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ch 4: The Last Of Freedom

Jadenyx propped his elbows on the window, cupping his chin.

Peaking through the wide tree barks bordering the mansion, a glittering bed of various coloured candy in a food stall tantalized him. He should be out there, bursting his tummy with excess sugar. Instead, he could only be satisfied with this little teaser.

If he jumped from the window, would his heels touch first or toes? Wait! What if he landed on his hands instead? That would be an embarrassing sight if his friends witnessed it. Sashalia would tease him to death. Izanat and Lucantis would laugh their stomachs off.

Or worse, what if he landed on his butt and fractured them? He imagined himself walking down the street, clutching his broken butt as people's eyeballs outflowed from their sockets at the sight.

Then he wondered if butts could fracture. Aren't those soft and fluffy? His hand raised to squeeze one of his butt cheeks, but he stopped just in time, realising how lame it was.

Arrr!

Jadenyx pulled his hair out. If he stayed here for another moment, he'd go insane.

Now that the palace was busy with preparations for the Amenity Expedition, the palace-cleaning part of the punishment was postponed until the Crown Prince left. This gave him ample time with his thoughts, which was the worst part.

Maybe he shouldn't have blabbered to the Azuraei like that. Maybe there was another way to deal with his wrath.

Epistemor Niqolas had strictly ordered him to stay in his room for Jurdith's sake. And he had been trying so hard to do just that.

He had spent the last one and a half days trying to toss thoughts of liberation aside. Then, finally, a logical thought appeared in his mind. He had sneaked out without getting caught several times before. And why would today be any different?

He smirked.

He climbed the window and leaped into the night from his first-story room. Sparks of Vycelar burst beneath his feet to cushion the landing. He didn't forget to notice that his entire foot landed at the same time, not his butt. Ha! At least he has an answer now.

Lucantis' house was the closest. He couldn't knock on the front door. In fact, he never did, even when Lucantis' father was the Supreme General of Savernia. When evading the guards was so thrilling, why bother taking the direct route? Ha! And years of experience showed him all the loopholes there were.

The trickiest part was trying not to trip over a patch of marigold at the back of the mansion. The last time he tripped, Lucantis cried for days.

He climbed the walls and tapped on the glass window on the second floor. Lucantis, who was pacing up and down in his room, came to open it.

"Let's go," Jadenyx said.

Lucantis hesitated.

"We won't get caught this time. Trust me." Jadenyx gave the warmest smile.

The boy stared at him with googly eyes. He was smaller in build than Jadenyx. Despite being grounded at home, his copper hair was set neatly, and his beige pants and shirt were well pressed. He proceeded to follow Jadenyx with a head shake. "Father already hates me."

"Oh, come on! Who doesn't disappoint their fathers? No matter what we do, they point their fingers at us. We might as well do something we like." Jadenyx winked.

"He...doesn't...want me to.... befriend you."

Jadenyx's legs ceased to move, and the words slammed right into his face. "What do you want?" His mouth moved, despite not wanting to hear the answer.

Lucantis admired General Danivol Branstiwik who was praised for his Vycelar skills and meticulous discipline. He wished to walk in his father's footsteps and make him proud. Jadenyx knew painting a rebellious son image wasn't something Lucantis was looking forward to.

"I. . .I. . ." Lucantis hesitated.

Jadenyx nodded to himself and affirmed, "You can turn back. I won't stop you." The words came out as a lifeless whispers than he expected them to be. No confidence at all.

They plastered themselves onto the stone fence to hide in the shadows of the mansion as Lucantis took his time to answer. Then he buried his face in his hands and growled. "Let's go."

Jadenyx smiled and didn't question further.

Next, they went to Sashalia's house.

"How did it go with your mother?" Jadenyx asked her, who's grin fell on hearing these words.

"As usual. She didn't talk to me. And don't mention her, Jade. I am happy to sneak out. I bet she figured it out by now." Sashalia's grin returned. Her ashen grey hair highlighted the dimples on her cheeks. She was in the middle of the boys in terms of height, with Lucantis being a few inches short.

Jadenyx noticed the dagger sheathed around her waistband. "I bet you have one in your boots," He stated.

Sashalia nodded.

"Why bother? We are here only to have fun tonight."

"A wielder should always be prepared. And daggers are fun to wield." She answered with a grin and walked past him to join Lucantis.

In the heart of Azsinelli, the Savernian palace stood at the top of the hill. Its blue domes capped on limestone pillars were as spectacular as sapphire embedded in a silver necklace.

Lucantis and Sashalia went inside to bring Izanat out, while Jadenyx settled at the edge of the cliff overlooking the city.

Looking from this height, the white city lights mirrored those twinkling stars above so perfectly that one would think the stars themselves had descended upon this diverse city. Along with these lights, the city bore several stone mansions of various heights. Generals, Epistemors, Merchants, Ministers, and other members of higher status lived in them. The mansions were surrounded by the common people who, mostly, were employed by them. Some built walls around these hamlets, dividing the city into tiny territories, while some nobles didn't.

What attracted Jadenyx weren't these inanimate objects.

He found a young couple proclaiming their love for each other with their very first kiss in the bed of pink magnolia flowers in the streets. The petals danced around them in the gentle breeze, turning this precious moment into a memorable one.

In stark contrast to this, in another part of the city, two women pulled each other's hair over a heated quarrel. People passing by stopped to whistle and hoot for their favourite team, just to liberate themselves from their mundane lives for a few moments.

In thicker parts of the city, where alleys were not only narrow but also dim and gloomy, Jadenyx saw two masked men exchanging secret letters. They hid behind a wagon when a young maiden, carrying a basket of buns, strolled past them.

Jadenyx smiled.

He could yell, dance, or sit butt naked on the top of this hill. Still, not a single head would turn. At the same time, he would know everything happening down there. This feeling birthed a strange kind of freedom in his heart. An addictive one.

Upon the four teenagers reuniting once more, they descended down the hill and arrived at an inn at the rear end of the food street. The manager's daughter, who was a young maiden with long black hair and dressed in cold-pressed brown clothes, stood from the cashier desk on noticing them.

She neither bowed nor approached the teenagers. Instead, she sent a familiar waiter to guide them towards the private compartments at the back of the inn.

Jadenyx waved a hand at her with a sweet smile. She bent her head to conceal her flushed cheeks.

They were no less than regulars there. If delicious sweets named Maava pulled jadenyx to the inn, Izanat revealing his identity only made the staff want to make this sweet more delicious.

The manager returned with her young daughter trailing behind her. Mrs. Karlona was a woman who looked ten years younger than she was, that one almost misunderstood her daughter as her younger sister. She liked to display the riches she earned from providing services that she had been doing for more than twenty years.

Her daughter took a more simplistic approach with respect to her attire. She was still a teen, a few years younger than Jadenyx himself.

"Your Highness. I am sorry to hear about the expedition." The manager replied in a grim tone once the teenagers settled around a wooden table in one of the private compartments.

"There's nothing to worry, Mrs. Karlona." Jadenyx intervened. "Our prince loves helping Savernians," he teased. He didn't turn a blind eye to Izanat's silent treatment since earlier.

Sashalia, sitting in between Jadenyx and Izanat, snapped. "Does he seem happy to you?"

Jadenyx was taken aback. He looked at Izanat, sitting diagonally from him. "Why blame me? You knew in and out about our plan and still we got caught. I even tried to help you at the end!" He defended.

Izanat answered his question by frowning at him. This brought back memories of the night of the heist. Izanat's brown eyes looked exactly like they were in the treasure room. Except, now there were no tears. There was only a raw emotion of sadness in them. Something churned in Jadenyx's heart.

Jadenyx was perplexed. Was Izanat angry or sad because of him? One thing was clear-he didn't imagine the look, it actually happened. This realisation revoked another memory from that night-a blue spark in those brown orbs. And Jadenyx's head throbbed.

"It's not that." Sashalia said, pulling Jadenyx out of his state of mind.

"Then what?" he asked.

Izanat silenced her with an authoritative gaze. She pressed her lips tight and averted her eyes.

"Then what?" Jadenyx asked her again, completely unaware of the atmosphere. "What!? What are you both hiding?" He demanded.

Meanwhile, a waiter placed his favorite sweet, Maava, in front of him. He scooped one tiny bite with a wooden spoon and dropped it on the tip of his tongue. It melted like snow under the warm morning sun, draining his anger and frustration along with it.

"Isn't this a taste to die for?" He remarked, taking another bite. A smile spread across his smooth, pale face as he forgot the world around him.

Lucantis' lips curled when he looked at the boy totally immersed in enjoying his sweet. He took a wooden spoon and copied him. This little act pulled other's attention. He quickly grew concious and acted like he was adjusting himself in the wooden chair.

Sometime later, the manager's daughter, Pavisha, brought an extra scoop of the sweet once her mother left the compartment. She placed it specifically beside Jadenyx's plate, waiting for him to notice her.

"Thank you, Ms. Pavisha." He replied.

Pavisha covered her blush by bowing to them. Her joy was quickly replaced by a solemn grim as she left the chambers.

"Last night, father narrated the tale behind his title, 'Reaper of Haticus'." Lucantis spoke when they had almost finished their first serve for the night.

"What's so different about it?" Jadenyx voiced. "I can get it this instant too. Shouldn't I become the Supreme General too, then?" The last thing he wanted to think about while eating his favorite sweet was General Danivol Branstiwik.

Sashalia narrowed her eyes, signalling for him to stop speaking. Then her expression loosened as she asked Lucantis in a tender tone, "Is this story any different from what everyone knows?"

"It is almost similar to the story everyone knows. He told me in depth about how beastly the monster Haticus was." He flashed a innocent smile at his friends.

"It is the strongest in terms of mentality." Sashalia remarked, taking a bite of the sweet. "It won't back down even if a thousand Vycelar Wielders pool in on it. So how did he do it?" Sashalia was always extra attentive towards Lucantis, something Jadenyx never understood. This time was no different. She was genuinely intrigued, in addition.

"He tried to overpower it initially. But couldn't do it till..."

Jadenyx cut Lucantis off mid sentence. "Haticus' need to be domesticated. They sense malice from several feet away. The only way to subdue them is by showering them with love and care. I can't imagine General tried to overpower them. Haha!"

Sashalia reminded him to stop mocking the general again with her eyes. This must be the thousandth time she has tried to discipline him like that ever since the punishment commenced.

Jadenyx responded, "let's talk about something else then."

Lucantis' lips curled down. With crestfallen eyes, he whispered, "You never appreciate him."

There was a desperation of a little brother waiting for his likes to be acknowledged by his big brother. Jadenyx didn't entirely grasp the reason behind it. In fact, he was oblivious until Sashalia made him realise this a few months ago.

"Alright. I won't interrupt," saying so he dropped back in his chair.

"Do narrate the rest of the story," Izanat interfered.

Lucantis beamed. He tugged the strands of his copper hair and continued, "You know that father was undertaking a mission in the north when he encountered it?" Lucantis asked.

All three of them nodded.

"He stumbled upon a den one afternoon while searching for a place to rest. Something pounced on him that moment. He stepped back, but didn't run away." Jadenyx sensed a sense of pride in Lucantis' words-something he didn't like.

Lucantis continued "He tried to pull it out of the den with his Vycelar. That was when he realised it was a massive Haticus anyone has ever seen."

Jadenyx thought General Danivol must've exaggerated its size when he narrated the tale. There was a talk that Haticus wasn't that massive but subduing it all by himself earned the general this title.

"He dropped his sword and submitted himself to it entirely. Haticus' don't forget the blows they suffered. It struck him several times. But none of those put a dent in his resolve. He surrendered to it wholeheartedly without putting up any defence."

There were only a handful of people who survived Haticus' blows without fighting back. Savernians sharpen their Vycelar skills by facing their deepest fears. Through the process, they grow resilient to dangers and build a mental stamina to fight back despite the magnitude of the danger. Staying quiet and defenceless took a greater mental stamina than actually fighting back.

"Wow! That's interesting," Sashalia commented.

"Yeah."

Lucantis stared at Jadenyx with anticipation.

"The story is good." He managed to say only these few words, but they earned a wide smile from Lucantis.

"Good one," Izanat commented.

Jadenyx waited for the tale to end before speaking up again. "Want to hear something cooler than this?"

"No!" Sashalia blurted it out with a teasing grin.

"What is it?" Lucantis' asked with those eyes full of admiration.

"Another adventure!"

Sashalia groaned loudly. "We just went on one and barely managed to dodge a death sentence. You want to risk it again?"

"Why not?" Jadenyx shrugged. "There is a rumour about a Cognizant Vycelar stuck in a cave. Doesn't it sound interesting?" He smiled on recalling the thrilling feeling he felt while dealing with the blue glare in the glass cage.

"A what?"

"A Self-aware Vycelar. My Vycelar Mapping showed me some strange...different kinds of motes concealed within Vycelar. I just want to clarify."

"What kind?"

"Er... I don't know. Couldn't spend much time with it. It burst sometime after coming out of the cage."

There was a knock, followed by the opening of the door. Mrs. Karlona stepped inside. She pledged her loyalty by bowing to the prince. Immediately behind her, Pavisha followed suit, standing a few steps behind her mother.

Jadenyx continued narrating the incident in the silence of the room.

"Why don't we go when our punishment ends?" Lucantis asked with excitement.

Jadenyx cried, "It's too late! We can go after two weeks. It'll be exactly in the midst of our punishment to refresh us, and I can do some research in the meantime too."

"But..." Sashalia looked at the prince. Izanat sat quietly, like he had no say in it, his face half buried in his brown curls.

Jadenyx gave him a peek and nodded his head. "Alright. Let's plan before you leave then."

"Do you know anything about it, Mrs. Karlona?" Sashalia asked, munching on the brown sweet.

Mrs. Karlona, standing with her hands clasped in the front, replied, "I have heard stories, Lady Sashalia. Some say it's Ichor Land's doing. That the Ichorians are avenging us-the Southerners-for pushing them beyond the Sierra mountains in the north."

Jadenyx wondered, "That's some strange rumour. How'd a mysterious entity help them achieve that?"

"There is another theory, Master Jadneyx." Karlona continued. "Something about a man who can change appearances. He might be an incarnate of Vulca descended to destroy us."

Jadenyx scoffed. "Do you still believe in such superstitions, Mrs. Karlon?" He asked. "Superstitions are born only to scare people."

"Superstitions are there for a reason, master Jadenyx. We call them so because we don't know the answers to everything. These are not to be overlooked easily. That's what my mother taught me. I tend to live by her teachings." Mrs. Karlona answered. Her teenage daughter, standing in her shadow, nodded in agreement.

"What are the other theories you've heard of?" Izanat enquired.

The room fell into silence when a waiter brought the drinks for the customers.

Mrs. Karlona waited for the waiter to serve the food and leave before resuming the conversation. "Some say this man is no Vulca's incarnate. He is a consequence of human experimentation conducted by Ichorians."

The prince stated, taking a sip of water from the earthen glass, "I can't comprehend the reason behind their vengeance. It was their Trailblazer's decision to choose the land beyond Sierra mountains. When they didn't have a problem then, why blame us now?"

"Is there evidence of this human experimentation?" Jadenyx asked the prince.

Izanat shook his head. "Not yet. This rumour itself is creating enough panic in Savernia. Even Riparia and Altiplaria are affected by this. The azuraei and all our generals are trying to detect the roots." The prince answered. Then he directed his command towards Mrs. Karlona. "Discourage anyone from spreading chaos further."

Mrs. Karlon nodded in response, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Isn't this all the more reason to visit that place?" Jadenyx asked to conclude the conversation.

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After the others left, Jadenyx was alone with his thoughts once again. Images of the young prince flashed through his mind. He hated them. And memories of the past few days came barging in on him. He hated all of them.

Another half an hour had passed by aimlessly wandering in the cold night. When he became conscious of his surroundings, he found himself standing at the foot of the palace.

He jumped across the fence and slithered into the bowels of the palace. He must've passed through these corridors a thousand times by now that he could sneak in with his eyes closed.

He headed straight to the rear end of the Royal Library. He was clear about his destination, but the reason behind his visit wasn't vivid in his mind.

Sparks of Vycelar ignited beneath his feet as he rose up to reach a circular vent just a few inches below the ceiling. The glass covering the vent was cut neatly.

He smirked. It had been several months since he had cut the glass, and not a single soldier had discovered it. He passed through the vent like a cat and replaced the glass back in its position. Then jumped down and hid behind one of the circular pillars bearing the ceiling of a huge library, ready to face the danger head-on.

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