I was an unwanted and unexpected bastard child born out of temptation, recklessness, and lust. My father didn't want to have anything to do with me; he denied my existence. My mother was considered a witch in our town. The townspeople looked at us with disdain yet she taught me to look at the bright side of every situation, no matter how bad things may be.

Life was still good even if my father didn't want us, even if people despised and feared us, and even if we were isolated in a forest away from the rest of the population.

Life was still very good and beautiful.

'Mama, is it true that my father is the king?'

Evanora sat on the old red couch just beside the fireplace. She was knitting a green sweater in preparation for winter. Her black panther ears sprouted from the top of her inky black hair. She dressed modestly, wearing a brown corset over a white long-sleeved tunic. Her black Judenhut rested on the round table. Her long brown skirt flowed in between her long legs. Her eyes that were in the same shade as a tangerine fruit glinted mischievously.

'Oh? Where did you hear that from?'

'From the villagers.'

Mama crossed her arms under her endowed breasts. 'Did you sneak into town again? You know how they threatened to burn us if they saw us near them, don't you?'

'We're not doing anything to them, mama, you're even killing off the monsters that the knights of the kingdom couldn't handle.'

She released a sigh. 'I don't expect them to return the favor or to warm up to us. We don't owe them anything and the same goes for them. It's better this way.'

She stood, placing the sweater on the table. She leaned forward and patted my head.

'Did you wish you had your father here with you?'

I smiled. 'He's happy without us, isn't he? I'm okay, after all, I have you, mama.'

She was taken aback before sadness befell her eyes. She knelt, pulling me in a tight embrace.

'That's right. I didn't raise you to beg for love, did I? That's my boy. It's only you and I against this godforsaken kingdom.'

You liar.

"Hearties, these laddies can't handle their rum!"

I couldn't stop Prince Lucian from downing the drinks that these pirates kept serving him. Since I was exposed to high amounts of alcohol prior to meeting the prince and Kumo, five shots of rum was easy as pie. I had to fake falling unconscious. Any time now, the prince's resolve to save Ciel will be dissolved by intoxication. That would be my only chance to save him–when he no longer had the capacity to refuse.

There was a loud bang on the table, signaling the prince's defeat. The pirates rejoiced, shamelessly revealing their intentions.

"Help me carry 'em to bed. We can tie 'em up and take turns."

I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to use this power again but the prince was in danger. He did not deserve such deception. I stared at my right hand that was on my lap. My forehead was lying on top of my other arm. Purple fire lit from the tips of my right forefinger and middle finger. Thunder rumbled in the skies; strong winds blew inside the pub.

"Ventus," I mumbled.

The winds grew stronger, causing the pirates to stagger back and fall from their chairs. I sat up, grabbing the sleeping prince whose eyes then cracked open. His cheeks were flushed. He couldn't even stand properly.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Prince, now is not the time to—"

He pushed me away. "I'm *hiccup* not *hiccup* done with them yet."

He swung his arm to the side, dismissing my control of zephyrs. He grabbed the shot glass, downing another drink that spilled out of his lips. Slamming the glass down, he stared at the men with half-lidded eyes.

A carrot appeared from his palm. He pointed at the pirates as if challenging them into a sword duel. The pirates could only laugh at his drunkard state.

"Where is *hiccup* Ciel?"

Crabman stepped up. "Now now laddie, why don't ye lay down and rest? The boy ye searching for is upstairs."

Lucian dropped his carrot down. "He is? *Hiccup* Bring him *Hiccup* to me."

I pulled Lucian's shoulder back.

"He is lying, prince. They don't know where he is. They're deceiving you!"

If a sober Lucian was already difficult to convince, how much more was an inebriated one?

Lucian gasped and became tearful. "Why would you *Hiccup* lie to me? No one can lie and trick people but me. That's sooooooo *Hiccup* mean!"

He sounded like that werewolf, Caleb.

"We're not, we're honest pirates! Yer companion is lying to ye! He's yer sworn enemy, remember?" the man with silver scales accused.

Lucian turned his head to me, glancing at me with drunken scrutiny. "He's my frieeeend. I tricked you, see? You're all a bunch of smelly simpletons. Idiots! Idiots! Aye! Aye!"

I pulled Lucian behind me. No one adored the two foreigners in this town anymore. They had picked up their scabbards that gleamed with threat.

"What mutiny! Ye think ye can trick pirates?! We were born to take advantage of people!" The clownfish man exclaimed.

"Aye..." Lucian muttered, bringing himself in front of me. "I am Prince Lucian of the Kingdom of Cludea! I am well-known for being *hiccup* a great pain in the arse."

"Get 'em!" Silver-scaled man hollered.

"AYE!!!"

"En garde!" Lucian said, taking up a fencing stance with his carrot in hand.

I smacked my face. "Prince, at least equip yourself with a sword..."

The pirates charged at us. A swirl of water bulleted the prince over the crabman. Lucian elbowed the back of his head upon landing on the ground and stabbed the silver-scaled man in the eye with his carrot.

"AHHHHH! Mi eyeee!"

One more pirate swung his scabbard to the prince, Lucian stooped down on his knees before popping up and slamming the pirate's head against the counter. The old bartender continued to wipe the washed glasses as if this was another normal afternoon for him. The pirates followed the first one in line, suffering the same fate. Lucian evaded their attacks and singly smashed their heads on the counter.

Clownfish ran up to me with his blade, I trapped him in the triangle formed with my fingers. He ceased from his steps and he combusted from within. Purple fire reached out from his eyes, ears, and mouth. Screams from outside the pub grasped my attention. The furniture clattered. Lucian had knocked out all of the pirates in the pub except for the older ones who didn't want anything to do with the chaos and continued to spend their last remaining time in this world savoring their booze. The prince staggered backwards, his eyes were peacefully shut. The panicking outside increased volumes; something had cast a shadow over the entire island.

"Prince, we have to go!" I exclaimed. Lucian's feet left the ground. A light blue hue radiated softly from his body. His spine was subtly arched as he slumbered without care.

"God have mercy!!!" a woman screamed. I ran to see what the commotion was all about. My eyes widened while I stared at the tidal wave hovering over the island, threatening to swallow us.

This was definitely Prince Lucian's doing.

People scurried past me as if they could hide in a place where the water couldn't drown them. Purple light returned to my right two fingers. A magic circle spread underneath me.

"AQUA!!!" I yelled. My body felt like it was being crushed by the weight of the water. I stopped the wave from dropping on us, but in the process of doing so, I was carrying the ocean on my shoulders. I fell on my left knee. My body shook immensely as if someone placed five boulders on my nape. Cold sweat sheathed my skin. The veins on my arms and head popped out.

A mother hugged her son an arm's length away from me. She cradled him in her thin arms, burying his head to her chest to hide the fate that awaits them.

"It's going to be okay. You don't have to be scared. Mama will protect you."

Liar. Why do all mothers lie?

Why couldn't they tell their children the truth about the inevitable? Why did they sugarcoat the bitter demise of every situation? What pleasure do they get from it?

'Elik, are you done?'

My arms swung the ax downwards, splitting the wood in half. I wiped my face with the towel draped over my shoulder.

'I'm nearly done, mama. I'll hunt a boar later for dinner.'

It had been several years since mama had talked about the king. I was seventeen blue moons old. I hadn't made any friends my age. I trained diligently under the strict guidance of the witch, Evanora. Life was simple. We had no worries. There were days when I asked myself: "Where would I use black magic and for what reason do I train so hard until I puked blood?" but mama would throw a book at the back of my head whenever I would slack off. My growth was gradual; mama was satisfied with my progress, but at the same time, there was something lacking. Everyday felt the same but I wouldn't want to change anything from it.

'Elik, aren't you bored?' mama queried. She lazily leaned forward against the porch railing.

'I have to finish the voodoo book you assigned me to read. I don't think I have time to be bored, mama.'

She hummed, plopping on the creaky rocking chair. 'You're young and smart yet you're stuck here with your old lady. You should be enjoying life, making friends, finding love and—'

'I don't want to leave you alone, mama. You had the chance to enjoy life, make friends and find love but you stayed home and took care of a brat like me. And besides, you're not old. You look the same age as me,' I chuckled.

She scoffed. A mischievous grin spread on her lips. 'You have a way with your words just like your father but unlike him, you're too sweet to break a girl's heart. I'll whip you with poisonous vines if some girl comes crying to me.'

I scratched the back of my head. 'Now where will I find a girl in this forest, mama? The only females I've interacted with are your pet tarsier and the orangutans living near us.'

She burst into a fit of laughter. 'Maybe my grandchild is destined to be a monkey! Oh Hemon would be horrified!'

Hemon... Hearing that name it was difficult for me to believe that he helped my mother make me. He was a stranger. If we were to pass by each other, whilst I had the knowledge of him being my father, I wouldn't look at him twice.

Another year flew by, I finished scaring a few children who dared each other for a test of courage in the Forest of the Dead. It was considered a cursed forest because of thousands of corpses buried underneath. There was once a diabolical creature that terrorized the Kingdom of Hybricia before, but it was sealed by Evanora. My mother should have been hailed as a hero but people glared upon her strength and the fact that she was the king's mistress. They shunned her. The king had to deny any relations to safekeep his dignity and name.

It was a hot afternoon. Mama was out doing the knights' job. It was one of the reasons why the kingdom didn't get rid of us. They couldn't. Mama was an asset. Her strength could be boasted to other kingdoms. She could easily overpower the kingdom's forces. I asked her why she preferred knitting me a sweater when she could start a coup (funny how an eight year old like me at that time thought about a coup). She was more upset about the sweater part in my question.

'What? You don't like the sweaters I knit? Other children are shivering to death during winter and my spoiled son complains about it! And who wants to conquer a smelly kingdom with overfed hippos?'

She wanted a laid back life and truthfully, living in a stuffy castle with other concubines and concubines' children would drive both of us mad.

"Excuse me..."

I had finished cutting wood when a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat came into view. His orange shaggy hair was comparable to a lion's mane. His amber eyes were sharp and wise. White whiskers sprouted from the space between his nostrils and his upper lip. He was sweaty and appeared exhausted. A dark green cloak covered his body. His nose was wide with three claw-like scars running across it. The charisma he carried petrified me for a moment. Was he from a noble family?

"Can I help you?"

"I'm a bit thirsty. Will you spare me a glass of water, young man?"