Prince Thallios opened the door to his study.  Random sheets of paper were strewn about the floor.  He started picking them up.  “It’s a bit of a mess.  No one really comes in here.”

Leiyu scanned the room.  There was a desk and multiple bookshelves.  He spotted a scroll hanging from the wall and went up to it.  It was a colorful painting of a creature that resembled one of the mythical beasts that the prince had described earlier.

“Did you paint this, Your Highness?”

“Ah yes,” said Prince Thallios, stacks of paper in his arms.  “That was from a while back.”

“It’s beautiful, Your Highness.  You are quite talented.”

“Oh?” Prince Thallios' cheeks turned slightly pink.  “Thank you…”

Leiyu spotted a sheet of paper with intricate calligraphy on the desk.  “Is that your poetry?”

Prince Thallios set down the stack of papers on the other corner of the desk.  

“Ah yes…I can translate it for you.”

Picking up the sheet of paper, Prince Thallios began to read aloud.

A bird of iridescent plumage sings

As it spreads its vibrant wings

In the garden where the trees flower

Day by day, hour by hour

Upward toward the sky it goes

Riding the wind current as it flows

Behind its long wispy tail

Feathers float downward in a colorful trail

Alas, it reaches the roof of the menagerie

Shattering its glass reverie

It falls to the ground where it settles

Upon the many strewn flower petals

Prince Thallios lowered the sheet of paper and looked downward.  “I suppose…this poem was a bit dark…”

Leiyu looked at him solemnly.  “Your Highness, forgive me for asking.  This poem…wasn’t just about a bird, was it?”

The prince blinked rapidly and turned away.

“Your Highness, are you all right?  If I was too forward, I’m sorry.”  He kneeled and lowered his head.

The prince turned back to face him.  “No, it’s all right.  It’s just…all these things I work on - the paintings, the calligraphy, the poetry - they all seem frivolous but…they help chase the melancholy away…”

Leiyu froze.  He didn’t know what to say.  He kept his eyes downward.  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Who’s there?” Prince Thallios asked.

“Your Highness, it is Lord Oganesson,” came the muffled voice.

“You may enter.”

As he opened the door to the study slowly, the king’s advisor stated “Your Highness, His Majesty the King wishes to speak with you.”  He then realized that the prince was not alone.

“Oh…you’re here as well,” said Lord Oganesson to Leiyu.  “You may also come along.”

“What does my father wish to speak with me about?” asked Prince Thallios.

“Something very important, Your Highness.  He wishes to tell you in person.”

Prince Thallios and Leiyu looked at each other.

“We must not keep His Majesty waiting, Your Highness.”

***

Lord Oganesson led Prince Thallios and Leiyu down a long narrow corridor.  They walked in awkward silence, their footsteps echoing as the flames from the torches along the wall flickered and cast shadows along the gray stone.  Leiyu glanced at Prince Thallios several times, although the prince had a neutral expression that was hard to read.  Did news of Prince Thallios’ temporary disappearance from the palace finally reach the king?  Was he going to be reprimanded?  Leiyu wondered whether he would be affected by any of this.  Prince Thallios had said that he would put in a good word for him if the palace guards caught them sneaking out, but this was the king…

When they reached the end of the corridor, Lord Oganesson knocked on the door to King Xenon’s private chamber.

“You may enter,” said the king from inside.

Lord Oganesson unlocked the door and led the other two into the chamber.  It was just as dim as the corridor outside.  The king was facing the wall and turned to the three as they approached.  Lord Oganesson and Prince Thallios knelt, and Leiyu quickly followed suit.  The king looked at them with tired eyes.  His face looked more gaunt than usual.  He inhaled, then exhaled slowly.  Seeing that Leiyu was there, he spoke in Sargeshi.  “My son, please rise.”

Prince Thallios slowly stood up.  “Yes, father?”  King Xenon hesitated.  “What is wrong, father?”

“Our kingdom…” the king paused.  Prince Thallios looked at him with concern.  “Our kingdom…is on the verge of being destroyed…”

“Father?” Prince Thallios’ voice wavered.

King Xenon sighed.  “Invaders from the Southern Region are advancing towards Ishkhandar and our cities are falling one by one.”

Prince Thallios’ eyes widened.  “Oh no!  Father, is there anything we can do?”

“Our forces are trying to hold them back as best as they can, but the situation is dire.  They will be at our city walls very soon.”  There was a long silence.  “My son…you must escape!”

“But…what about you, father?”

“As the King, I cannot abandon my kingdom.”

“Then, I will stay as well!”

“No!” King Xenon shouted, startling everyone else in the chamber.  He felt flustered for having such an outburst.  Softening his voice, he continued, “If you stay, you will surely perish.  If you escape now, you will still have a chance to live.”

Tears began to well up in Prince Thallios’ eyes.  “Father…”

Leiyu, who had been listening to all of this while still kneeling, suddenly spoke.  “Your Majesty, forgive me for interrupting, I can assist in fighting off the invaders.”

King Xenon looked at him.  “What is your name?”

“Your Majesty, this humble one is named Leiyu.”

The king took a few steps forward and stood in front of him.  “I’ve seen you practicing magic in the courtyard.”  Leiyu looked up, surprised.  “Nevertheless, you might not be able to fight off an entire army.”  Pacing around the chamber a bit, he continued, “You are from the Eastern Region?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Just as the prophecy said…”

“Prophecy?” asked Prince Thallios.

Turning to the prince, King Xenon said, “My son, many years ago, when your mother was ill…”

***

Eleven years ago…

Ten-year-old Prince Thallios stood next to his mother’s bed.  

“Mother, I brought you your favorite flowers,” he said, holding the fragrant blossoms in his outstretched arms.

“They’re beautiful,” said Queen Selenia.  After taking the flowers, she began to cough.

“Mother, are you all right?  Is your illness getting worse?”

“Do not worry, my son.  It will be fine.  Why don’t you go to your lessons?  You can recite to me the poetry you learned afterward.”

“Yes, mother,” said Prince Thallios, beaming.  He bowed and left the room.

Queen Selenia smiled and placed the flowers on her nightstand.  She had been bedridden for many years now.  The mysterious illness began when Prince Thallios was very young.  It started as occasional bouts of fever and fatigue, which she assumed were normal.  However, the periods of malaise became more frequent, and the palace doctors could not explain it.  Eventually, it became difficult for her to walk, so she began to spend all her time in her room.  Prince Thallios spent much of his free time with her, often bringing her small gifts - flowers, pastries, sweets, and other things to make her smile.  Mother and son looked very similar and both had auburn hair, although the queen’s eyes were more of a golden yellow.

There was the sound of hesitating footsteps coming from the doorway and Queen Selenia turned.  King Xenon slowly entered the room and walked over.  

“My Queen, how are you feeling?”

Since their son was no longer in the room, the queen no longer needed to downplay her condition.  “My King, I fear it is taking a turn for the worse.  I feel that I am not long for this world…”

“Selenia…” he breathed, reaching over to caress her cheek.

Queen Selenia sank back into her mattress.  “I am having frightening visions of the future.”

King Xenon’s eyes widened.  “What visions?”

“Our cities falling one by one…the palace in flames…”

“Do not worry, these are just mere nightmares.”

“If only that were true,” she sighed, looking at the window.  “I have seen my own death.  Within a fortnight, I will leave this world…”

“Selenia, do not speak like this!”

“Our kingdom will decline slowly thereafter…decaying over the years…until it becomes a fragile shell of its former self…”

He held her hand.  “Selenia, please, you must rest…”

“It is fate.  We went against fate before, and now it is coming back for us…I will perish.  You will perish.  Our son…”

“Our son?  What will happen to Thallios?”

“That part of my vision…is unclear…”

“Please, you must tell me, what will happen to Thallios?”

“I…need to see more clearly…”  Her golden eyes began to glow.  She sat up and drew upon her remaining reserves of energy.

“Selenia!”

She stared blankly at the ceiling as visions began to fill her mind.  “Thallios…he will escape…but he will be hunted down…”  The king gasped.  She strained her eyes as more images danced in her head.  “Oh…I see someone else there…a stranger from the Eastern Region…will save Thallios…”

“Who?  Who is this stranger?”

“It is not clear…I cannot see anymore…”

Her eyes lost their glow and she collapsed backward.

“Selenia!

***

Within a fortnight…

King Xenon and Prince Thallios stood beside the queen’s bed.  It was nighttime and the room was dimly lit.  The prince was crying at the sight of his mother.  Her face was ashen and her voice had been reduced to a whisper.

“My dear son,” she murmured.

The queen mustered up her strength and reached for her forehead jewelry.  It was a ruby dangling at the center of thin gold chains.  She took it off and handed it to her son.

“You can have this,” she said.  “Wear it always, and I will be there to protect you…”  Her hand went limp and her eyes closed.

“Mother!” Prince Thallios grabbed her lifeless hand and sobbed.

King Xenon turned his face away.  In the shadows, a tear rolled down his cheek.

***

“One by one, her visions became true,” said King Xenon.

Prince Thallios was shocked.  “Father, why did you not tell me this before?”

King Xenon looked at his son sadly.  “I did not want you to grow up in despair.”

The tears that had been forming in Prince Thallios’ eyes spilled over and ran down his cheeks.  All the memories of the day his mother passed away came flooding back, and now there were these new revelations.  It was all too overwhelming.

Leiyu was still kneeling and he felt cold tingles running down his spine as he struggled to take in all of this information.  All my travels, my coming here.  It was all because of fate?  His thoughts were interrupted by a series of frantic knocks at the door.

“Your Majesty!” the palace guards shouted from outside.  “There was a sneak attack!  The invaders are almost at our city walls!”  There was a collective gasp in the chamber.

“Here already?” King Xenon said with a mixture of anguish and resignation.  He turned to his son.  “There is no time left…you must leave quickly!”  Prince Thallios’ eyes widened and his heart began to pound.  King Xenon turned to Leiyu.  “You must swear to protect Prince Thallios at all costs!  Guard him with your life!”

Leiyu bowed his head lower.  “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Turning back to Prince Thallios, the king said, “My son, this is where we must part…”

“No…” the prince pleaded, voice trembling and tears streaming.  “Please, isn’t there something I could do?”

King Xenon paused.  “There is...this may be tempting fate but…have you heard of the Sword of Ages?”

“Yes…from the legends…”

“It is real.”

Prince Thallios stared at him in disbelief.

“It is in the mountains to the northeast,” said King Xenon.  “Our kingdom may fall now, but you can come back with the Sword of Ages to avenge us!”

Prince Thallios was speechless.  Avenge?  That meant his father did not expect to survive this siege.  “Father…"

“Do you still have your dagger?”

“Yes, I always wear it.”

“That should be good enough for now.  Go with your friend and seek out the Sword of Ages.”

Prince Thallios looked at him tearfully.  King Xenon looked back at him solemnly and took a step forward.  He reached his arms out and embraced his son.  

“My son, I am sorry it had to turn out this way.  Please, you must go now…before it is too late…”

“Father…”

“Leiyu, please take Prince Thallios and leave quickly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Leiyu.  He stood up and turned to the prince.  “Your Highness, shall we go?”

Prince Thallios began to follow Leiyu but then turned around.

“Lord Oganesson, are you also coming with us?” he asked.

“I will stay by His Majesty’s side as his loyal advisor,” Lord Oganesson replied.

“Then…thank you for everything that you taught me…”

Lord Oganesson smiled as he held back the tears that were starting to form in his eyes.  “You’re welcome, Your Highness.  Please, go now so that you may live…”

Leiyu and Prince Thallios walked out the door.

***

As the sky darkened and chaos descended upon the kingdom, two riders on horseback fled the city.  They did not stop until they reached a hill a short distance away.

Prince Thallios was wearing a hooded cloak that he had put on before leaving the palace, thinking it would be prudent to disguise himself in case they ran into any enemies.  He looked back at Ishkhandar with tears in his eyes.  This was the only home he had ever known and now it was engulfed in flames.

“Your Highness, we must keep going,” Leiyu said.  “It is not safe to remain here.”

They rode into the distance, going deeper and deeper into the wilderness.

***

It was hard to tell how much time had passed since they left Ishkhandar, but it was getting very late and the two were exhausted.  Leiyu managed to find a cave that they could stay in for the night.

Prince Thallios curled up in the corner of the cave, knees drawn up and face buried in his arms.

Leiyu sat down next to him.  “Your Highness?”  Prince Thallios looked up at him.  “Your Highness, if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Trembling, the prince reached out and clutched Leiyu’s cloak.  He buried his face into Leiyu’s chest and began to sob, clinging onto the cloak as if it were the only lifeline he had to keep from drowning.

What could Leiyu possibly say to the prince after all of this?  In a single day, they had gone from casually chatting about stories to seeing the whole kingdom destroyed.  Prince Thallios had already lost his mother and now his father was gone too.

Leiyu slowly put his arms around Prince Thallios and embraced him.  “Your Highness, I’m so sorry…”