Prince Thallios dropped his sword and fell to his knees.  His vision began to blur and he was shaking.  “NOOO!!!” Tears streamed down his face.  He cradled the lifeless Leiyu in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

The voice began to laugh.

Prince Thallios went from sorrow to rage.

“WHY?!” he screamed into the darkness.

“It was your first test,” the voice replied.

“You tricked me!”

“This is the destructive power of the Sword of Ages.  It blinds you to everyone, friend or foe.  Once it is in your hands, everyone is an enemy.”

Prince Thallios had no words to say.  His tears continued to fall.

“You say that you want to avenge your kingdom.  Many before you came with the same goal.  They believed they were noble and righteous.  And in the end, they all ended up the same.  The power of the sword corrupted them, and they became tyrants.”

“I will never become that!”

The voice laughed again.  “You think you are any different?  What makes your kingdom worth avenging?”

“What?  How dare you-”

“Your father, King Xenon,” the voice cut in, “was originally from a kingdom that was small and weak.  He married your mother, the Fire Priestess, and she used her powers so that his armies could take over all their neighbors.  Eventually, they took over the entire Western Region.”

Prince Thallios froze.  He knew that his father had ruled over the entire Western Region, but did not know the story behind it.

“Then they invaded the Southern Region, whose people worship the Goddess of Earth - the Goddess of Life and Death.  That went against the harmonic balance of the Four Regions.  To defend her lands, the Earth Priestess put a curse on the Fire Priestess so that her powers would be stopped.”

That’s why mother became ill and died?

“So when the armies of the Southern Region invaded your kingdom, they were merely avenging their own kingdoms.  As you say you want to do now.”

Prince Thallios felt his body become weak.  His breathing and heartbeat became erratic.  “How…do you know all this?”

“I was there!”

“What?”

Another spotlight appeared a short distance away, illuminating two figures.  His eyes widened.

Mother?  Father?

He saw his parents standing there, but they looked much younger, closer to his age.

“King Xenon wielded me himself when he conquered his neighboring kingdoms with Queen Selenia by his side.”

King Xenon held up the Sword of Ages and Queen Selenia kissed the blade to imbue it with her fire magic.

“With my powers and her magic, they were unstoppable.”

The darkness was swept away and Prince Thallios found himself surrounded by fire.

“Such destruction they wrought!  So many lives lost!”

The blood from Leiyu’s body began to seep into the water, dyeing it red.  Corpses floated to the water’s surface.  Prince Thallios trembled and held Leiyu even tighter.  The corpses suddenly started to crawl towards him.

“Why did you kill us?” they uttered in hoarse voices.  “Why?”

“I didn’t!” Prince Thallios cried.

The undead beings surrounded him and started to clutch at his cloak.  “Why did you make us suffer?”

“I didn’t!”

They dragged him into the crimson water, which had suddenly become a deep pool.  Prince Thallios screamed.

“I have seen much bloodshed over the centuries and grow weary of this never-ending cycle,” said the voice.

Prince Thallios flailed his arms and kicked wildly as he was dragged further down into the water.

“Choose carefully the path you wish to take.”

He could no longer hold his breath and began to lose consciousness.  Why?  Why does it have to end like this?

As his body began to lose all feeling, he could make out the faint sound of another voice.  A familiar voice.

“Your Highness!”

After that, everything went dark.

***

“Your Highness!”  Leiyu screamed.  The actual Leiyu.

He hacked away at the shadowy cocoon with his sword to no avail.  Feeling distraught, pounded against the barrier with his fists.  

“Prince Thallios!”

The cocoon shattered like glass and Leiyu fell forward.  At the center of the tiny shards was Prince Thallios, lying unconscious.

“Your Highness!”  Leiyu sheathed his sword, ran over, and placed his hand under the prince’s nose.  He could feel a very faint exhalation.  Prince Thallios’ eyes opened slightly.

“Your Highness!” Leiyu felt relieved.  “Are you all right?”

“Leiyu?”  Prince Thallios sat up slowly and reached for him.  “You’re alive…”  Tears brimmed in his eyes.  He collapsed against Leiyu.

“Your Highness!  Are you hurt?”

Prince Thallios put his arms around Leiyu and tears rolled down his face.  “You’re alive…I thought I’d killed you…”

“What?  Your Highness, what happened in there?”

Prince Thallios sobbed, too distraught to speak.  Leiyu embraced him and tried to calm him down.  After a while, Prince Thallios’ breathing slowed.  He wiped away the remnants of his tears and looked up at Leiyu.  Suddenly, he panicked.

“Leiyu, we must leave!  This place is cursed!”

“What about the sword?”

“Leave it!  It does not want to be taken!”

Leiyu was confused.

Prince Thallios stood up and grabbed Leiyu’s hand.  “Please, we must leave now!”

He led Leiyu back to the cave’s small entrance and they went out.  They untied their horses from the tree, mounted them, and then rode away down the mountain trail.

***

Prince Thallios refused to speak as they rode away.  Leiyu was concerned.  What actually happened in there?

After the mountain was far behind them, they stopped at a clearing in the forest that overlooked a valley.

“Shall we rest here, Your Highness?”

Prince Thallios nodded silently.  After dismounting from their horses, they sat down on some large rocks.

“Your Highness, can you tell me what happened?”

Prince Thallios looked up at him.  He then began to recount the visions he saw in the cave.

***

“You plunged a sword through my heart?!” Leiyu asked, shocked.

Prince Thallios looked downwards, feeling ashamed.  “I’m so sorry…”

Leiyu softened his voice, “It’s all right, Your Highness, it wasn’t the real me.  I’m still here.”

“It felt so real…”

Leiyu suddenly remembered something.  “Your Highness, I didn’t tell you earlier, but…when we were sparring at the palace, your eyes glowed yellow right before you delivered that blow that knocked me backward into the wall.”

Prince Thallios looked up at him in shock.  He then stood up and walked to the edge of the clearing.

“Your Highness?” Leiyu walked after him.  The prince stared silently at the horizon.  “Your Highness-”

“Do not call me that anymore…”

Leiyu paused, confused.

“Do not call me ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Prince’ anymore!”

“...”

Prince Thallios turned to face him.  “Do not refer to me as a prince anymore.  I have no kingdom…it’s gone…”  His voice began to break down.  “It’s never coming back…”

Leiyu stood there, not knowing what else to say.

“How…should I address you then?” he finally asked.

“Just…Thallios…is fine…”

Leiyu knelt before him. “Thallios…” Thallios looked at him.  “I will still keep my promise…to protect you for the rest of my life…”

Thallios’ eyes widened and then filled with tears again.  He wiped them away.  Then he approached Leiyu and leaned forward, placing his hands on Leiyu’s shoulders.  “Leiyu…please stand…you don’t have to kneel to me anymore…”

Leiyu stood up.  They faced each other silently.  The wind circulated the leaves in the air around them.

“Where shall we go now?” asked Thallios.

After thinking for a moment, Leiyu spoke.

“Let’s go to the North to visit my old friend…”