“ I Am Not Fit To Be King ! ”

Jodeus let go of his embrace and waved goodbye to Ektes, but not before giving him a kiss. A week. He'd be gone for only a week. He thought about the chance of finding Grasium Malcus in those days and grimaced, he could only hope for the best.

For now, it was only him and Archius, but he wasn't sure where the healer was exactly, he also noticed that he had been disappearing frequently now.

Matthew was doing the right thing, a brave thing. How could Jodeus stop him from doing so?

He went back to the porch and noticed how dry his plants were despite them being watered not too long ago. Just what is going on? That's when he noticed the tiny crystals on the leaf. He examined closer.

"Ice?" he said out loud.

His thought was broken as there was a knock on the door. He could've gotten a whiplash from how fast he turned. Had Ektes forgotten something? No. There's no reason for Ektes to knock. Maybe Archius had gone back early? Another knock came and a few quiet whispers.

Jodeus grabbed the shovel and silently made his way to the door. There was another series of knocks and hush.

"Maybe no one's home, sire?" said an old voice. Followed by a familiar gruff one,

"I'LL OPEN IT MYSELF!"

But Jodeus swung the door open before they broke the door. He glared at the two figures who only stared back.

"Ah, he is home," said Malue.

-

Jodeus didn't welcome them in, he made this clear by not offering them a drink as they made their way in as though the house belonged to them. Malue, however, didn't take a seat and claimed it as his own, just as he'd expected him to.

"I am willing to pardon you again for your crimes," stated Malue.

"We're not in Uvite, my crime and your pardon mean nothing," he sneered.

Malue rolled his eyes. "Yes, because bringing a dangerous Carnelian isn't seen as a crime against humanity anywhere. Just be glad I hate those pompous Azurite snobs to even bother taking you to them."

he then approached him closer, his whole figure towering over him. "But that is not why I am here. Young. King."

"Ektes is out—"

"I know, I made him go out. Ordered the Malcus lad to go look for his father," he simply said.

Jodeus glared at him, "You—"

But Malue grunted, shutting him up. "Listen. That's all I ask of you,"

The exasperation in his voice was real, and it was clear he wasn't trying to control his temper, he was simply tired. This demeanor was eerily familiar and so with much thinking, Jodeus finally nodded, taking a seat. He was, by all accounts, tired of everything. The faster they start talking, the faster they'd get this over with.

Malue's Counselor looked at him warily before stepping up, coughing into his sleeve.

"We have sent a letter of alliance to the Tanzanites, in all honesty, it was difficult. But they have accepted a negotiation of compromise, which doesn't exist yet. They are dubious, as they should be, of our offer. We want you to simply assure them that this alliance is all in good hands."

Jodeus pinched himself. "I have no authority," he simply said.

Such audacity to come back after he had abandoned them. He wasn't shameless. Or was it the act of leaving he should be more shameful of? He stood up and grabbed himself a glass of water. He drank all of it in one go and refilled it. But he didn't drink.

Malue sighed. "You don't have to do much. Just assure them that we have the same cause and that a united front would benefit us all,"

"I can't. I'm sorry," he gripped the glass harder by the second.

The Counselor continued, pretending to ignore what he said, it seemed like everyone in this room was getting desperate each second. "Your assurance will be of much help. The Grand Knight of the Tanzanites is giving us a chance to prove ourselves trustworthy, and whole else to confirm that but their own Prince?"

Jodeus laughed bitterly. "Ah yes, who else would be trustworthy enough other than their runaway prince?"

Something broke and it wasn't the glass he was holding but rather the counter over which Malue had slammed his fist. His counselor gave him a stern look, but Malue ignored it. He gripped Jodeus' shoulder.

"If I am not mistaken, they use your name as their King, you are presumed dead but hopes of you returning have never waivered!"

Jodeus glared at him. "I am not fit to be King!" he yelled out.

"No one is! you blithering moron, but they f*cking need you and it is your responsibility whether you like it or not!"

Jodeus had managed to force himself out of his heavy grip and then stormed off outside. The Counselor gave his king a side eye before burying his face into his palms. He then breathe out and smiled with a strain.

"Good work, your majesty! What shall we do now?"

Malue drank the cold glass of water, then sighed. "We wait, if not. Then we kidnap him and drag him to Tanzanite,"

The counselor hummed, liking the idea.

-

Jodeus landed at the final island, almost tripping over his own ankle, he was far off now, every island he had been on was isolated and dead, too inhabitable as though the life of the island was sucked out. He picked a piece of dried leaf, some parts of it crumbled into his touch but the rest was alright.

He crushed the leaf in his hand.

"Who does he thinks he is anyway? Telling me what my responsibility is…" he said to himself. "I know my responsibility!" he said, as he kicked a rock in his way.

He then looked around, breathing heavily. This island was mostly rocks and there were no signs of any living creatures or any plants. He climbed a boulder and sat down on the rough edge, careful not to stab his rear. He got a better look at this tiny isolated island. It fitted him, he bitterly thought.

"I know my place…" he muttered.

Then a pebble was thrown at his head, he stood up but there was no one there.

"Archius!" he called out, careful not to lose his step. He was sure now that he was here, or at least, this was the place he frequented to. Who else would be here?

Then there was a whisper. Be quiet, were the words he thought he heard. But he couldn't tell where it came from.

"Archius?" he asked more than called out, taking caution.

Then his ankle was grabbed and he was pulled off the island. He tried holding on to the rocks but the force was too strong. His heart leaped out of his chest when he lost his grip. Then he was falling, but at the same time, it didn't seem like he was.

He tried enchanting at least his feet but it didn't work. He screamed as he kept falling and falling until finally mid-air he was surging upwards to the sky.

"WHAT IS GOING ON" he yelled in the midst of the wind but he couldn't even hear himself.

Water droplets hit his face as he was thrown into the clouds. Then finally, he stopped and he was able to move his body on his own. He wiped the water off his face and then noticed that he was standing in the middle of the sky as though there was a floor.

He stood up with a yelp but didn't fall through. He was walking on nothing.

"What is going on?" he asked again. There was no one in the sky but him.

Be quiet,

Someone whispered into his ear.

He whipped his head everywhere but again, there was no one there. But there was a familiar feeling in that voice. Not in the sense that he had heard it before. That voice was one of the same kind he had heard before.

'Son of Caera'

"You know my mother?!"

'Quiet'

Jodeus shut his mouth, covering it with his hands. The soft whispering continued. With the types of people he'd seen here in the past two years, he thought that the Azurite Stone would've been the same. Posh and snob. But it was soft and somewhat shy.

It differed from the voice of the Tanzanite Stone as well, while there was a sort of deep gentleness in his that voice. This was almost 'normal' in a sense.

What is broken can be fixed

With the right tools and the right holder

Jodeus nodded slowly.

The Uvite Stone had told me so,

Always does, but now the voice of him had gone quiet, he is angry and broken, and his own King is on the verge of giving up

There was a slight strain in his stomach when he heard that, Malue was close to giving up…While the war was not something he wanted anything to do with, he felt a sort of pity for the man. He had lost his home and was driven away from it. But at least he was doing something to get it back. Just as Matthew was trying to get his father back.

There is a prophecy and you must know it,

I cannot tell you much but all I can say is that big decisions will be up to you, choose wisely and not because you had to choose at the moment

Heed the death of autumn,

For it shall bear winter

End the stealer,

For everything will wither

Kill the phantom

For it shall hinder

That sounded somewhat familiar, he thought hard about where he had heard it before. But he had pressing questions in his mind. "What big decisions?" he asked, not liking where this was going.

Do not answer the call

"What call?" he asked.

Heed my words

"Why are you telling me this?"

Because I hate violence and so I will not dwell in this human war and you are the son of my favorite warrior, she was a friend. Telling you this would not hurt my principles

"The last time I did what the Stone had wanted, I had hurt my own father. How can I possibly trust your kind?"

There was a sympathetic hum, but once again, his question went unanswered.

Help your father heal,

He is in pain,

Locked away in boiling darkness

Soon he will die and it would be too late

Jodeus stood rigid. "I thought he had died when Carnelia had taken over,"

Not yet

He hasn't given up yet

He wants to see you

Before he goes

There was a sudden shift in the winds.

'A boy so far from home,

Like his mother, my warrior,

Who had run from her own'

"She did what she thought was best!" he said defensively.

'You misunderstand,

Not once did I blame her,

She had a desire and she

grabbed it by the hand

But you, your desire lies away

You don't know where home is,

Where love is,

Why?'

"You don't know what you're talking about…" he said slowly, "I'm not lost, I know where my heart lies,"

'So why aren't you back home?'

Jodeus sat and looked down, he couldn't see the ocean from here as a heap of clouds blocked the way.

"Because it hurts," he answered.

There was a cold breeze but he didn't shiver, his hair was ruffled as it went on strongly. Then it was like something was pulling him again, gentler than before. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Archius standing above him.

-

"I'm sorry, commander, but I wasn't discreet enough." Said, Matthew, struggling against the grip of the soldier behind him.

"It's alright," assured Ektes.

The moment they met in a random alleyway, they were surrounded from top to every possible escape way. Matthew had no idea he was being followed, it seemed, seeing the sheer panic on his face. He left Jodeus asleep on their bed and left a note.

And now Ektes faced King Malue on equal grounds.

He didn't comment on how he looked. He had heard that he'd been in a terrible state for the past two years, and he appeared just what he envisioned him to be. It was somewhat strange that his long-time commander, who used to be high and proud, now resembled a poor unkempt man.

"Don't you look… posh," stated Malue as he, in turn, took in his appearance.

Ektes was currently wearing his best suit, as it was one of his only suits that looked decent enough that no one would bat an eye at him.

"And you look homeless," he responded.

Malue narrowed his eyes, years ago he would've laughed at his dryness but it seemed humor was finally drained off of him.

"Where is he?" he asked.

Ektes remained stoic, before shaking his head, "Somewhere that isn't here."

"Lies. Mr. Malcus was overheard talking about this to certain prisoners. It was reported to me that he is here, somewhere in this city, now I have sent my men to every nook and corner but he is nowhere to be found. So I'll ask again, where is the Tanzanite boy?"

Matthew looked away in shame, but Ektes didn't react, he doesn't blame the kid, yes they were confidants but his loyalty lies with the army still.

Instead, he pulled his right sleeve and looked at his watch, he planned this meeting to be quick and so he had left early but now he was late for his lecture, and this would surely taint his clean record at the University.

"He doesn't want to do anything with anyone right now, so if you have a message, I might relay it to him but I can't guarantee that he'll be willing to listen. "

Malue scowled but eventually nodded after a few seconds of thinking.

"This isn't about only the Uvites anymore, how long until the Carnelians take over the Azurites? These snobs are confident in their safety, forgetting that the Phoenix had once wreaked havoc on their precious flying islands. Now the Phoenix lives again and you are to blame, you and him,"

Ektes narrowed his eyes. "The Phoenix died two years ago," he stated, as a matter of fact. "And Jodeus had nothing to do with the Carnelian destroying our city, he believed the Phoenix was innocent," he explained.

"Ah, but he lives! Our sources tell us so," said the Counselor, joining in the conversation. "Two years ago he had continued his mission to conquer, and with his young brother, they had both taken over Tanzanite. The King did not stand a chance in this fight but,"

Ektes couldn't believe that Brytos had lived, and the fact that it was two years ago. But how could that be possible? Then a horrid thought crossed his mind. Maybe he had lived and Jodeus had let him go free. It was a possibility.

But he knew Jodeus had suffered real bad, and he had almost died trying to save him. To bring someone back to life? Was that possible at all? What else wasn't Jodeus telling him?

"What is it you want exactly?" he asked.

"The grand phase of our revolution may just start with him. Rebuild our credibility with the Azurites and along with the alliance of the Tanzanites, we may just have a chance to defeat the Carnelians."

"And how can Jodeus possibly help, he left for a reason."

"And it is time for him to come back!" Malue demanded. He seemed to have caught himself doing a terrible thing so, he breathe out, "It is time for him to come back… and do what he has to,"

Ektes wanted to ask, it seemed they knew something about Jodeus that he didn't. But he didn't ask about it, since he was late for work, either way, he'd rather go home. "I will inform him but that is it." He turned and walked away but was stopped by the soldiers.

"Actually, I have a mission for you," said Malue.

Ektes raised a brow. "I am not part of the army,"

Malue didn't care and continued, "Disguise yourselves as a civilian, fetch Mr. Grasium Malcus and tell him that his service of espionage is over and he shall be escorted back with this son."

Matthew's eyes lit up with hope.

"And you, however, must go back to Capitol Mountain and then talk with the Stone. You're the only one I can trust with this.

...The sand of the hourglass is running out."