Chapter Text
“Young master! Oh where did that boy go!”
A young fairy tale woman stomped through the Light Palace corridors in a huff. Orange sunlight streamed through the large crystalline window and reflected off the marble floor. The sunset always illuminated the palace in a beautiful light, but the girl did not have time to admire it. The setting sun signified the late hour; an hour in which a certain prince should be readying himself for bed.
“Honestly Master Millium, you are far too much like your father when he was your age,” The girl grumbled.
“Wendy, Wendy; referring to the King so rudely? How bad of you~” A voice teased from behind.
Wendy sighed in annoyance and looked above to find none other than Tinkerbell. She crossed her arms in irritation, “Shouldn’t you be with Peter helping to look for the Prince?”
The fairy shrugged with a smirk, “King Grimm needed him, so you’re just left with me.”
The blonde sighed again. She had been doing that quite a bit lately, she noted, “Do you have any idea where the young master is, then?”
It wasn’t that Wendy disliked the fairy. Sure they had rough patches in the early days of their story, but they had since become decent friends at the very least. The girl’s irritation came from the fact that the tiny fairy tale and her companion rarely took their duties seriously. King Grimm had entrusted the trio with his son since the three were some of his most beloved fairy tale friends. Wendy was more than happy to assist and took her job very seriously. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, on the other hand, were usually the reason the boy would get into trouble the rare time the prince caused mischief. While she had to admit Millium could learn to loosen up just a bit, she respected the fact that he, too, took his duties so seriously. The last thing she wanted to see was his study time being wasted on foolish endeavors, especially at his age.
Tinkerbell ignored Wendy’s light glare and leaned back nonchalantly, “Did you check the regular place?”
“Yes of course I did. He wasn’t sitting at any of the tables or ledges as he usually does. I figured he may be in the library instead.”
The fairy snickered, “Nahh, he’s definitely in the usual place.”
Wendy raised an incredulous eyebrow, “And what makes you think that?”
“Oh nothing, nothing at all~”, Tinkerbell sang teasingly as she fluttered off in the opposite direction to where Wendy had been heading.
Wendy slumped her shoulders in defeat and begrudgingly followed, “Fine, but if he’s not there and you waste my time we’re going to have a word later.”
And so the two made their way to the prince’s usual spot; the garden room. No one could blame the prince for frequenting that room in particular. The King had completely redone it after the war when he was practicing his magic. It was highly enchanted and filled with peaceful power. Despite the walls being clear glass windows, the stars hanging in the evening sky did not show. Instead it was always a perfect sky blue with a gentle stream of sunlight bathing the plants within. Even in the most harsh of winters the room would be the perfect warm temperature. It was an excellent place to lounge, or in the prince’s case, study.
The two fairy tales entered the room. Wendy couldn’t help but breathe deeply at the embrace of the warm air. She always enjoyed the atmosphere; the tropical nature and lingering magic reminded her of Neverland.
Her enjoyment only lasted a moment before her hardened gaze searched the room. She paced around the white rock paths, searching every table and bench for any sign of the prince. He would be easy to spot amongst the greenery, or anywhere really. Millium greatly took after his father with black hair streaked with white which was quick to pick out in any crowd. Wendy was always amused by how much he resembled his mother as well, right down to his golden eyes.
Wendy frowned as she scanned the last of the room. She sighed and looked up to Tinkerbell, “See? He’s not here.”
In response, Tinkerbell folded her arms behind her head and pouted, “Psht, you were never very creative. This is why Grimm put Peter and I on Millium duty too.”
“Hey! Just what is that supposed to mean?” The girl jabbed her fists into her sides as she shouted at the smug fairy.
Tinkerbell simply giggled and flew off a short distance to a nearby tree. The tree in question was amongst bushes with beautiful pink and white flowers. The trunk was large and thick, even through the leaves Wendy could see the branches were just as massive. She squinted her eyes through the foliage and caught a glimpse of blue and gold. Slowly she crept forward and tilted her gaze upward into the weaving branches. Low and behold, there sat the prince, quiet and intently reading. Even from her angle she could see a quill swaying around the pages. Millium hadn’t even noticed their presence, obviously lost in his book.
Wendy frowned. While she admired his dedication to his studies, the hour was much too late and he needed his rest. Especially with the early hours he awoke to for his training. Reluctantly, she pondered how she could break his focus without startling him.
“Hey hey, Prince Millium!” The fairy suddenly yelled.
“Wha-ah!” With Tinkerbell’s abrupt shout Millium jumped in surprise, lost his balance, and fell from his seat. Thankfully the fairy made quick work to shower him in magic dust. Millium’s descent slowed just before he could make contact with the grass below. He floated above the surface in a somewhat awkward pose; his upper back just grazed the grass as his legs bent inwards to his chest and pointed up to the tree top.
His head darted around disoriented before he saw the two upside down fairy tales. He smiled sweetly, seemingly oblivious to his position, “Oh, hello Wendy! Hello Tinkerbell! What brings you here?”
Wendy brought a hand to her face in disbelief, “Prince Millium, you can’t honestly tell me you have no idea what time it is.”
The boy looked up, or down in his case, to the sky peeking between the leaves. He looked back to the girl with a shrug and laughed sheepishly, “It’s, uh, honestly difficult to tell.”
“Allow me to put it this way,” the girl began, “the sun has well set and the stars are beginning to fill the sky.”
“Oh dear,” Millium started before being promptly dropped to the ground below with an audible ‘oof’. Wendy shot Tinkerbell a glare at the rough treatment, though the fairy simply shrugged. She looked back to the prince to apologize, but he continued as if nothing happened, still in the awkward pose, “I do suppose I should head in. Mother might not be pleased if she found me awake at this hour.”
Wendy stared at the boy for a moment in silence. She would be surprised at his lack of concern for his obviously uncomfortable position, but in truth the boy had always been rather clueless, despite his high intelligence. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, or even a point of concern, but it was more often than not that things just went over his head. The girl couldn’t help but feel bad for whomever he was to wed. His obliviousness may prove to make...certain things difficult.
She shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts and cleared her throat in an attempt to keep her composure, “Yes, yes you should. Now come, you need to ready yourself for bed.”
Millium untangled himself with relative ease before rising to his feet. He brushed off the stray grass blades from his pants and tunic before gathering his fallen books and bounding over to Wendy. She eyed him up and down and crossed her arms at the patches of dirt and leaves sticking out of his messy hair, “You need a bath before anything.”
Confused at her comment the prince looked down at his own attire. Green patches of grass stained his clothes and was even visible on the black of his boots. His back undoubtedly shared the same fate and he was suddenly grateful that he didn’t wear his favourite cloak. Millium looked to the motherly girl and chuckled sheepishly, “Ahah, yeah, that probably wouldn’t hurt.”
And so the three left the garden room and made way for the bathroom closest to Millium’s room. He insisted that he needn’t a further escort and, after convincing Wendy he would not fall asleep in the tub again, was left to his business.
In truth the prince really had lost track of time, though he had done so purposefully. Whenever the hours would grow late, he would alway move his studies to the garden room with the eternal sunlight. He knew the servants, and his mother especially, hated when he stayed up late. That never stopped him, and he would always try and come up with ways to hide away in peace. If he could find a way to study without sleep, he well and truly would. He was the child of two great rulers, ones whose names would surely go down in history. They defended their world and even the world of the fairy tales from vampires, nightmares, and the cthulhu. He had a lot to live up to and was more than willing to dedicate every free moment of his life to study and train for when his turn on the throne arrived. After all he was to turn twenty in a few months, his time would come soon.
Millium sighed and sunk into the hot bath he had prepared himself. The water was soothing; he had spent most of the day doing nothing but study and practice with the knights. His teacher, Master Zero, had not come to the palace as of late. While he didn’t mind, for he was skilled enough that he didn’t need Zero watching his every training session, he did still miss her presence. Her words could be harsh and she had an...interesting training method, but he wouldn’t be nearly as skilled or strong as he was without her guidance. He only wished his magic was more powerful, but she could only do so much in that regard.
He was the son of Grimm, the heroic King. His father had rebuilt the kingdom after the devastation caused by Dracula and Abdul, and he had done so with mostly magic. He fought with magic of a variety of elements, and was able to summon enough fairy tales to populate the capitol. Grimm was known by all, both in this world and the world of the fairy tales, for his wisdom and great magical power. Millium, on the other hand, was limited to his spells. He could only call for a few fairy tales at a time, his magic was mostly focused on light no matter how hard he tried to deviate, and even then his spells were nothing special. Zero always praised him for his skill with the sword, but even then…
Millium groaned in frustration before dunking his head below the water. He kept his eyes closed as he lay suspended in the bath. Its heat kept his mind away from such thoughts, thoughts that always brought down his feeling of self worth. He knew he would never be as powerful as his father, or mother even, but he also reminded himself that he was him, not them. He just had to do the best he could to be the best that he could be…
The prince shot upright from the water with a loud gasp. That was enough time alone with his thoughts.
Millium hurriedly dried himself and changed into his sleepwear before heading to his room. He caught a glimpse of the sky out the window in his passing and couldn’t help but stop and admire the clear night. Stars of different sizes and luminosity dotted the sky by the millions. He suddenly found himself recalling the stories of the time with the crimson moon. He himself had never seen a moon, and even the people that had been alive those thirty years ago had only witnessed a moon for a few months. According to the fairy tales, a moon was a brilliant silver, and sometimes even had a face. Millium had always wondered how that was possible, but having never witnessed one himself he couldn’t really say.
Again he had to refocus himself, at least enough to get back to his quarters. It was late and fatigue had finally caught up to him. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to find him asleep in the hallway. Again.
At last he reached his room and shut the door behind him. Already changed, Millium immediately crawled under the covers of his bed while being careful not to stumble over the piles of paper and books. He rested his head on the pillow and sighed deeply as he closed his eyes. He was thankful for how tired he felt as sleep washed over him almost instantly.
He slept rather peacefully through most of the night. Rarely did he have vivid dreams with most nights being nothing but restful slumber.
But something felt off all of a sudden. He began to feel an intense heat and the air grew heavy, almost unbreathable. Millium opened his eyes, but what he saw was not his room. It appeared to be a forest village surrounded by dense trees. It would be a peaceful scene had it not been engulfed by flames. The inferno was intense, the heat and soot stung his throat and made his eyes water. He couldn’t help but cough harshly as he stumbled through the thick smoke.
People ran by him, desperately trying to flee the disaster. He tried to call out to them, to anyone, but they ignored him as if he wasn’t there. Instead he continued towards whatever they were running from. He should have run away with them, but something pulled him towards the danger. Perhaps it was his instincts that told him he could help, but it felt different than that. It felt as if he was being lured by an invisible string of fate.
He continued struggling forward, weaving his way through the crowd and trying not to breathe too much of the dense smoke. Eventually the crowd thinned and he could see his surroundings more clearly. Before him was a tall structure consumed in a red blaze. He could just barely make out the colours and patterns, enough so to see it was a temple of some sort. There was something else amongst the flames ahead, and it was more than just the statues lining the path. Millium squinted his eyes enough to make out a person silhouetted against the fire.
“Hello?” He shouted to whomever stood before him. His voice was hoarse and immediately consumed by the roaring of the flames. He dragged his body closer, the heat draining all his strength and made the short few steps feel like eternity. Eventually he was close enough to see it was a girl. She was facing away from him, her white hair swayed violently in the wind and heat. Her dress was singed, her gloves burnt and ripped, and her exposed legs scratched and bruised. Extending from her feet was a flickering shadow moving wildly in the light. What was odd about it was its shape. It...wasn’t human. Just what was this girl?
Millium gathered his strength in another attempt to get her attention but could only manage a weak and raspy yell, “Hello?” He wanted to say more, but in such heat it was all he could muster.
It seemed to have been enough. The girl slowly turned to look at him, her gold eyes locking with his own. She looked hurt; betrayed even. Millium tried to ask her what happened, but the words evaporated into the air. Somehow the girl seemed to understand his intention. She turned back around and looked up into the sky. Millium followed her gaze to see a large...dragon? That was impossible! Dragons had not been seen within living memory. But it couldn’t be anything else; its shape was unmistakable. He had read enough stories of the mythical creatures to know what they looked like.
The prince looked back down to attempt to ask again, but the girl had already collapsed and lay unconscious on the ground. He tried to move to her side, but his legs wouldn’t listen. His body was frozen and his heart thumped loudly in his chest as he was struck with fear. A shadow slowly crept over her form. Millium turned his gaze back upward, his eyes trailing up until he saw the shadow’s source.
Looming ahead was a tall figure draped in a black cloak. Even the surrounding fire seemed to fear his presence as it parted to form a path of flame. His face was hidden by the shadow of a hood, though red eyes gleamed in the inferno’s light.
Millium sat upright with a startled yell. His forehead was drenched in sweat and he struggled to breathe. As reality returned and he became aware he was in his room, he attempted to slow his breathing to calm himself down. He pulled his sheets to his chest as he breathed slow and careful, the air burning his lungs. It took a few moments, but finally he felt his heart begin to beat at a normal pace. He sighed deeply before flopping back into his bed and resting his arm on his forehead.
He studied the ceiling as he tried to recount what had happened. It had been a long time since he had that nightmare. The nightmare of the burning town with the sad girl and her strange shadow. And those eyes, those glowing red eyes peering from beneath the cloak as black as night. Millium shuddered at the thought and attempted to push the image to the back of his mind.
Not bothering to try to fall back asleep he sat back up again. After a moment to make sure his legs would be steady, Millium rose out of bed and sleepily stumbled to the window. With a quick jerk he tugged at the curtains to reveal the outside. He had greatly underestimated the hour. What he expected to see was the rising sun peeking behind the great snowy mountains to the east. What he was greeted with instead was the full sun hovering in the sky, its unfiltered sunlight bathing the land, and his eyes, with morning light.
“Gah!” He stumbled back, tripped on a stray book, and landed on the bed with a backward somersault before finally stopping on the floor with a thud.
It took Millium a moment to realise he had fallen upside down. Again.
“I seem to have the strangest talents…” He muttered as he untangled himself. He slowly looked over the edge of his bed and back to the window. The sunlight streamed through, causing him to squint. It wasn’t quite midday, but it certainly wasn’t early morning. Wendy must have informed the others of the hour he went to bed and had them leave him be. Usually he was able to wake up early on his own regardless, but apparently he had pushed himself too far yesterday. Millium sighed, “Well, so much for morning training…” He would just have to train twice as hard tomorrow. It wasn’t like it was the first time this had happened.
Millium readied himself for the day and left his room. With his regular morning schedule thrown off he needed to think of an alternative. Perhaps he should join his father in his daily duties? Hands on experience was always something he needed, and he greatly enjoyed observing his father’s interactions with the people.
Having decided on his course of action, Millium headed for the throne room. He soon arrived at the door and made to open it, but stopped before he touched the brass handle.
Just faintly through the door he could hear voices conversing with his father’s. Was that Master Zero? What was she doing here? Was he meant to meet her for training this morning?
He panicked at the thought. Last time that he slept in she tried a new training method as punishment. Millium shuddered at the memory.
He then just barely made out a third voice. Fiethsing? Perhaps he wasn’t in trouble after all. But why would his father have asked the two sages to talk? And without informing him no less. Would he be sent away if he walked in and asked to join the conversation? If he wasn’t informed of their arrival, that would likely be the case. Curiosity began to outweigh his reasoning as he found himself pressing his ear against the door.
“Regardless, I do wish to thank you for arriving so promptly.” His father began. Millium couldn’t help but notice his tone of voice. It sounded...sad. Worried even.
“Of course my King. If you call we answer as soon as we can.” Zero paused, “Well, I will anyway.” Millium could almost see the glare she must have given Fiethsing. The elf was wise and powerful, but even he knew she was...well, not the most motivated, to put it lightly.
Grimm chuckled, “Yes, well, I do appreciate it.” The King paused a moment before continuing solemnly, “I have called you here regarding my sister, Lumia. She has...gone missing, as of recent.”
Millium flinched. Auntie Lumia was missing? He knew she was traveling the world, and while he had found it odd he hadn’t received a letter from her recently, for her to be missing...He now understood the worry in his father’s voice. Millium pressed his ear harder against the door.
The King continued, “She has been traveling the land to find a way to restore Alice’s world. Alice left in pursuit of someone nearly thirty years ago, and I presume Lumia has gotten desperate in her search.” He sighed, “My sister has always been quite reckless, but now I fear it has gotten her into trouble. Her last letter stated she had found a strange magic stone, but I received that nearly two weeks ago.”
Without missing a beat, Zero responded calmly, “Where did the letter originate from?”
Millium couldn’t help but smile. Master Zero always managed to keep a cool, level head. It was one of the reasons he respected her so much and was glad she was at his father’s side whenever he needed help.
He heard the rustling of paper and figured his father had pulled out a map. Grimm’s voice muffled slightly, no doubt from looking down at the parchment, “From what we could tell, she sent her familiar from near the mountains, possibly around the Clair Glacier. She said she had met some shepherds on her journey, but that area has been unpopulated for as long as I can remember.”
“Understood,” Zero began, “Fiethsing and I will form a search party and head out immediately. I already have a couple people in mind. What about you Fiethsing?”
“Hmmm, strange magic stone, eh…” Fiethsing mumbled.
There was a pause before Zero spoke, “Do you know something about it?”
Millium listened intently. Fiethsing may have been intelligent and wise, but she rarely became so focused in her thoughts. Especially so openly. Perhaps she really did know something important. Or she had realised something no one else had, despite what little she knew, thanks to her power to see glimpses of the future.
“Well, if I had to guess…”She paused thoughtfully, “I would say Kaguya should be here any minute!”
Complete silence filled the room. Millium snorted as he tried desperately not to laugh. He shouldn’t have expected any less from the sage.
“Right…” Zero muttered. He could hear her annoyance, but Millium knew how close the two were. After the cthulhu had been defeated almost thirty years prior, the two had taken to raising the reincarnated moon princess, Kaguya. The girl had left to help Alice in another world just before he was born, but according to his father they had been a very close family. He could tell his master missed Kaguya dearly; he couldn’t imagine what she would do if anything happened to Fiethsing and their daughter.
Millium tried to listen closer. The three inside either began to whisper or stopped talking altogether. He was tempted to open the door to try and sneak in, but stealth was never a strong suit of his.
“Millium, we know you’re there. Come in son, we need to talk.” His father’s voice sounded through the door.
The prince gasped and jumped back in surprise. He wasn’t very sneaky, but they knew? The whole time? Millium’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He felt like he was a child again that just got caught for eavesdropping.
He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. He may have been caught, but he wouldn’t let that show. He was more mature than that!
Millium opened the door with faux confidence and held the straightest face he could muster, “Y-yes father?” Perfect.
Grimm chuckled and gestured for his son to enter, “It’s alright, you’re not in trouble. Quite the opposite actually.”
The prince walked into the room by the throne where his father sat. He looked to Zero and Fiethsing and gave them a smiling greeting. Zero returned it with a nod and Fiethsing gave an enthusiastic wave. He then looked back to Grimm, “Um, did you require me for something, father?”
Again Grimm smiled, obviously seeing through his son’s attempt to keep himself composed after being caught. His face then hardened slightly, “Yes, actually. I’m sure you heard about what’s happened with your aunt and how I’m entrusting Zero and Fiethsing to retrieve her. As much as I want to join them, I cannot up and leave the kingdom.” Grimm looked to Zero who nodded in agreement. He continued, “As such, we think it would be wise to send you with them. Zero suggested it, and I agree. I’m...not sure how your mother will feel about it,” The King visibly tensed nervously at the thought of his protective wife, “but I believe you’re old enough, and skilled enough, to venture outside the city.”
Millium stood before his father dumbfounded. Ever since he was old enough to hold a blade he had been training for a day like this. He often dreamed of going on an adventure like his mother and father had, but he had since passed the age they had done so. Recently he had been pushing his limits solely to become a strong King, his dreams of leaving the city becoming nothing more than that. Now that his father gave him such an offer out of nowhere, he found he didn’t know what to say.
He finally snapped out of his daze enough to respond, “Oh, yes, yes of course! I would be proud to go in your place on such a quest!” He brought his fist to his chest in a salute, but brought it up too fast and winced as he instead punched himself.
“It will be a good test of your skill as well,” Zero added. Millium looked to his master with a nod of approval. He only hoped she couldn’t see how hard he was trying to hide his excitement.
“Indeed, but that doesn’t mean you can be reckless and act on your own. Listen to everything Zero and Fiethsing tell you.” Millium looked back to see his father held a stern face. It wasn’t often he saw him look so serious and he understood now how dangerous it could be.
Millium nodded in understanding, “Okay father, I’ll be careful.”
Grimm smiled in response before turning his attention back to the two sages, “I’m trusting you two to bring my son home safe.”
“You needn’t worry, your majesty. We’ll return Millium and Lady Lumia home without harm.” The woman looked to Fiethsing with a raised eyebrow, “Right, Fieth?”
The elf looked over to the dark haired woman with a slightly oblivious smile, as if she had tuned out of the entire conversation, “Hm?” She blinked in realisation, “Oh, yeah, right! Totally safe and sound, no problem~”
Zero sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance, “Honestly…”
Before either could say more the growing sound of arguing filled the hall. The four crept over to the top of the grand staircase to investigate. Down at the bottom of the stairs was a group of three girls and a wolf; two of them were in the midst of an argument while the third watched nervously. Zero groaned in annoyance while Fiethsing giggled in amusement. Millium looked to the sages and smirked. He couldn’t help but wonder if one of them were Kaguya, judging by their rather motherly reactions.
He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and turned to find his father. His expression was one of worry, but a different kind of worry than the one he held moments before. Millium looked around his father to see his mother standing behind him. He suddenly understood and swallowed hard. The boy wanted to join the journey more than anything, but if his mother disagreed...
Grimm and Millium walked over to the woman. The older man smiled nervously, “Pandora, honey, I-”
But Pandora raised a hand to stop him mid-sentence. She held no harsh expression, but rather looked at her husband and child warmly, “It’s alright, I understand. All children must leave home eventually, and the prince cannot be an exception,” she twitched and finished quietly, “as hard as that might be…” The Queen walked over to her son. As she got closer Millium saw she was holding a small, golden box. Pandora gently took Millium’s hands and placed said box within them, closing his fingers around it, “I want you to take this with you. It will give you hope, when all hope seems lost. I’ll be praying for your return, my sweet boy.” At that, she leaned in and placed a light kiss on his forehead.
Behind him Millium heard a muffled snicker. He quickly turned behind him to see Fiethsing grinning and looking like she just saw the cutest thing. His cheeks turned bright red in embarrassment as he turned back, “T-thank you mother.” He tried lowering the pitch of his voice, only to wince as it cracked from flustered panic.
Without allowing anyone to say more he quickly rushed off to gather his things. It wasn’t that he was ashamed, but he would rather not start his first adventure with everyone looking at him like an adorable child.
He quickly reached his room and scanned the area for what could be useful for an adventure. First he decided to change his clothes, something that he could easily move around in, but with a few layers to keep himself somewhat warm. A good adventurer always has a cool cloak and belt to keep his things safe and hidden, and so he grabbed those as well. Finally all that was left was his tome of spells, a wand with a light magic stone, and his weapon. He always admired the sword; it had been a gift from Master Zero after he became skilled enough to keep up with her. At first glance it was nothing more than a fancy looking golden hilt. However, a magic stone was held firmly in its center and was surrounded by inscriptions. When the user focused their will into the stone, it would form a blade of pure magic. Fiethsing had given him a rare history lesson once before, telling him it was based on an old technology. He had found that story extraordinary fascinating.
After gathering his necessities Millium ran out of his room and back to the throne room. By the time he made it back, Fiethsing and Zero had joined the girls at the bottom of the stairs. His parents had likely gone to begin their daily duties as they were no longer present. No matter, he would return to them with his quest complete and his head held high. He made his way down the stairs, being careful to go fast but without tripping. He had to make a good first impression after all.
Zero turned to see him arrive, “Ah good, you’re here.” She turned to the girls, her voice suddenly becoming strict, “Alright you two, behave yourselves!” Millium tried not to snicker as two of the three girls grimaced at the woman’s command. “Now,” she continued, “go on and introduce yourselves to the prince.”
The three looked at each other, seemingly unsure, before one of them stepped forward. The girl was the shortest of the three with long purple hair and pale green eyes. She wore a rather extravagant kimono-type outfit with multiple layers and colours. She spoke with a proud voice and jabbed her thumb into her chest, “My name is Kaguya, the moonlit saviour and hero of justice!” Millium couldn’t help but smile. So this was the Kaguya he heard stories about. Not what he was expecting, that’s for sure. Rather young as well...
“Um,” The next girl, a short blonde with an ornate blue dress and hat, shuffled nervously as she spoke, “My name is Charlotte. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her voice came out soft and quiet, her introduction followed by a curt bow. Millium returned the gesture and was impressed by her mannerisms.
He looked to the last girl, the one with the wolf. The girl was tall, a good few inches taller than him at least. She had long white hair and wore rather revealing clothing that showed off her confidence. Her face held a fanged, knowing smirk. Millium couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable under her gaze. Her presence felt strange, like she knew something that no one else did. There was something else, something he couldn’t quite place. It was a weird, tugging, sensation. As if something was calling out to him. He swore he even heard strange whispers…
“The name’s Lunya, but I’m sure you’ve heard of me from Lumia.” The girl stated suddenly, snapping him from his trance. It took him a moment to register what she had said.
“Wait,” he frowned, “you know auntie Lumia?”
She looked at him with an exaggerated hurt expression, “What? You mean she never talks about me?” She playfully pouted and crossed her arms, “My my, how rude!”
Zero groaned at her behaviour, “Oh please, enough out of you. We need to get moving.”
Lunya grinned at the sage and winked, “Awe, you shouldn’t be so mean to your guide. Besides,” she reached into her satchel, “I have something to share before we head out.”
As she finished, the girl brought out her hand. Held delicately between her fingers was a red magic stone. Millium couldn’t help but stare at it. Something about it was odd. Was this the source of the tugging he had felt?
Zero looked at the stone thoughtfully and placed her hand near it. She held it there for a moment in deep focus before pulling away, “What’s so special about it? I can’t even feel any magic radiating off it.”
Kaguya frowned at the stone as she brought her face comically close to its surface, “Yeah same, looks like a total dud to me.”
Lunya swiftly pulled it away from the small girl and wagged a teasing finger, “Well yeah, that’s because it’s not for any of you.” Her attention turned to Millium, causing him to flinch. She took a few steps forward and held the stone out towards him, “I was told this was for you specifically, no lie.”
Millium looked to the girl and her smug grin, then down to the stone. Master Zero had said herself that the stone was barren of any magic. She had been around for longer than any living human; her knowledge of magic and stones were quite grand as a result. So why did Millium feel that she was wrong. The stone was certainly not void of magic. He could feel it without even touching it. It felt like it was pulling him towards it. Calling him. He raised a cautious hand, hesitating before his fingers brushed its surface. All at once he felt a rush of magic surge through him.
Using magic always felt exhilarating and tingly, but this sensation was very different. It was extraordinarily strong and overflowing, almost unbearably so. It felt as if he were standing before a large and powerful creature. His heart began to race as he was instantly reminded of the monster from his dream; the feeling of raw power threatened to consume him.
“Millium!” Zero’s stern voice snapped him back to reality. His hand recoiled, and the magic instantly returned to the stone, causing him to stagger. He released an unsteady breath after realising he hadn’t been breathing, leaving his head feeling fuzzy. His eyes finally left the stone and he realised everyone was staring at him. Millium backed away slightly, now nervous under their gaze. Did they feel what he felt? He had never felt such power all at once before and he couldn’t help but shuffle nervously under their eyes.
“That’s,” everyone shifted their focus to the young blonde. The girl was practically shaking in her boots as she spoke, “That’s the same power that destroyed my world...the same as Lapis…”
Kaguya visibly cringed at the mention of the name. Just seconds ago she was loud and animated. Now she stood rigid, fists clenched and eyes focused hard on the red carpet. Everyone was stern and silent, except Lunya.
Fiethsing brought a hand to her chin thoughtfully, “Interesting how it only reacts to Millium. That power feels quite old as well…”
Lunya chuckled whilst still holding out the stone, “Well to be honest, even I didn’t think it would react like that. Heheh, no lie.”
“I’ll hold on to that,” Zero swiftly snatched the stone and slipped it into her back satchel, “we can learn more about it later.”
Fiethsing nodded in wordless agreement, seemingly lost in thought over the strange stone.
“So!” Lunya chirped, “Are we leavin’ or what?”
The others agreed, though less enthusiastically. The atmosphere was heavy as the group left the palace. Millium strayed behind slightly, preferring to be alone in the back. The sensation that stone gave him, the comparison to someone obviously evil; it was a lot to take in before his journey even began. He was nervous enough to begin with, and now with that weighing on his mind, he began to be unsure whether he would be helpful, or a burden.
They walked down the path through the courtyard, then made their way through the city. Millium decided to try distracting himself by looking at his surroundings. They were typical things that he saw nearly every day, but now that he was leaving, it felt different. The shops and houses almost felt unfamiliar, the people walking the streets seeming like strangers. He knew the feeling was false, but his nerves were getting the better of him. The feeling of such power, the strange voices, he just couldn’t shake off those thoughts.
Millium caught himself as he was about to step outside the front gate. The castle walls loomed overhead and cast an intimidating shadow. He had come to the border on occasion, but this was the first time we would be stepping out to the other side. He dreamed of this moment for as long as he could remember. Dreamed of leaving and going on his own journey. Here he was, the starting line was right in front of him. He just had to take the first step.
“Millium, are you alright?” The prince looked forward to see Zero standing before him at the gate’s entrance. She looked concerned, likely having noticed how nervous he was.
Millium clenched his fists. He was letting his emotions get in the way. He had been chosen to travel the land, his kingdom, to rescue his aunt. It was a mission given and entrusted to him by his own father and master. He wasn’t about to let some strange stone mess it up for him.
He stood straight and held his head high as he nodded with determination, “I’m alright, let’s go.” With that, he stepped forward, past the cobblestone and onto the dirt path leading to outside. Dense trees lined the sides of the road with the peaks of the snowy mountains just visible over their tops. He narrowed his eyes, focusing himself on the destination ahead.
This was the start of his journey, and he was certain he was going to make it count.