The three of them came to the crossroad. Raziel brought his horse to a stop. A sudden pang of sadness filled his heart.

“Venus?” He stared down at his horse’s reigns then back up to her. “I would love for you to come with us.”

She smiled. “I know, but there are some things that you must do on your own. I promise you have a long journey ahead of you and we will see each other again.”

A glimmer of hope in the young boys’ eyes. “Alright safe travels Venus.”

“You too Raziel. I will see you on the other side.” He cocked his head to the side. At her curious expression.

Elrian and Raziel watched her ride off. The fae took out his map. He looked to Elrian.

“Are you going to tell me what I have to do?”

The knight laughed. “My ward, it is not in my programing to tell you what to do. It is my sole responsibility to keep you safe in whatever you choose to do.”

Raziel’s eyes lit up. “Wait, you mean to tell me I can do whatever I want?”

Elrian laughed. “Yes, I have no preference and will no take any actions to stop you.”

A wicked expression filled the young boy’s eyes. “Then if that is the case, there is the place I have always wanted to see. Father told me about it. He said that only the bravest souls go there. It is a place where dragons live! I so want to see a dragon!”

Elrian deadpanned. “You want to see a giant beast that can eat you?” Well, I suppose if it eats you then it will have the star shard. And it will become my new ward. What the hell why not?”

Raziel shoved his map in his satchel and pulled out a different one. This one had his own notes all over it.

“It looks like from here will still go to the right. Wait.” His brow furrowed. “Where the dragons are is not far from where the other map was taking us.”

“Elrian? I am beginning to question how honest my father has been with me. Like why does he have “men”? Why does it always feel like he is hiding stuff from me?”

Elrian laughed. “Well, there is a lot I could tell you, but I am going to refrain from doing so. I want you to make your own judgments. Because what is life? It is what we make it to be. ‘good’ vs ‘evil’ is all perspective young one. The ‘Good’ of the ‘cause’ is what you make of it.”

Raziel frowned. “Well, I suppose that is the same thing with the word ‘Prince’. I mean what is a prince? It is someone who has a responsibility to others. I do not feel like I am any kind of ‘prince’ so I will do as I please until I feel a responsibility for someone else.”

Elrian laughed. “I can tell you were raised by Issac.”

Raziel frowned. “Well let us get going. Lorenx can we go right please?”

She chuckled, “Of course, my Prince.”

Raziel groaned. He wanted to change the topic. “These hills are pretty. There are a lot of flowers and plant life I have never seen before outside of textbooks.”

“Raziel, I have a question for you? Did Issac ever leave for extended periods of time?” Elrian inquired.

“No, I don’t recall him ever leaving for more that a few hours at a time.” Raziel answered honestly.

“Fair enough.”

Their travels were quiet for some time, only the sound of the mount’s feet could be heard. Raziel took in the scenery. He had never left the forest before. The rolling hills had a peaceful feeling that he has never experienced.

“Wow, what is that he pointed out.”

Elrian followed his pointing arm. He frowned, “That is a plumb of smoke young one. It is large too. Maybe a village is on fire.”

Raziel contemplated, “Should we go see if there is something that we can do to help?”

Elrian chuckled, “Are you feeling a responsibility to someone other than yourself?”

Raziel looked at him in shock. “I… Uh, NO, I am not.”

Elrian let a wicked expression come over his face. “I suppose it does not matter than if young women and children are dying in a fire. We do not have the ability or desire to help them.”

“Oh for all that is holy in NEXUS! Why do you have to say it that way!?!?” Raziel growled and tightened his grip on his reins.

Lorenx could sense his desire and changed directions. Her speed made the skin on his face depressed under the force of the wind.

The smell of smoke wafted through the air. It was mixed with the pungent smell of death.

Elrian laughed and took off after him. Together they slowed their pace as they began to feel the heat of the fire. Houses were a flame. People were running around screaming chaotically. They had no direction or unity in their actions.

Raziel searched for what was causing the chaos or the flames. There was no clear cause until he heard the beating wings above his head.

Elrian laughed, “Well there is your dragon.”

Raziel frowned. The bow on his back hummed with life. “Should I kill it? It should have the right to live, shouldn’t it?

Elrian smirked. “Sure, let it live and it shall destroy this city and the next and thousands of people will suffer and die because of it.”

Raziel growled. “I REALLY hate the way you word things!”

The Beast circled back around. Raziel felt a strange sensation that this dragon was meant to die today. He frowned.

Elrian pointed at a group of archers on the ground. “Look.”

The archers took aim. Raziel let an idle smile cross his lips. He took his bow and armed it. He waited till their flurry of arrows took flight to let his join their attack.

His arrow crackled with electricity and brought lightning from the sky. Magic radiated from it. The archers turned to see his lone arrow turn into a giant bolt flying through the air with the fury of the gods.

The dragon saw it and altered course. It tried to escape its death. Aurlien’s wrath found its mark. The scales of protection failed the dragon.

It plummeted from the sky. The earth quaked at the beast’s impact. Raziel did not feel satisfied though. Its death was not something he reveled in. But the thought of letting it kill children, he could not bear. Him and Elrian took their reins, and their mounts carried them closer. It was now that Raziel realized the archers had draconic armor.

The two of them watched as some of the residents used magic to put out the fires.

He was approached by a tall man with silver eyes. “That is some bow you have there. May I see it?”

Raziel frowned. “I do not think so. Who are you?”

The man shook his head, “I am sorry, where are my manners? I apologize for my boldness. My name is Phalentine, Phalentine Restoran. This is my town. I am in your debt.”

Raziel scoffed, “You do not owe me anything. I just shot a single arrow into the sky.”

“I beg to differ,” He knelt before Raziel, “You saved my people.”

Raziel rolled his eyes, “Seriously just stand. I am nothing special.”

Elrian chuckled. Raziel shot him a death glare. Elrian turned his head so that Raziel couldn’t see his smile grow.

“At least let us serve you for the night, it is getting dark and these parts are not safe to travel. There is more to fear here than the dragons.” Phalentine smiled.

Raziel was about to decline when he saw a young woman carrying or attempting to carry a warrior toward the city. Something dropped in his heart. He dismounted and put his bow on his back.

He ignored Phalentine as he walked past him. He reached the woman. He whispered softly. “May I help you?”

Her silver eyes looked up at him. Tears in her eyes. She could not bring herself to speak. She only nodded.

Raziel smiled, his heart heavy with sadness. He could feel death’s presence as if ‘death’ was a person that walked through the city streets.

In silence he helped her with the grim task of carrying the dead one at a time to the cemetery on the other side of the village.

Elrian helped Phalentine. All the survivors had a grim sense of sadness in their countenance.

Once they were all laid out, Phalentine walked away and returned with shovels in hand. He hands two to the young woman Raziel helped.

Tears in her eyes she handed one of them to Raziel. Aurlien hummed with a mournful energy. Raziel felt as if he carried the weight of this village’s sorrows on his shoulders.

He took the shovel and followed her lead. Tears almost formed in his eyes. He could not understand his sadness as he did not know any of these people.

The Fae watched her. Her silver hair flowed softly in the breeze. He noticed her pointed ears.

She lifted her shovel and began to dig. Raziel followed her and in a calm silence, they dug the graves for the dead.

One by one, the graves were completed, and the dead were laid to rest under the somber twilight. Phalentine gathered his people, his heart heavy with grief and the weight of unspoken words.

The Lord shook his head solemnly. “People of my village today is a grim day. We have lost many loved ones. But as you all know, this is a monthly occurrence. We suffer because we refuse to yield to the tyranny of the red dragon!”

His voice echoed through the silent crowd, each word a reminder of their shared pain.

He turned to Raziel, bowing deeply before kneeling. “You are our savior. We begged Erikson for help, but he refused. He said if we were not strong enough to battle the dragon, we did not deserve to live here.”

Raziel frowned, his eyes darkening. “Please stand. I do not need people kneeling before me. I just shot a single arrow.”

Phalentine stood, his sorrow somehow deepening, his eyes reflecting the setting sun’s last rays. “Well, at least stay with us for one night?”

Raziel was about to decline when she stepped forward, her presence like a breath of fresh air amidst the gloom.

“Please?”

Her silver eyes shimmered with emotions that tugged at feelings. Feelings that he has never felt before.

He sighed in defeat. Raziel looked at her, and his resolve crumbled. “I will stay for the night.”

She smiled, a beacon of hope in the darkness, and took him by the arm, leading him to the town hall.

They entered the tavern together, the smell of warm bread and roasted pig causing Raziel’s stomach to rumble. The tavern was a haven of warmth and light, with a roaring fire in the hearth and the soft murmur of villagers seeking solace in each other’s company.

The wooden beams overhead were adorned with dried herbs and lanterns, casting a golden glow over the room. Raziel felt a strange sense of belonging, a feeling he had was not sure he had ever experienced before.

As they sat down, the villagers began to share stories of their lost loved ones, their voices a mix of sorrow and resilience.

Raziel listened, his heart heavy yet touched by their strength. He realized that this village, despite its suffering, had an unbreakable spirit.

She looked at him and let a sparkle come into her eyes. “Come here I want to show you something.”

The two of them stood. She took him by his hand. Strange sparks of emotion epicentered from where her skin touched his.

She led him to a great tapestry hanging on the far wall of the tavern. It was a man. He had pointed elven ears. Long silver hair flowed down to his shoulders.

“This is a beautiful picture. Who is it?” Raziel admired the vibrant colors of the woven fabric.

She smiled, a wistful expression crossing her face. “His name was Kalraun. There is a lake not far from here. It is connected to the aquatic elves. This man was a noble of their society.”

“An Aquatic elf?” Raziel asked, his curiosity piqued. “I did not even know that was a thing.”

She eyed him with an idle smirk. “You did not?”

“No,” he responded, his eyes fixed on the picture before him. He felt as if he looked at her, she would see through his lie.

She chuckled, a sound tinged with both amusement and sorrow. “He would preach that our Prince would come save us. As the years droned on, we all lost faith. That we had no prince that would care for us.”

Raziel considered her words, then turned and looked at the crowd closer. It was now he realized they all had pointed elf ears. His brow furrowed.

“You are all aquatic elves?”

“Yes, and I am convinced that our prince will still come and be our savior.” She looked at him with almost a mocking expression in her eyes, a flicker of hope mingled with deep-seated despair.

Raziel was almost starting to feel as if fate was stacked against him. “Well, I am leaving tomorrow and hopefully your prince will come.”

She chuckled, a hollow sound. “Of course. My name is DeLarian. Thank you so much for your help today. That was my father you helped me to carry.”

Raziel could feel the full weight of her sorrow, a palpable force that seemed to seep into his very bones. “I… I…” He fell silent and just pulled her into a hug.

She resisted at first, then melted into his arms, her body trembling with the force of her sobs. His shoulder became wet with her tears. He ran his fingers through her hair, a strange sensation of need coming over him. A need for something more than himself and his father.

She pulled away and blushed, wiping her eyes. “I am sorry, I don’t even know your name.”

He smiled softly, with a gentle warmth in his eyes. “My name is Raziel.”

“I have heard that name before.” She thought aloud, her brow furrowing in concentration.

Phalentine approached them, his voice grave. “That is because your father would say that our prince was Raziel Flaren, twelfth son of King Elderak. The Fae King.”

Ice filled Raziel’s veins at that name. His heart started thumping, a wild, erratic beat. His bow began to hum with energy on his back.

“Still not feeling like you are responsible for anyone else, Raziel?” Elrian walked over to them, his tone a mix of challenge and concern.

Shock was evident in Raziel’s eyes as he looked out over the people in this room. “I… I…” He shut his mouth, shaking his head. Memories slammed into his consciousness, a torrent of images and emotions.

He shook his head again, more memories than he could process overwhelming his senses. The world spun around him, and he passed out, the weight of his destiny crashing down upon him.

Elrian caught his ward before he fell. He turned to Phalentine. “Do you have a bed he can rest in? He needs some time to adjust. He is indeed your prince. Be patient with him. He has been raised in solitude.”

Phalentine just nodded.

DeLarian led Elrian upstairs to an empty bed. She pulled the covers back and the knight laid him down. She covered him up and curled up on the bed next to him. She laid her head on his chest. Her long ear catching his heartbeat.

The steady rhythmic sound lulled her to sleep upon his chest. Her prince, was real, had a heart, and she wasn’t about to let go of that. Elrian watched over the two of them as they slept. His hand on the hilt of his sword.

The door opened, Phalentine stepped in. “Do you think he will stay now?”

“I am not sure, He is young. He has a lot to learn. He has never had a sense of connection except to his ‘father’.”

Phalentine sighed. “I suppose time will tell. She seems to find his favor. Maybe she can get him to stay?”

“Perhaps, I do not know. But let’s allow him to sleep,”

Phalentine nods. He steps out and goes down to the tavern. When he entered the main room. The crowed all stood. A young child steps forward.

“Papa? Is our prince going to stay?”

“I do not know my child. I do not know.” Let us all retire and meet back here for breakfast. But Please for the love of all that is holy, do not overwhelm him with formalities?”

“Yes sir,” they all responded. Together they all stood and filed out to find what refuge they could find in the buildings that were saved from the burn.