Xion stirred in his sleep. His entire body swayed gently as if caught in the rhythm of waves. A salty breeze caressed his skin, or at least, that was what it felt like.
Sowhere in the hazy depths of his unconscious mind, faint cries echoed.
Seagulls?
Xion’s eyes shot open, and he bolted upright. His heart hamred in his chest. He blinked rapidly until his blurry vision settled on the dimly lit interior of the carriage.
The sway. The seagulls. It was all but a dream.
In fact, it was not even a seagull but a hen crying loudly before going silent all of a sudden.
The familiar creak of wooden wheels turning on uneven ground fully shook him awake.
His initial panic dissolved into confusion as he looked around, taking in the plush interior of the moving carriage.
A soft ray of sunlight filtered through the partially drawn curtain. It danced across the floor of the carriage where Xion’s old and worn bag was placed along with so other necessities.
"What... Where am I?" Xion muttered to himself.
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to make sense of the situation.
The last thing he rembered was Ray’s ruffling of his hair and being told he could rest. And now...
The carriage hit a bump, jolting him forward slightly. He pressed his hand against the wall to steady himself.
Before he could spiral deeper into thought, the curtain covering the door opened and a figure stepped inside.
"Awake?"
The familiar voice, the familiar face.
"Rael!" Xion exclaid, throwing his arms around the younger boy in a tight hug. "You’re okay! How are you?"
If Xion was not so worried about Rael after he saw his scary ’dad’, he might have noticed how stiff Rael was in his arms.
Darius barely footed inside when he was suddenly attacked. Yes attacked. That was precisely how his instincts perceived it.
His hand was already near the back of Xion’s neck rely inches away from pinching the soul out of his fragile body.
He had to remind himself that this was his healer, soone who had been trying to heal him and not to take his life.
His raised hand fell, and he stood there, allowing Xion to cling to him without much resistance.
Xion, on the other hand, noticed how silent the boy was. Although Rael was not one to speak much, he always answered when spoken to
He leaned back, his hand still gently guiding Rael to sit beside him.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Xion carefully asked. He knew just how sensitive a teenager could be, particularly regarding their parents.
Darius was about to deny it, but before the words could take form, his head betrayed him and nodded in agreent.
Though Xion wanted to ask what they were doing in the carriage, all his questions were pushed to the back of his head when he saw how utterly silent Rael was.
"Why? Sothing bad happened?"
Why? Darius’s gaze lingered on Xion.
This boy hadn’t even dared to et his eyes the night before. Now, here he was, openly showing so much concern and funnily it was real.
His worry, his consideration, his gentleness... everything was so genuinely real.
"Did ... soone scold you?" Xion’s cheeks burned in silent embarrassnt. He ntally face-pald himself the mont the words left his mouth.
Great job, Xion, he scolded inwardly. Definitely not a way to hint directly at his father.
Howbeit, Darius finally opened his mouth to reply, "No."
Who would dare scold the Archduke? The very idea was absurd, laughable even.
Of course, there was an exception.
And that exception was sitting right beside him, blissfully unaware of his unique ability to disregard rank and title without a second thought.
Just one word from Rael and Xion’s mind raced with possibilities.
Perhaps Rael was simply annoyed by his father’s presence.
Xion had not seen the Archduke yet. He had long assud that the terrifying figure was off with the other two groups, dealing with his own matters far from them.
Who could have guessed he would see him just after being kidnapped?
If not for his deep sleep, Xion was certain he would have spent the whole night haunted by nightmares.
If he, an adult, was so terrified, what about Rael, who had spent his life surrounded by such a frightening world?
Xion could only sigh. Then, gathering his courage, he asked, "Err, where is your father?"
Darius narrowed his eyes at Xion. "He... went away. For now."
Xion visibly relaxed at those words. The thought of that looming presence was enough to unsettle him.
A relieved grin broke across his face. "That’s good."
As long as he did not have to face the archduke, he was perfectly fine.
The sunlight, which had previously irritated him, now felt soothing against his skin. Even the air seed fresher. "Where are we headed, anyway?"
"Royal capital, Myrthiana."
Darius leaned back, his back resting against the cushioned surface. This was his personal carriage, custom-made to suit his every need.
The tall roof, the spacious interior, the complex details of the design. Everything inside was to his exact preferences.
The sa could be said for people. Xion was the first to travel in the carriage with him, twice, no less.
Still, he was oblivious to the luxury being rained on him.
The silly Xion had no inkling that the seemingly casual drawer beside the seat was carved from the rarest, most expensive wood and that the knobs were made from pure gold.
Instead, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the royal capital. All he knew about it ca from the original Xion’s mories, which were muddled at best, and from the few books he had read before he ran away.
Myrthiana, the land where Goddess Myrthia was said to dwell, had been the royal capital for three centuries.
The land was once nothing but dense forest, a vast, untad wilderness.
It was not until the third king of Eldoria, Lunareth, waged a fierce war and claid the territory as his own that the land transford into the heart of the kingdom.
Luis the Third was the one to triumph over the land all over the continent and make Eldoria one of the strongest nations.
According to the legends, the royal capital was filled with riches, where even fountains spat gold.
Despite Xion not trusting any rumors, he was actually looking forward to the trip. After all, this might be his first and last trip to the said royal capital.
That reminded him of his earlier stroll in the streets of Uzera city.
I almost forgot! He smacked his head loudly, startling Darius, who had just closed his eyes.
He fumbled into his bag, and taking the cover of the fabric, he picked the glass bottle from his system space.
The mont the cold surface hit his palm, Xion beca uneasy.
Nervousness crept in as he glanced at the bottle. Would Rael even like such a simple gift? A young master like him surely had no use for so decorative piece.
Will he even like sothing that seed common in this world?
Darius noticed the hesitance. "What are you hiding?"
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