Chapter 109: continuation 12

Thunder and lightning rumbled, and a tall, bright beam of light shot out of Cypriox, visible across the entire land.

“Everyone, fall back! That’s the work of the priest Coventher!” Sentheria’s voice boomed. She knew Coventher well. She had heard rumors that Cypriox was in chaos because of a new system proposed by its three kings, including the one she hated, King Hebronor. “That’s dangerous! It could wipe out a whole nation in an instant, like a blast of pure energy and light!”

“Evacuate the people! The ocean waves could get out of control!” Sentheria shouted to the Aopudes clan. The people were already panicking as the sea grew violent.

Xerxez watched the Aopudes’ true forms—people with bird-like features who could turn into humans. He was quickly grabbed and carried to safety. The male Aopudes had green and blue wings with colorful feathers, but the females’ feathers were even more vibrant, with fiery red feathers that shone brightly when they opened their wings.

“King of Thallerion, hold on to me! I will fly you to a safe place,” said the woman with the colorful wings. Her red amethyst eyes were beautiful and intense.

“Thank you,” Xerxez replied, grabbing her arms and feeling the incredible power of her wings. He saw Sentheria performing a ritual, but the woman’s fast flight made it impossible to see what she was doing.

Xerxez stared at the light piercing the sky. “What is that thing?” he asked the woman. His eyes were fixed on the vertical beam of light on the horizon.

“From what I know, it’s made from a stone element found on the islands of the Fercelle Sea. But that’s all I know,” she replied, her colorful neck feathers rustling.

Xerxez thought hard, but he had no idea what was happening at the source of the light. As he stared at the beam, he suddenly had a flashback to his dream. It wasn’t as vivid as the first time, but it returned to his mind.

The woman safely brought Xerxez to Queen Pyramia’s palace, where he started to reflect. He saw Garith there, his black wings folded. They were much larger than the Aopudes’ wings, proving his Elanthro bloodline.

“King Thallerion, I’m glad the Aopudes woman brought you here,” Garith said, his eyebrows arching. “It’s sad for someone to have no entity to rely on.” He smiled. Xerxez knew this was a dig at him. “Why didn’t your son inherit your lack of an entity?”

“If you’re just here to brag about your entity, then maybe the Aquila entity made a mistake.” Xerxez walked away, leaving Garith with his mouth open and a frown on his face.

Xerxez immediately went to Pyramus’s room, where Perlend’s attendant from Thallerion was.

“We are going home,” Xerxez said. “Pack Pyramus’s things.” Xerxez also gathered his own gear.

“Yes, my King,” the attendant replied. Xerxez noticed how carefully she packed, making sure not to make any noise.

“Were you okay during the earthquake earlier?” Xerxez asked, sheathing his sword.

“We weren’t affected by the earthquake. In fact, some Peronicans helped us,” the attendant said. She finished packing Pyramus’s things. “Everything is ready, my King.”

“Let’s say goodbye to the Queen of Peronica,” Xerxez instructed. His dagger glinted as they left the room.

When they arrived, Xerxez found Pyramia on her throne, looking worried. Xerxez guessed it was because of the shocking events in Cypriox. Whatever it was, it was a burning question in his mind.

The entire palace was talking about the incident, but it didn’t matter to Xerxez; he only wanted to return to Thallerion.

“My son and I will be leaving Peronica,” Xerxez said, taking a breath. The Queen looked at him with mixed emotions.

“Xerxez, please don’t take this the wrong way, but the whole clan will not allow you to take the infant back to Thallerion,” Queen Pyramia said, her voice heavy with sadness for what this would mean for Xerxez. He had lost his wife, and now his child would be taken from him.

“I know that, but I won’t agree to it,” Xerxez replied passionately, showing no hesitation in defying the Peronica clan leaders.

“We will take care of raising the infant,” Sentheria interrupted, her hands on her staff, glaring at Xerxez. “You will struggle to balance your responsibilities to the child, especially as the king of a large kingdom like Thallerion.”

Xerxez thought about this, sighing. He considered that the elder had a point, but how could he, as a father, not be allowed to be with his son and watch him grow?

“I am the child’s father, so my word is final.” He bravely looked at the faces of the clan leaders. He adjusted his things, preparing to leave.

“Here’s a compromise: Pyramus will stay with you after six months here in Peronica.” Queen Pyramia sat down, holding the infant she had taken from Perlend’s attendant, who now guarded the baby.

“Six months?” Xerxez’s voice rose. “Don’t you want me to know my own son?”

“We don’t want to deny your right to be Pyramus’s father. We only want to protect the phoenix within him,” Sentheria explained.

“Aha! So it’s only the phoenix you’re after! Why don’t you just remove that creature from the child so this can end?” Xerxez scoffed, his temper flaring at Sentheria’s voice. He felt she only cared about the clan’s well-being, not the lives of individuals.

“Silence, King of Thallerion! If you’re angry at entities, keep it to yourself. But what we’re considering is also for Pyramus’s well-being,” Sentheria snapped, annoyed by Xerxez’s biting words.

“You’re lucky it’s only six months. But remember, when Pyramus becomes a young man, he will return to Peronica whether you like it or not,” Arthen stated, and Romerg nodded in agreement. Romerg’s eyes seemed to be looking Xerxez over. “Hmm, Xerxez dresses well,” Romerg thought. “I’m just a bit younger, so I’m more handsome.”

“You know, Xerxez, if we didn’t have an alliance, you might not even get six months. That’s how valuable the Vrupercan blood is here in Peronica,” Romerg said with a slight smile.

“Don’t worry, Xerxez, I will visit Thallerion for the sake of our alliance. Pyramus and I will visit occasionally,” Queen Pyramia concluded, giving her final instruction.

Arthen sighed, sitting on a bench, looking exhausted. “It’s better if you don’t leave yet. The whole world is in chaos because of that light in the sky.”

Xerxez stood his ground, a king burdened by his crown. “I am the King of Thallerion. That’s exactly why I must return to my kingdom, to check on my people. We don’t have a Guardian Entity to help them.”

“I understand,” Arthen replied, his voice full of a father’s warmth, a quality Xerxez recognized. “But I hope you won’t resent being separated from your son for these six months.” Xerxez remained silent.

Arthen was closely related to the Vrupercan lineage, as Perlend’s father was Arthen’s son. A hidden trait of the Aopudes was their ability to grow wings just by thinking about it.

“Arthen, will you come with us to Cypriox to see what’s happening there? That terrifying light is still there.” Sentheria’s old voice reached Xerxez’s ears. She had gathered her loyal people for their trip to Cypriox.

“Forgive me, but one of my wings aches… a pinched nerve, maybe… I need to see a specialist for our wings,” Arthen said, his face falling.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ll tell you what we find when we get back.” Her earrings jingled as she spoke to Arthen, then she walked away, her staff thudding with each step.

“Ah, Xerxez, why not travel with me? We’ll pass through Thallerion.” The elder Sentheria paused, turning back to him.

Xerxez took a slow breath, looking at the baby for a long time. Then, he shook his head. Six months would pass quickly, he thought. He walked over to the baby and gently kissed its forehead.

“Guard my son well,” Xerxez asked Queen Pyramia, his voice full of care. Old Sentheria was still standing nearby.

“That is my solemn promise, as Pyramus’s grandmother. Rest assured, your son will know you.” Xerxez gave a faint smile and left.

Outside the palace, a carriage was waiting, but it had no wheels and looked like a basket. A man opened its entrance, and old Sentheria stepped inside easily, showing she was used to its unusual interior.

“What are you waiting for, Xerxez? Come, get in!” Old Sentheria called out. Xerxez, not convinced by the basket-like vehicle, walked silently towards it.

Four men in green clothes stood at each corner of the vessel. But as Xerxez looked closer, he saw that their clothes were made of fur—or rather, they were wings that wrapped around the men’s bodies. Moments later, their wings unfolded like flowers. A cold gust of wind, created by their flapping wings, swept forth. In an instant, their feet lifted from the ground. Then, they were thrown into the carriage, a creation of woven vines shaped into a basket.

“Let’s go!”

Four powerful Aopudes worked tirelessly, flying their vessel through the sky towards Cypriox, the Nation of Light. Their green wings beat rhythmically, pushing them forward. Below them, Sentheria, a symbol of justice, watched from afar.

“I can’t believe you’ve married Perlend,” Sentheria said with a sigh, leaning on her glowing staff. “Even though I’m sad to see Perlend go, I’m grateful. The Vrupercan clan’s ancient wish has finally been fulfilled.”

“Grandma Sentheria,” Xerxez said seriously, “I don’t know much about your clan’s origins, so I won’t judge you. But please, treat Pyramus like family, not just because of some rule or agreement. Everyone has a heart.”

“A heart?” Sentheria’s voice was firm. “What good is a heart to us, the Vrupercans, who are cursed by the Phoenix? Isn’t it because of this ’heart’ that we’re suffering now?” she challenged.

“Listen, Xerxez,” she continued, her voice heavy with age. “I’m willing to sacrifice my life for future generations. You need to understand the difference between being cursed and being blessed. You can’t truly understand what it’s like to protect abilities given by powerful beings. I’ve realized that those who aren’t bound by these beings are probably the lucky ones. Perlend would never have had to go through such pain.”

Their conversation continued, full of bitterness about their difficult lives. Eventually, they talked about Cypriox itself.

“Yes, the clan leaders, the Elanthro—the people with eagle bodies—and I were once the representatives of the Crux. We were like angels to the three sacred churches of Cypriox. The Vrupercan consecrated the northern church, and the Elanthro guarded the southern one in Sanctimum Oprys.”

“But then, the two powerful beings, the Phoenix and the Aquila (a Thunderbird), started fighting. And yet, the kings of Cypriox unfairly blamed us! We had helped to calm the Phoenix using our ancient knowledge, and they responded with a horrible decree:

[’You have disobeyed the Crux! Demons who use forbidden magic, leave Cypriox! May the Crux forever curse your bloodline!’]

“I was just a child then, but I swore an oath on my life and on these talismans and this staff—which prove their judgment—that the righteous people of Cypriox were worse than any demon pretending to be holy!”

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