Rufus and Markus

Rufus arrived at where Amala, Pema and Gwon were.

"I saw a flash of lightning. Is everyone okay?" Rufus asked from them.

"Yeah, we are fine. Your prince's friend with the hammer came here and took away a real monster who killed her friend. Doreen dashed trying to catch up to him that way," Amala said and pointed where Doreen ran to.

Rufus ran trying to catch up to Doreen. After a while, he caught up to her as she was just standing and looked at the top of the hill. Rufus looked where Doreen was looking and saw Markus.

Markus just looked at them and then walked away without waving or saying anything. Doreen's eyes widened. She dashed in the direction trying to catch up to him.

Rufus hurryed also wanting to meet up with the prince and know what the hell was going on. Find what he was doing on the enemy's side and why he hadn't come to the capital.

~ ~

They finally reached the shore of river Targavis. There a ship that had brought the Guiscards from their island waited on the shore. The river flowed to the Feix ocean from where you could get anywhere in the Aesis world.

Markus, August, and Mona climbed onto the ship as it was just about to leave. Doreen and Rufus just got to the river and were too late to reach the ship. They looked at Markus who was on it and were confused about what he was doing.

"MY PRINCE!" Doreen yelled at Markus.

Markus looked and saw the two of them. He turned around and walked toward them on the boat.

"Leave now. I will give you this one chance to leave," Markus yelled.

"What are you talking about. We did all this for you?" Doreen yelled almost hysterically.

Rufus was more than confused about the situation.

"Where are you going. Did you forget about your dream and goal? We need you now more than anything," Rufus yelled.

Markus sighed from frustration.

"I have something completely else in mind now. I have something else I want to do. A new goal. My eyes are open, and my heart is at peace. I am free and I don't want to lie to myself and deny myself this," Markus said.

Doreen and Rufus looked confused.

"Emilia is…..."

"Dead, yes"

Rufus and Doreen realized that the entire world of Markus had collapsed on him. They couldn't understand what Markus must have felt. They knew that Emilia was the entire world for him.

Markus had always been selfish and rarely denied it. He was unable to feel an attachment to anything else than Emilia so it was almost impossible to know what was going on in his mind now.

"Then what do you want now? What does going away help you?" Rufus yelled back.

"You can not understand me. My motives have changed. I want something completely else now and I tend to see it through. I want to have peace in my mind, that is why I must do this. You would not understand me. For you, I must seem insane. Even mad to the point of being sick. I am aware of this, but I do not care."

"What will you do?!"

Markus first hesitated.

"I want to destroy the world."

The world stopped turning and time stopped as Rufus and Doreen heard what the prince had just said.

"I feel hatred toward the whole world. Toward every rock and toward every pond. Toward every person from every human to every grey skin. I am in peace when I accepted this. This is what I want now. I am a selfish person and always have been. I want this irritation to go away and for that, I need to wipe it all away. Everything away!"

Markus paused for a second.

"One thing I really don't want to destroy. One thing that is left in this universe I care for....you Rufus."

Rufus didn't know what to say.

"I see you as my only friend. The only thing in the world I do not hate or that doesn't vex me. I already know what you will answer, but would you mind helping me in this dream of mine," Markus said and reached out his hand.

Rufus felt extremely muddled. His thoughts were all in a mess.

Markus just smiled knowing what was Rufus's answer anyway and turned his back on them.

"Please my prince. Come back. I gave my life to you. You were the first one to see the real me. You were the first one who helped me who didn't care for where I came from. Please let me help you get better. I am sure I can help you," Doreen yelled almost crying.

Markus then pointed his hand at Doreen. He shot a blast of blood at her almost as fast as a bullet. Doreen was just about to get killed by the prince unless Rufus had blocked it by swiftly destroying it with his hand. Markus then smiled.

"See the both of you. This is the length I am willing to go to. d deal with you all now," Markus said and blood started to come from the wound on his thumb. I am now even able to take action myself and not just rely on others. I am now more than divine and I am now one with the winds of Pandora. The same winds that set me free and opened my eyes."

"I am sorry for what I am about to do, but I feel you all are too much of a hindrance to me in the future so forgive me for what I am about to do," Markus said and let his blood flow from his wound around him.

The blood formed into small daggers and swords floating in the air. He then sent them flying at the two of them.

"I am sorry Rufus, but this will hurt me more than it will hurt you," Markus thought to himself.

Right before the swords of blood made impact, a large crystal dropped from the sky shielding the two of them. It created a wave that sent the ship further away from them making it now completely impossible to catch up to them.

As Markus sailed away both Markus and Rufus stared at each other, knowing they would meet once more.