Prince of nowhere

Kin's attack broke past Hana's attack, and his axe stopped when it was about to reach her skull. He could have killed her, but Kin wasn't going to take out a good dance partner just like that. Hana was very strong, and she was just as young as he was. Killing her now would be a waste; maybe some other time in the future, he would consider it. That was only one of the reasons he didn't go for the kill; another reason was that he couldn't. His body, soul, and mind had gone through a lot of strain to say, and at the very moment when he would have delivered the final blow, his body stopped responding to him, and he just froze. But no one had to know how vulnerable he was at the moment, especially someone who was going to torture him some moments ago, he thought as he glanced at Meliesse, who was now approaching him and Hana. Kin turned to look at Hana and discovered she had passed out from exhaustion, but she had a smile on her face.

"You lost, you creep," Kin thought, but he could understand why she was smiling. He would be doing the same if he had lost; their fight was more exciting than he had expected.Kin noticed Meliesse was now standing beside him, and he looked up, staring at her crimson eyes. He wasn't afraid she would draw him to her soul again, not with Ashell keeping watch.Meliesse ignored Kin and picked Hana up before she started walking away. Kin was shocked at her action and wondered if Meliesse finally believed he wasn't the prince of Wize. As if she had read his thoughts, Meliesse suddenly stopped."I will leave with a parting gift, your highness, although my superiors would love me to bring you in, but, I'm sure you know what will happen if I do. It's either they kill you or turn you into their puppets. Your curse might be able to save you from me, but against some people, you're nothing. So, for making little Hana here happy, here's some advice: gather allies, people who believe and trust in you, or at least your father. Right now, you are the prince of nothing, nowhere, and no one. If people find out about you now, they won't follow you, so you need to seek those who are still loyal to King Ken, and those who would seek to see his son succeed him, just as it should be. That's why I'll tell you this: the old dog, although he was said to have been captured, someone broke him out of jail."Kin looked at Meliesse in surprise. He didn't expect Farouk to still be alive. He thought his uncle would not spare his father's most loyal servant. This was... this was indeed great news. If only he could meet up with Farouk, if only..."The last I heard of him was that he was in Jubai. Although Jai's oppositions had told him to join us to fight Jai, the old dog refused and said he wouldn't serve no one else but King Ken's blood," Meliesse added."That's classic Farouk," Kin thought."Jubai, uhn? Maybe I should head there with Jamila.""One last thing. I'll advise you to leave before tomorrow ends. Bintan is already doomed. Don't go down with it," Meliesse said and walked away.As Meliesse's figure faded away, Kin could finally relax. His entire body was in pain, but he would definitely survive.Kin sighed, thinking of what to do next with what Meliesse just told him. If he went to Jubai and met with Farouk, things would get easier from there. The old dog was King Ken's most loyal servant and was also loved by a lot of men in the military. His support would go a long way in his quest to win back the throne."Maybe I'll talk to Lord Rashod tonight so I can leave with Lady Jamila tomorrow, or maybe even tonight. Today definitely didn't go well. I doubt tomorrow would be any different. Sigh, this is really troublesome," Kin just lay on the floor, wishing all his problems would just go away. No more worries, he wondered how that would be."Speaking of problems, aren't you forgetting something?" Ashell asked from her domain."What is it?" Kin asked."Jamila, her errands."Kin quickly opened his eyes wide. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Kin asked as he stood up in haste. He looked at himself and he was covered in dirt, blood dripped from his head, and his clothes were in a pitiful state. "I definitely can't go back like this," Kin said."That should be the least of your worries. You should return and just leave with Jamila immediately. Or better yet, leave her here and escape," Ashell said."I already gave Rashid my word. I'm not leaving without her," Kin replied.Kin walked out of the room so he could run Jamila's errands. He wasn't sure what could happen next, but one thing was certain: things were about to get... intense from that moment on.Later that night in a bar in Wize, three men were sitting drinking and chatting. One of them was speaking loudly of what he had encountered earlier today that seemed to amuse him. Something his friends found difficult to believe."I'm telling you, the way the voy told the story, it was as if he was there that night, and don't get me started on the images he was able to produce from the strange crystal in his hand. It was nothing short of magic," the man explained."So you're telling me a child, of all people, witnessed the night of the fallen sun in real-time, and survived? If we hadn't just arrived, I'd have said you were drunk," his friend replied."Come on, you have to believe me. The child must have seen something to be able to describe that night in such a detailed manner," he said, trying to convince his friend."So did everyone who tried to narrate what happened that night. First, they said Jai had died that night, but he's clearly still alive. Then they said it was King Ken coming back to life, but we all know that's not true. Also, if the prince is truly the one described in that kid's story, why hasn't he shown himself?""Do you think it's wise for him to show himself with everything that's going on?" the man defended."If I were the prince, I would hide myself too.""Well, the prince can't hide. I hear he's a big fat pig that can barely carry himself. Maybe it's for the best that he's dead," the third man stated blankly."Shhhh, are you mad? What if someone hears you?""What? I'm just speaking the truth. King Ken was a great king, there is no doubt about that, but the rumors about his son's incompetence were too much. Maybe Jai saved us from pending doom.""And you think Jai would save us? You must be naïve.""Well, at least I'm not delusional enough to believe in conspiracy theories. The prince is the reincarnation of the sun god? How stupid is that?" the third man declared."Well, you didn't hear the story like I did, so I don't blame you," the first man replied.After spending over an hour in the bar, the three men left the bar and went their separate ways. The first man navigated through the familiar streets in the dark, trying to get to his home. Unknown to him, two men followed behind quietly. The night was darker than usual, and his drunken state did not help him move quickly as he was walking past an alley. Something dragged him into the corner and held him by the neck against the wall.