized by the sword that his jump scare didn’t work this time.

“It’s yours,” he said.

I looked up at him, silently asking if taking it was really okay.

A simple nod was all I needed.

“It’s a Katana,” I said as I picked it up.

“It is.”

“That’s a Japanese weapon. Why is it here?”

“There’s no denying the design is elegant and beautiful, something we greatly appreciated…”

“Not to mention deadly,” I interjected.

“That too,” he agreed. “Because of all those reasons, we integrated it into our arsenal.”

Holding the blade up to my eyes, I could see Iythaeryn staring back at me through the dark, smoky crystal from which it was forged. “I was obsessed with Samurai movies when I was a kid—still am, actually. I had like four of these growing up. They were all made of plastic, but you get the idea.”

“I do.” Grabbing the scabbard, he came around the table and handed it to me. “Now it’s time to make it part of you.”

Sheathing the blade, I held it with both hands like I was presenting it to him. “What do you mean?”

Placings his hands under mine, he said, “It needs to be an extension of you…like a third arm if you will. Think of the sword, reach out to it with your Askyli, and the rest will follow.”

“The last time I tried something like that, it didn’t end well, Your Highness.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“I ended up naked.”

“On purpose?”

“No! That’s the problem!”

“I’ll just pretend to understand,” Iythaeryn said, tapping my hands. “Your pants will stay on.” He assured me, then gave me a once-over. “Not that anyone would complain if they didn’t.”

I’m pretty sure I blushed as he laughed.

“Don’t worry about it. Just think of the sword. It’s not hard.”

I relaxed and did what I was told. I even closed my eyes, thinking that might make a difference. In no time at all, I felt a part of me reach out for the katana. Surprised by this new sensation, I opened my eyes and saw the darkness that was my Askyli, coiling down my arm and wrapping around the sword like a snake.

Iythaeryn took a step back.

I don’t know what got into me, but I unsheathed the blade and held it up high in the air like I was fucking He-Man. A torrent of energy exploded from the blade. The sword was infused with my power, and as corny as it sounds, it felt like I became one with the katana.

“It’s done,” Iythaeryn declared. “You are now one and the same.”

Lowering the sword to eye level, I marveled at it for a moment longer as the Askyli dissipated. “Now what?”

“Now we head back,” Iythaeryn said. After patting my arm, he turned to walk toward the portal.

“That’s not what I meant, Your Highness,” I shouted as I sheathed the sword and sprinted after him. “I’m talking about this.” I wiggled the sword in front of him. “I can’t walk around town with a samurai sword.”

“Then don’t,” he said. “It’s available when you need it. If you don’t need it, make it disappear.”

“Okay, but how do I do that?”

“By doing it.”

“That’s not very helpful, Your Highness!”

“You’re thinking too hard about this. Try thinking a little less.”

“What does that even mean?” I grumbled.

“The sword is now a part of you, Jacob, just like your arms and legs. You don’t tell your legs to move when you need to walk; it just happens when it needs to happen. This is no different.”

“I beg to differ,” I argued.

“Do you feel you need your weapon right now?”

“Well, no.”

“Then just make it so.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Captain Pickard, but I have…” I stumbled over my words, not because I was being rude this time, even though I was getting snippy, but because the katana faded into a mist of black smoke and vanished. “Woah! That was cool.”

“See? Not that hard.”

A few minutes later, we stepped back into Zenial’s “office” while I continued to summon and unsummon my new sword. I would call it in my right hand, then in my left, and then in both hands. I was like a kid playing with a new toy on Christmas morning.

“Looks like a good fit,” Zenial observed as he approached me.

Consumed with juggling the disappearing sword between my hands, I didn’t realize Zenial was standing before me.

“Jacob…”

I whirled all the way around and caught the katana above my head just as it reappeared.

“Jacob!” Zenial struck me in the chest with the ‘urgent folder.’

“Oh, sorry!” I said, allowing the sword to vanish for the final time. “Present!”

Iythaeryn chuckled as he walked away and leaned back against one of the windows.

“Are you ready?” Zenial asked.

“For what?”

“To start your training, obviously.”

“Oh, we’re still doing that? I thought the first step was to pick a weapon. I figured the second step would come tomorrow.”

“You figured wrong,” he said as he walked away to put a bit of distance between us. He held his fingers in the air and made a piece of red cloth appear between them. Hooking his thumb into the band of his underwear, he pulled on it a little and stuffed a bit of the red cloth behind it, allowing his underwear to snap back and secure it in place. “We’ll start easy.” He opened the folder and started reading again. “All I want you to do is grab the red cloth. Once you do, you can go home.”

“That’s it?” I asked, looking at Iythaeryn as if to ask, “What’s the catch?”

“That’s it,” Zenial assured me. “No catch.”

I stared at him without moving.

Looking up from the folder, he said, “You can start when you’re ready.”

“Oh, I was just waiting for you to finish,” I said.

“No need. Proceed.”

“That’s encouraging…”

Iythaeryn coughed to prevent himself from laughing, but it was too late.

I slowly walked up to Zenial, glancing at Iythaeryn as I got closer. Iythaeryn gave nothing away. He was just chilling there with his arms folded over his chest, trying his best not to make me feel bad. I stopped a couple of feet from Zenial and saw the red fabric hanging from where the V cut of his abs disappeared into his underwear.

“So, all I have to do is take it, and I get to go home?”

“Yes,” he replied without looking at me.

I looked down at the piece of cloth and then back at Zenial’s face. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. I did that a few times before I just went for it. I was lightning quick, like a striking cobra. Unfortunately, Zenial was the actual lightning, spinning around me so fast that he knocked my feet out from under me before I knew what was happening.

“This is going to be a long night, isn’t it?” I asked from the mat.

“I would think so,” he smirked as he walked away, reading his dumb folder.

Spoiler alert, my ass spent a lot of time getting acquainted with the mat. At no point did I ever come close to laying hands on Zenial. He was able to dodge and evade my every attempt. As if the situation wasn’t embarrassing enough, he pulled out his phone and called our brothers in Argentina at one point while I was running, jumping, and diving like a madman trying to grab that damn piece of fabric.

At the time, I didn’t realize that there was a point to Zenial’s method. He would knock me on my ass and teleport to the other side of the room, forcing me to run after him. I was moving faster and faster, trying to keep up with him. There came a point where I was teleporting across the room to close the gap via pure instinct. I was so determined to snatch the red cloth I didn’t even notice myself doing it. We fell into a sort of dance, jumping and porting around the room like a pair of magic spider monkeys.

“Holy shit!” I said, stopping before him while looking down at my hands. “Did you see that? I teleported!”

“You’ve been doing that for the last ten minutes,” Zenial assured me.

“I have?”

“Yes, you have,” Iythaeryn confirmed, pushing himself off the window and unfolding his arms.

“Holy shit,” I whispered. I turned to Zenial, noticed the red fabric, and went for it again.

Zenial struck me in the chest with an open palm. At least, I thought he did, but he never made contact. The force behind his simple gesture was enough to send me hurling through the air like a volleyball. I saw the air distort a bit before I was launched off my feet.

“That’s going to leave a mark,” I grumbled as my head hit the mat.

Undeterred, I flipped onto my feet, hopped back and forth like a boxer, shook my arms, and went again. This time, Iythaeryn summoned what appeared to be a flute and started playing a hauntingly beautiful melody. I first thought he was playing a tune to send me off to the afterlife, but it turned out to be something entirely different.

I felt invigorated, stronger, and energized like nothing in the world could stop me. As I walked by Iythaeryn, I noticed he was bathed in Askyli—a barely visible tendril of his essence stretched out and wrapped around me like a blanket.

“I’ll have to call you back,” Zenial said. Yes, the f’er was on the phone again, but not anymore.

Suddenly, I had his attention. Holding the folder behind his back with one hand, he took a more defensive position with the other. I was still insulted that he only needed one hand, but whatever.

I held nothing back and went all in. The goal was to grab the cloth, but I did more fighting than grabbing. Let's not get it twisted. There was no way in hell I was landing a finger on Zenial, let alone a punch, but he could no longer afford to simply dodge my moves. He occasionally used his free hand and legs to prevent me from getting the upper hand.

‘Occasionally’ was the best I could hope for.

This went on for as long as Iythaeryn played his flute, and the tendril of essence enveloped me. The moment he stopped, I felt more like myself again. Like the drug had worn off…

“Uh-oh,” I said as I watched Zenial’s mouth twist into a devilish grin.

“Uh-oh, is right,” he said, knocking me across the room again with the same palm trick.

I quickly sat up and looked at the pair. “That felt amazing!” I shouted. “The music part, not the landing on my ass for the hundredth time. What was that?”

Walking over to me, Iythaeryn twirled his flute between his fingers, making it disappear before offering me a hand and pulling me to my feet. “I should get going.”

“Really? You’re just going to leave me hanging like that?”

Iythaeryn smirked and slipped his hand behind my neck ominously.

“Your Highness! I meant to say, Your Highness!”

My fears were unwarranted as Iythaeryn simply pressed his forehead against mine. “It was nice finally meeting you, Jacob. I hope we can meet again in a more casual setting.”

“I would like that, Your Highness.”

Our eyes met, and we both grinned. I expected Iythaeryn to back off, but instead, his cheek brushed mine, and his lips landed on my ear. I was so surprised that I grabbed onto his slim waist. “You give me hope,” Iythaeryn whispered, his breath tickling my ear. He walked away, looking back at me once, before saying goodbye to Zenial. “I’ll see you at tomorrow’s meeting, Zenial.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Zenial said with a bow. “It’s always a pleasure.”

Seeing Zenial, I suddenly bowed despite Iythaeryn having his back to me.

“Don’t give up, Jacob; that cloth will be yours one day,” he said, waving his hand over his head. “It will only take you a few more…decades is all.”

“Gee, thanks, Your Highness!”

“Anytime,” was his last word before closing the door.

I snapped my head toward Zenial. “Seriously, what was that? The music, I mean, not his smartass remarks.”

“His gift to us, I suppose,” Zenial said.

“Meaning…”

“He has not used a blade since the day Juyx linked with him in Cyprinia. Like he said, when he was reborn, he chose a different path. Instead, he refocused his efforts to become an instrument of elevation for his brothers on the battlefield – empowering them and their abilities by sharing a part of himself through his music. In that way, he’s one of a kind.”

“That’s pretty cool, actually.”

“Very,” Zenial affirmed.

“You’re one of us, aren’t you?” I questioned, side-eyeing him.

“One of what, exactly?” he asked, confused.

“Like me,” I replied. “Like Prince Juyx. An anomaly, as His Highness puts it. You don’t feel the hate like the others do.”

“Is that what I am?” he mused, nodding slowly as if seriously considering the implication. “Huh, that’s an interesting theory, Jacob.”

“One that you’re not going to deny or confirm, I bet,” I taunted.

“I’d put my money on that one if I were a betting man,” he joked. “Alright, let's go again. The mattress misses you.”

“Ha! You’re hilarious!”

We practiced until the sun went down. Zenial finally took mercy on me and let me go home. But my training wasn’t done yet. Oh, no. When I got home and showered, Sunny, Liam, and Zac waited in my room with a whiteboard to teach me the El’odian ABCs and 123s with a dash of history thrown in for kicks.

This was my routine from now until Thanksgiving. Every day, I'd get up, head to school, train with Zenial until sundown, and then hit the books with Sunny and the gang until midnight. We cut the study session short on Thursdays and Fridays, wrapping up at 10 pm. After that, I'd join Raz until one in the morning to learn the locations of our gates worldwide, with Sunny often tagging along. Weekends were all about Zenial and Raz. I'd train from morning to late afternoon and then globe-trot with Raz until midnight.

I learned a lot from him. It wasn’t just a “here’s a gate, there’s a gate” type of adventure. We visited nearby cities, and he’d recount significant events from our history as we strolled through neighborhoods and shopping districts. We’d fought so many battles throughout the ages. It was sometimes depressing, especially since the main antagonist in most stories was Q and his band of merry men. Raz wasn’t trying to sully Q’s name. Q was and still is the head of the Nave forces. It made sense that he would be front and center in many of those conflicts. Raz simply laid out the bare-bone facts, including how often Skai were the aggressors. Both sides did some terrible shit, in my opinion. I didn’t say that to Raz, but I thought it.

Luckily, it wasn't all doom and gloom. In Marseille, Raz told a story in which he casually threw in a couple of French words. With all the French chatter around us in the café, I was also speaking French by the end of the night! It felt amazing once I realized what had happened!

That said, during those weeks of training, I hit a few speed bumps back in The Club and learned some dark truths I wish I could forget. Before I share those, there was one more surprise I wasn’t expecting during my first training day.

After I got home from my travels with Raz and Sunny, I received a few texts from an unknown number around two in the morning that said:

 

Meet by the cliffside.

You know the one.

Come alone, or you’ll be there alone.

 

I immediately texted Q, convinced he was up to no good. When he didn’t reply, I called and got his voicemail. I assumed he was doing “Q things,” so I texted Soullen, who quickly responded that Q was still in Brazil.

When did he go to Brazil?

Soullen didn’t waste a beat in also pointing out how quickly he responded compared to me. I told him to “Shut up and go to bed.”

Armed with this information, what did my dumb ass do? I went to the bluff, alone, of course! No one was there as far as I could see. I circled above a few times to double-check, but eventually, I had to land.

The only sound was the crashing waves below, accompanied by the howling and cold wind. Unfazed by the chill, I lingered for nearly twenty minutes, scanning the area without spotting a soul. Pissed off that I wasted my time, I decided to leave.

Just as I was about to summon my wings, a faint hiss echoed in the air, growing closer to my head. I quickly spun around and arched backward to avoid the sword coming for my neck. Doing a one-handed backflip, I managed to avoid the blade entirely. My assailant came through with another swing, forcing me into another backflip. This happened several times before I finally summoned my katana mid-flip and deflected his blade. It was a clumsy attempt executed on instinct, and it landed me on my ass, staring up the length of his gleaming sword as he positioned the tip under my chin.

“Do you always let your guard down so easily?”

“Screw you!” I shouted.

“Only if you ask nicely…”