M:   Derogan was going to say something back but Saxon already left, Mandara looked just as confused as ever but his brother was slowly connecting the pieces.

"Derogan, did something happen between you and Sir Saxon?" Mandara asked.

"Not to my knowledge," Derogan replied, "but I wonder if something happened between him and Father that was about me?"

The teen tried to think of what that could be but he suddenly felt dizzy again, Mandara felt him wobbling and sat him down on the chair next to the bed.

"Are you ok brother, do you need to lay down or something,"  he asked worriedly, Derogan just shook his head and signaled that he was fine.  Mandara remembered that Mandoria told them to take it easy today and it seemed that Anglo also needed a day off, so he suggested, "well, since Father told us to take it easy today, we can probably just play some card and board games, I'll go get some."  So he left to do just that.

N:   While they waited, there was an awkward silence between them, so Anglo invited Derogan to sit on the foot of the bed.

"So, it seems that you may have beaten me in the race yesterday," he tried to clap but he remembered that he can't move one of his arms, so he stopped, "and if you have any questions to ask me as we wait for Mandara, anything but what we were just discussing."

M:   Derogan raised a brow at that last statement, "you adults always do that, hiding stuff because you think us kids can't handle it.  We hear a lot more than you realize and can handle more too, except maybe Mandara but he's always been soft."

He let out an irritated sigh before saying, "but now that you mention it, how are you able to fly so high without losing control.  Father can fly higher than the clouds but I could barely stay in the tailwinds," he opened up one wing, "is it because my wings are different than everyone else's, I hate that, I hate that they're so small and weak."

N:   "Don't you ever hate your wings," Anglo said firmly, "you may think that they are small and weak, but you are still a child. Imagine a world if everyone's wings were the same, then they would not be as cherished as we see them now."

He pointed at Derogan's wing, "the shape of your wings is special. Mandara's wings may be bigger than yours, but it is hard to maneuver in high-speed wings. Your father and I have soaring wings, allowing us to have control at high altitudes, but our take-off is much slower than yours. Your wings have qualities that others don't, that is why they are special. Maybe, you were chosen to have those."

He rubbed his temples when he started to get a little dizzy himself, "sorry I lectured you. It took me years of me encouraging Wales to embrace his dragon wings."

M:   It's ok," Derogan said, "I'm quite used to them by now."

The teen folded in his wing to preen it, thinking about what was said and sitting in silence until Mandara came back carrying a lot of old-timey board games and a deck of cards.

"I brought all the games I could find," he announced as he tried not to drop them, "and later we can ask the servants to bring up snacks and stuff so we can have a real day in."

Derogan chuckled at his brother, "sure the only thing missing is blankets and pillows for a pillow fort."

Mandara set down the games and also laughed, "that would be fun, we can do that later when Sir Saxon comes back."

N:   Anglo laughed along with them, "If you can make Saxon build a pillow fort, I will be impressed." He looked down at the games provided and asked, "what should we play?"

-----

Meanwhile, Saxon saw that some of the knights occupied the training grounds, so instead, he decided to go on a jog through the forest. Entering the tree line, he made sure not to go into any dry bushes or near any crevices and kept on jogging until he reached the Eye of Ora, where he climbed down into it and sat down next to the lake.

He found the place calming despite the event that happened the last time he was here and thought more about what Mandoria said.

"I cannot be like Prussia," he said to himself, and he was sure he wasn't, after what Prussia made him do. While he was thinking, a child no more than twelve saw Saxon and climbed down to confront him, he had a small sword sheathed as he approached him from behind. He unsheathed his sword and held the point on Saxons back.

"Do not move."

M:   "How about World Domination," Derogan suggested, pointing to a name that looked like some form of Risk.

Mandara nodded and pulled it out, "yeah, that way we can be real empires, I call dibs on British Empire."

"Natin, Anglo should be British Empire because he's his grandson," Derogan reasoned, "but I want to be French Empire."

"No I want French Empire," Mandara argued.

-----

Silver Streak was flying around doing bird things when she flew over the Eye of Ora and spotted Saxon and a human child. Confused, the raven flew down to get a better look.

N:   Anglo watched as the brothers argued and tried to give a compromise, "what about one of you take the Spanish Empire, which is large in its own right so that we can settle this dispute? And I will be British Empire."

He looked down at the board and asked, "also can you lead the game as I am not accustomed to it."

-----

Saxon, knowing that the child is no real threat, raised his hands to show that they are empty, "let me see your face so that I can better see you."

The child hesitantly did as he said, so he circled around with the sword still held up and tried to be as intimidating as possible for his age. When he stood in front of Saxon, he demanded, "you are coming with me."

Confused, Saxon asked, "why? I do not even know you. Why are you so far away from your parents?"

"You may not personally know me, Lord Saxon, but you would know of the many children you have orphaned," his voice broke as his eyes started to water, "and you left your own people to the mercy to King Prussia."

Saxon stared at the child, watching as he dropped to his knees and cried in front of him. The child is a Saxon, his own people, and he is responsible for the death of his parents.

"I am sor-"

"Apologising will not bring them back," the child shouted back, "it would not bring back my parents and the thousands of loved ones that you took from us." He picked up his sword and attacked Saxon, but the entity easily dodged and was able to tackle the sword off him. When Saxon stood, he towered over the child, making him even more afraid.

Seeing his reaction, he knelt next to him and said, "I cannot reverse time to bring back your parents, and I have failed my people to be their protector, but I still have a duty to the ones left, whether I like it or not," he lifted the child's chin so that he faced him, "I would like to take you to a place safer than Prussia, where you will be loved and cared for."

"How do you know? And why would I trust you?"

"You don't have to trust me; you can see for yourself. The Kingdom of Mandoria is the kindest person I know."

Saxon led the boy out of the sinkhole and back towards the castle, failing to realize that Silver Streak was watching.

M:   Silver Streak watched the two walk off with confusion, wondering what just happened.  The raven took off and flew ahead to tell someone what she saw. She landed on the window sill to Mandara and Derogan's room but it was vacant, so she flew from window to window to find them.

When she did she started tapping on the glass to get their attention.  Mandara and Derogan looked up from explaining the game to Anglo and Mandara stood up to open the window for her.

"Hey Silver, what are you doing here," he asked as he held out his hand for her to step on.

Silver Streak did not step on his hand and instead flew over to the middle of the room to tell everyone what happened.

N:   Anglo sat silently as he took in what Silver Streak said, he had some guesses as to who the boy may be.

"I say," he spoke up, "that we wait for Saxon to arrive so that he can tell us the full story," he fidgeted with the British Empire figurine as he spoke, "and we can start the game to kill some time."

-----

As they approached the tree line, Saxon saw glimpses of knights in the training group then he remembered that the boy had a sword, so he asked if he could have it.

"And why would I give you my only thing to defend myself."

"Recently, the security of the kingdom has been on high alert, and you, despite being a child, are carrying a weapon, so you might be arrested for trespassing. I, on the other hand, would look less suspicious if I came with a sword," he held out his hand for the sword, which the child grunted and gave it sheathed to him.

Satisfied, Saxon continued and walked into the training grounds with the child catching up behind him. Some of the knights raised an eyebrow when they saw them, but nothing happened as Saxon predicted.

When they entered the castle, he said to the boy, "now we have to find Lord Mandoria," so they wandered the halls, searching for him.

M:   "Ok, that makes sense," Mandara said, not giving it too much thought.  Derogan on the other hand was turning over Silver's story and was trying to connect the dots, which were few and far between.

"Yeah, I suppose so," he eventually relented, "thanks for telling us Silver Streak, do you want to join in the game?"

The raven cawed in agreement and hopped over to the box and grabbed the Russian Empire piece, leaving Prussia and Ottoman Empire left.

-----

Mandoria had returned to his office and was talking to his captain again, who had come to report about England's base camp.

"-And there was absolutely nothing you could have done to prevent what happened," he asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

"I'm afraid so my king," the captain said, "we did everything we could to make them leave peacefully, I just don't know what went wrong.  How are you going to inform Sir Anglo and Sir Saxon about it?"

"I don't know, Rowen, I just need some time to think," Mandoria sighed, "it seems everything has gone wrong since Saxon arrived."

He rubbed his forehead irritably, "the sooner they leave the better."

N:   Saxon and the boy walked around the castle and when they finally found Mandoria, they only caught the very last thing he said and Saxon frowned, "we were going to leave the moment we can, no need to moan about it."

While strapping the sheathed sword to his belt, the kid hid behind Saxon when he saw Mandoria, and he kept on staring at his large wings. Saxon chuckled when he saw him ogling, so he said to him, "this was the country I was talking about."

When he heard that, he immediately ran towards Mandoria and hid behind his wings, away from Saxon. He crossed his arms and muttered, "you did not have to leave that quickly."

He turned to Mandoria to explain the situation, "I met the boy while I was at the Eye of Ora, and after some-," he hesitated, "... discussion, I found out that he is one of my people, the Saxons. I know that you have done so much for me already, but I ask if you can take the boy into your kingdom.  I know he may be a Prussian, but he is one of mine no matter what. He lost his-," he paused again, "his parents were taken away from him and now he is an orphan, and knowing the kindness you have, it would be in his best interest if he stayed here instead of returning to Prussia. Could he?"

The boy looked up to Mandoria to hear his verdict.

M:   When Saxon responded to his statement Mandoria hung his head in shame for being heard, but his attention quickly focused on the boy that was with Saxon.  He and Rowen both jumped in surprise when the child ran behind the king and hid, making them look to Saxon in confusion.

The two listened to his explanation and both felt their heartstrings being pulled, though Mandoria was feeling something else being pulled as the boy gripped onto his feathers.

"Of course, he can stay," Mandoria smiled, "it is against my nature to turn away those in need, I promise he will find a good home here."

He patted the kid's head affectionately and asked, "what is your name little one?"

N:  "My name is Johann, sir, but most people call me Jo for short," he smiled as Mandoria patted him, he loosened his grip on his feathers and stated the obvious, "your wings are really big and soft."

Saxon laughed, "well obviously they are. You act just like England when he was little and would hug onto Anglo's wings." He turned to Mandoria and thanked him, and although his conscience wouldn't rest from what happened in Saxony, he was at least relieved that one of his people is now safe.

He started to head back to Anglo when Johann spontaneously asked, "Can I explore the castle?"

-----

While they were playing, Anglo watched as the Russian Empire covered more and more of the board, and when Silver Streak was somehow able to capture Australia, he was even more baffled. "How-," he asked the bird, "-are you doing that? It makes no sense that you are winning."

He saw as the colonies of the British Empire were being swallowed up and relabelled as Russian, and he shook his head, "I better not tell BE about this, he would have a fit."

M:   Mandoria chuckled at Johann's compliment, "why thank you, Johann, it definitely can be a hassle to keep them so soft, but it is clearly worth it just for you."

When the kid asked to explore the castle, Rowen leaned down to his level, "I'm afraid the king will be too busy to show you around, but if you like, I can give you a tour, we wouldn't want a brave little knight like you to get, lost now would we."

Mandoria smiled at Rowen stepping up for Johann, that kindness was one of the reasons he became captain.

He looked up to Saxon, "I don't suppose you will be joining them, Saxon, the boy being one of your own after all."

------

Mandara and Derogan laughed as they watched Anglo's bafflement, the two had been knocked off the board a while ago so they were just watching while munching on a few snacks the servants brought up.

Silver Streak rolled the dice with her beak and moved her cavalry pieces closer to the British Isles, she was trying to box the country in from the land so she could flank him from the sea.

"Anglo, I think you're losing to a bird," Derogan teased, Mandara giggling after.

N:   Johann jumped up and down when he could explore; however, he stopped when Mandoria suggested that Saxon join them. Although he is one of his own, he could not stop thinking about what he did in Saxony, so he waited to see what he would say.

Saxon saw how his enthusiasm deflated when he was asked to join, so he replied, "nay, I will not. It is safer for him to look around without me." With that, he quickly walked away towards Anglo, knowing that being around the kid would just make him feel more guilt than he already does.

-----

"Nay, I am not going to lose to a bird," called back Anglo, rolled his turn so that he can move about his navy, "Britannia rules the waves and is not going to be beaten by Russians."

As the game progressed, Anglo was able to get some land in France, which he muttered an apology to French Empire when he did, but Silver Streak was able to squeeze him out of mainland Europe. His wings started to fluff up a little from his stress as he watched the bird land in Dover.

"No, you are not taking my land," he grumbled as he rolled the dice, just as when Saxon came into the room. Wondering what was happening, he walked over and saw Anglo's position and stated, "you are in a sticky situation."

"You don't have to remind me," he retorted, he moved his piece so that the army gathered in the south of the country, so Saxon pointed out again, "you know that strategy doesn't work, it didn't work with Normandy."

They kept on bickering until Silver Streak took the British Isles, which Saxon promptly said, "well, I cannot imagine the Russians chilling in Ireland, but it just happened," he saw that Australia was labeled as Russian, "they can take that snake infested place."

M:   Mandoria was confused at Johann's change in behavior when he suggested Saxon go with him and Rowen, even more so at Saxon's response.

When the entity was gone Rowen stood up and looked to his king with equal confusion, "I don't suppose there is more going on than Saxon is letting on?"

"Perhaps, but that will be a worry for another day," Mandoria said, then pat Johann's head again, "you have fun now, and maybe you'll run into my sons while you're exploring."

With that, Mandoria dismissed his captain and he took Johann to go explore while the king went back to work.

-----

(continue on chapter seventeen)