Chapter 3: The Prince
Natia wandered far away from the Lightborn Palace until she crossed a forest of purple bulging branches with crooked paths along her way. A purplish blazing arrow hit her on the arm and pricked through. Green blood poured out from her skin. She felt the pain that she can bear, but she felt weak. She looked for balance but her body gave up to the ground. She held the arrow buried deep in her arm and plucked it out with strength.
A boy around her age excitedly ran towards her, the target. "Got you! Biggest one in a while," When he was near Natia, he realized that she was a lot like him - a human. Zopyro was his name. He has hair with the darkest hint of blue. His eyes were purple. His skin is white as a cloud and it was porcelain clear. His interests lean towards hunting and dueling. This is his way of having his fun as the peculiar child that he is compared to the other skoural creatures in his age.
Zopyro stared at Natia's eyes. "I've been hunting for this reason. Something new that I can get. This time was a beautiful one. Could it be human? You have prasine eyes that match the color of your blood. What are you exactly?"
"Watch it! Is that how you treat a total stranger? Be careful who you are messing with!" Natia said. She brushed off the dirt from her clothes and hands.
"What are you doing here? You are obviously not a light born. Where did you come from?" Zopyros curiously asked in a threatening manner. He showed his bow and aimed another purple flamed arrow towards her.
"Can't you talk to me without threatening me? Should I say I am The Protector to make you bow down as they did?," Natia being her usual mischievous attitude.
"You came across my land. I have the right to be hostile to a total stranger. Don't take this personally, didn't mean it against you," Zopyros pointed his bow down to the ground. "I am Zopyros, The Prince of The Skouras" He proudly introduced himself. "You're a protector? Can you explain what that actually means?" Zopyros didn't understand what she meant. The skouras seem to be oblivious to her birth.
"I am.. the protector of the maidens," She lied to cover up her identity. She thinks it is better if she can interrogate Zopyro first so she can understand more of the situation she is in.
"Is there is such a thing?" Zopyro suspiciously asked.
"Obviously, yes." Natia was speechless afterward. She palmed her arms and heal the wounds in her arms.
"You can heal? You are a Fairy!" Zopyros pulled his sword from the sheath. He pointed it towards her.
"I was cast away from the kingdom. The lightborns kept me and took care of me," She explained. She covered her head against the sword with her arm. She used this reason as an excuse hoping that Zopyros would believe it.
"Where are the others?" Zopyros was referring to the Fairy Kingdom.
"I can't tell you," Natia said in defense.
"They must be nearby. I must tell the King," Zopyros said.
" Don't tell him, please. Anyway, It's impossible to find their location, you're wasting your time."
"You think that I can be deceived that easily. You claim a protector when you can't even fight?" Zopyros didn't believe her.
"It is none of your business. I can't easily be killed, I have the skills to heal" Natia explained.
"Then, You should act as you can protect!" Zopyros starting slashing his sword threatening Natia. Natia was forced to fight against him. She was still on the ground and pulled her knife. She shook her head with disappointment for having such a small weapon from the feletors. "I should've listened to them," She whispered to herself. She got up and fought him with the small knife that she has. She got bruises all around as she continues to deal with him.
Zopyros, although hostile it may seem. He actually started to finally like that Natia was there and found someone he can see as his duel mate. He wanted her to fight like him so that he would have a competitor. Although his actions portray harm to Natia, he did not intend to kill her as he was also interested in Natia being a half-human like he is.
Zopyros did his final blow that hit Natia's knife. It slipped out of her hands as she was stepping back. She was tripped and fell on the ground once again. She got tired and was countered by Zopyros. He pointed his sword almost touching her forehead. Natia felt like she was in great danger. Her right arm crossed to cover her eyes.
"No!" Natia shouted in fear at Zopyro. At a fast moment, they heard a high-frequency sound with a sharp fast movement. There was a straight light rod coming in a penetrating manner in far front of Zopyro aiming for his head. They bought saw it and both trembled in fear.
Natia felt a deep connection at that moment with the rod and shouted, "Stop!" Luckily, it stopped as she had said. They stared at the rod as it was hanging and still pointed at Zopyro. They are in awe of its beauty but in fear of its capability. Natia stopped the rod from hurting Zopyro because it is her's first time seeing someone almost the same as her aside from her parents. She is interested in knowing him more too, even if she was in danger.
Zopyros did not move. Natia finally got to her senses. She stood up and reached for the rod. It didn't try to break free from her hands as it did before. It was willing to be controlled fully by her.
"Woah! That was relishing!" Zopyros attacked Natia once again, but now that she is holding the light born rod in her hands. She was able to fight back decently. She was learning and perseveres to fight. Zopyros has a passion for battle. For him, it is the meaning of his life after the loneliness he felt. Battling is the most he feels alive.
After moments of fighting, Natia finally managed to take Zopyro down. She pointed the rod towards him, the same way Zopyro did towards her.
"See? You're not that bad of a fighter," Zopyro mocked her. Natia pulled her small knife and stabbed his left eye. It profusely bled purple blood. Zopyro shouted in agony.
"Does it hurt?" Natia asked.
"Please, don't kill me yet, I just started having relishing moments that never happened in my life," Zopyro was holding the knife in his eye and crouching in pain.
"What does it good for me? You tried to kill me many times!" Natia was mad.
"I will give you whatever you ask," Zopyro negotiated with her.
"Well. From now on, you are not allowed to kill me any chance you get. You owe it. If ever you do, this light rod will take your life," Natia looked at the light rod. She threw it upwards and slightly horizontal. It finds its way back to her hands like a boomerang showing off how she has control over the rod.
"Fine," Zopyro said in a weak manner.
"You are not allowed to tell the king or anyone in your kingdom what happened today and that you met me," Natia stood up holding her rod. She stole the skoural sword from Zopyro. She walked away and left him.
"O..k," The prince is having less reaction. He is in a fragile state. His pain made him tired. "Somebody help me..." The prince shouted for help.
Natia heard his voice. She had sympathy towards him. She went back to him. She pulled the knife from his eye and cupped her palms around his eyes. Once, she removed her hands his eye was healed and his purple eye was visible once, again. He regained his energy right away.
"You also, need to teach me how to fight," Natia told him.
"Sure. Thanks for bringing my eye back. It was not that bad losing an eye and healing it back over again, is it?" Zopyro was thinking about the scenarios he will be in when he trains with her.
"I realized you might need your eye when you fight with me, or do you think one eye is enough?" Natia asked
"How can you say you're a good fighter when you know your enemy had a disadvantage? You need me with two eyes," Zopyro said.
"And that came from someone who tried to kill me many times when I only had a small knife," Natia said.
"I need my sword back, too. I will be in trouble if I lose that," Zopyro referred to the sword.
They played battles the whole day. It was dark at night, and they still train. They enjoyed each other's company like he never had one before. Zopyro never saw a half-human being like him before. He was dazzled with Natia. He grabbed that day like it was his and took so much joy out of it. Meeting someone like his own, was a dream for him. After a while,
"Prasine, you should come here tomorrow, too. I know a lot of tricks I need to show you. You'll be best if you learn from me,"
"How will I be so sure you wouldn't bring the skouras with you?"
"I can give you my sword every time you leave and give it back when you see me. I think your light spear is powerful, too. It could take down a lot of creatures just by itself if you let it. I see you're interested in the sword,"
"Then how was that going to be fine for you when you get home swordless? You can get in trouble if it is missing I can get in trouble too. And, that free out in the air rod idea is dangerous. It might kill me, too if it gets carried away. Who knows?" Natia was doubtful.
"I can make excuses about the sword. Tell them I hid it or whatever. Look. I am just trying to make a friend - kind of. Can't you see? I am trying to convince you in a nice way. I even offered my sword. It means I also trust you," Zopyro stopped swaying the sword.
"Of course, you say that you do. I spared your life, but trust is a big word. I should still be careful. Let's say you can trust me, but can I trust you?" Natia said.
"Let me tell you a little secret. This sword was alive, too like the light spear that you have. Many years ago It was powerful too, but suddenly it died and lost it. Why? I don't know. I am still trying to revive that power. How? I don't know, but they say it is possible. I was hoping that using it might bring it back, and I am trusting it to you. It is not just any sword. And, seems like you need someone to teach how to fight. If you accept this, you're lucky. I had it from the best," Zopyro was still trying to convince her to train with her for the following days coming ahead.
"Still uninterested. Anyway, would you still trust me If I tell you that I am not the real owner of this rod? I accidentally plucked it out from the magic seed, inside the light born palace. The light borns are looking for this now. I still need to return it," Natia confessed.
"Which means you still gained the trust of the light born rod even if it knows that you are not a light born, an intruder, and a thief. Isn't that quite enigmatic? You are here for a reason,"
"I told you, I am not just anyone," Natia said.
"So, will you come back?" Zopyro asked.
"I haven't even left yet," Natia smiled.
They are both too busy dueling all around the place and it was too dark at night. They did not realize they were dueling near a steep cliff. Suddenly, Natia accidentally slipped and fell from the edge of the cliff. It was foggy, that the bottom was obscure. He saw Natia's face blankly stare at him. She was reaching her hands towards him while she was falling on her back. There was nothing he could do.
"Prasine!!!" Zopyro was devastated. He dropped his sword while she was falling from the edge of the cliff. He called her Prasine. This name was taken out from the meaning of emerald green in their kingdom. He never gets to know her real name Natia so he called her Prasine instead.
"Prasine!!!" He cried like a child. During the night, the skouras are scattered looking for the prince to bring him home as commanded by the skoural King. There were some of them nearby who heard his scream and found him at the edge of the cliff crying. They took him to a safe place and asked what happened. He couldn't say anything because he promised Natia when he was dying that he would not tell. Zopyro wouldn't want anyone to find out about the girl except him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone