Chapter 2: Chapter 2: When the Clock Strikes
I gazed up at the familiar ceiling from my soft crib. I'm still not accustomed to the time, but I believe I have been in this world for a week now. I heard the doors open. Mother came into the room and peered at my face, with a soft smile on her face.
"Come here, baby," She whispered, picking me up with stiff arms. She walked over to an armchair in the corner of the room and sat down with me in her arms. She brushed my soft hair out of my face with her soft hand. "Your father left today, but dont worry, sweetie, he'll be back soon!" My mother cooed at me.
She was still a bit sad that my father had to leave so suddenly. I gripped her finger with my tiny hand and looked up into her eyes, and smiled. It was also quite apparent that she wasn't used to being a mother. She tended to be stiff and uncomfortable around me at times..
"Oh, my precious angel," she hugged me closer to her chest and rocked my back and forth to sleep.
"Wake up, you damn slob!" Sylas sighed, swatting Colton on the back of his head. "It's almost time to go!"
Colton grunted and picked himself up wearily. "I got it, Sylas. No need for you to scream bloody murder."
Sylas looked over at Colton, confused by what he had said. "Okay, then. We are leaving when the clock strikes on the next hour, so dont you dare mess this up."
The hour I was ticked by fast. Sylas pulled on a backpack and threw a cloak over at Colton.
"Put this on. You dont want to be seen."
"Hah, you idiot, did you forget I have stealth magic? I dont need this." Colton scoffed, tossing the cloak back.
Stubborn bastard. Just wear the cloak! Sylas thought.
"Please, Colton, it's better safe than sorry."
"Fine, but ill take it off when I want to; got that?" Colton yanked the cloak back and wrapped it around his burly body.
It was quite ironic how such a loud and obnoxious man inherited stealth magic. No matter, As long as everything goes as planned.
The two men left the tavern that they stayed in for the past week and made their way to the castle—the roads were packed full of merchants and booths everywhere. It was quite crowded for a weekday, but tomorrow the king was coming back soon which made the people frantic. Not that he was scary, or a cruel leader, but more than he was an intimidating man.
Sylas picked up a warm loaf of bread and tossed a silver coin onto one of the vendors' tables. He stuffed it into his bag and hurried after Colton, who was already many strides in front of him.
The gates were being guarded by men in thick armor that looked freshly polished. The surface had no scratches and the boots didn't even have a spec of dirt in them. It was blatantly obvious that it was all for show. The two men snuck over behind the shrubbery next to the gate, out of eyesight.
Sylas reached into his bag and pulled out a small crystal. "This will give us the ability to move through walls temporarily, but only for thirty minutes, so we will have to climb over the first few walls."
"Man, you sure are unprepared, Sylas ... You should have gotten more!" Colton grumbled.
"Do you know how expensive these are? Plus, they are illegal now, so they're hard to find. Be glad I got any at all..." Sylas fired back at his impatient companion.
"Fine, fine.. let's head in," Colton grabbed Sylas's arm. "You will only be in stealth if you hold onto me, so dont let go, you wimp." Colton laughed, yanking Sylas around.
"What a drag..." Sylas mumbled, grabbing the rope that he fastened onto the wall earlier.
The two men hoisted themselves over. The guards were standing around as predicted had no idea what was occurring in front of them.
I heard a thump from outside the door. I opened my eyes and propped myself up on the side of the crib. The doors slowly opened, revealing Mother's handmaiden, Cathleen. This was the first time I got a good look at her. She had snow-white hair that reached the bottom of her back. Her skin was a dark caramel color, and she had piercing blue eyes. She was stunning.
She looked over at my crib and stumbled back a bit when she saw me looking at her. She placed her hand on her chest and exhaled.
"You sure scared me there, young prince." She smiled, walking over to the crib. "You have quite the piercing gaze... just like your father."
I glanced over at the window. It was nighttime, and the stars shone brilliantly in the dark sky. In my past life, the sky was always clouded by pollution. I never got to see the night time as clearly as it was now, but that was beside the point.
Why was Cathleen here? It was the middle of the night. Did my mother ask her to tend to me? No, that can't be it. Helena was typically the one that took care of me at night, or it was my mother on some occasions when she couldn't sleep. My stubby legs kicked the sides of the crib, and I fell back. Cathleen smiled at me and reached over to pick me up. I was still perplexed. What was going on? But my questions were soon answered when two men entered the room through the wall.
"So this is the crown prince, eh?" The bulkier man asked in a gruff voice, squinting his eyes at my face. "Well, what do you know! He is like those beings in the storybooks! Those crazy eyes say it all."
I turned away and looked towards the other man. He had ivory skin, just like the queen, and dark brown eyes, almost black, but he had a slim but toned build and sleek black hair, neatly cut slightly above his shoulders.
"Let's go quickly. The crystal won't be able to hold out much longer." He turned towards Cathleen and hooked her arm around his. She still held me close in her other arm.
Ah, so that's what was happening. Not even a week into this life and already the tragedies begin to unfold.
"Sylas, can you knock the kid out, so he doesn't make any noise? I dont want to get caught this far into the game." The muscular man asked the other man.
"No need, Colton," Cathleen turned towards the man. "This kiddo hasn't even made a noise since he was born. Even when he cries, it's silent."
"That's peculiar... Is he mute or something?" Sylas asked, looking down at me.
"I'll tell you all about it later. We only have 14 minutes to leave, so let's not stall here." Cathleen said, looking at the crystal in Sylas's hand.
I looked down. I wasn't mute. It was merely a force of habit from my past life. I never wanted to draw unwanted attention to myself, so I learned to cry without making a sound. If someone heard or saw you cry in those parts, it was a sure-fire way to get beaten. I couldn't stop my tears, so I learned to suppress my voice.
"Well, let's go then!" Colton laughed, dragging the two of them behind him. He dropped a scroll into the crib. I didn't know what it said because it in an unfamiliar language, but I assume it was a ransom note.
A wavey wall of mana surrounded them. I looked up at the strange pattern that enveloped me. It reminded me of a mirror that was covered in a dewy mist, or bubbles. It looked quite peculiar.
"You like that kid? That's my stealth magic. No one can see or hear us when I use this baby." Colton laughed.
Stealth magic, huh. No wonder these people were able to take me so quickly. Usually, I would be more flustered and scared if someone took me away abruptly, but I felt these people, despite obviously having bad intentions, it was clear that they were not going to harm me. I should still be on guard, well, as much as an infant could be.
"His name is Seraph," Cathleen told the two men, hoisting me up higher onto her shoulder.
"A name befitting a king," Sylas said, in a mocking voice.
"Sylas, be more respectful!" Cathleen remarked.
"Oh, cool it. It's not like the kid can understand me anyway."
I could, but I didn't care. Why would I? The two men climbed over the wall, grabbed Cathleen's arm, and pulled her up, still holding me tight. I know it's not normal for someone to feel safe in the arms of their kidnapper, but Cathleen was another story. She was a caring soul. I could tell. I remember what the handmaidens were talking about a while ago. I believe she has a baby at home. That explains why she was so careful with me.
I tried to stay awake, but I just couldn't. All of this drama took it out of me. My eyes fluttered closed.
I felt a jolt as my eyes shot open. I was wrapped up in a blanket and propped up on Cathleen's shoulder. We were all sitting down on a wagon that was being drawn by an unknown creature. It looked like a horse, but rather than having hooves, it had claws like an eagle and had two thick horns that protruded next to the ears.
Sylas had his arm wrapped around Cathleen's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to change our original plan?" Sylas asked, stroking her hair.
"Yes. I think that would be the best choice for us and the child." She looked down at me with a warm motherly smile.
"I understand, sweetie. But what are we going to do about Colton? He's expecting a 50 share of the money, but if we never get the money..." Sylas trailed off, looking over towards his sleeping comrade.
"I'll deal with him," Cathleen said bluntly.
Sylas looked over at his wife with a worried expression.
"Very well..."
What are they saying? A change of plans? Are they going to kill me? Abandon me? Give me back without a fight? Different scenarios went through my mind, but it all became clear after what Sylas said next.
"Cathleen, I know that you can no longer conceive, but even so, we could get the money and adopt another kid... why must it be the prince?"
"He reminds me of myself. He's different. There is no doubt the Royal family will use his existence merely for political gain. This child deserves a real childhood. Something I never had, and something he wouldn't get if he were within the palace."
Those words hit me to the core: this person, Cathleen, There was more to her than meets the eye, and I could tell that she did care. My birth mother, despite having a loving smile, I could tell that what Cathleen said would eventually come to pass. My father, on the other hand, was another story. It was evident that he loved me for the political gain... but nothing more. I had only been in this world for a week, and already, my life was hectic and confusing. I know I shouldn't feel like this. I know I should want to go back. But I didn't. Because Cathleen appeared more like a mother figure to me than the queen ever would.
"Well, welcome to the family, Seraph," Sylas said, smiling at me. He placed his hand on my head and brushed my hair out of my face.
I know I shouldn't want this. But I did. I wanted a family; I didn't care if they were rich or poor. I just wanted someone to hold me and tell me I was going to be okay.
Sylas looked over at the baby that nestled close to his wife. He smiled. The kid sure was cute. The cart stopped, and the couple got off. Cathleen gently handed the sleeping baby over to Sylas.
"Please hold him for me." She said.
Cathleen stepped away from the two and walked over to the sleeping Colton. She pulled a small vial out of her pocket and poured the contents into his mouth. The man jolted up, coughing. He looked over at Cathleen, who was standing over him.
"Can't- Move." He coughed, face turning blue.
He began writing in pain, unable to breathe. After about 5 minutes, Colton slumped over. Dead.
"That takes care of that," Cathleen whispered. "We better hurry now. It's almost morning, which means Helena will be in soon to check on the prince."
"The boats are waiting for us. Let's go." Sylas clutched the baby to his chest and grabbed his wife's hand as they walked to the port.
Cathleen looked back towards the wagon. Colton was gone.
"It looks like the poison worked well," Cathleen murmured.
I woke up to the sound of an airhorn, or at least a sound similar. I opened my eyes and peered over Sylas's shoulder. It was the ocean. My eyes widened in shock. In my past life, I had never seen it before. It was indeed a sight to behold. The water stretched for miles on end, and small waves rocked the boat. I dont know how long I was sleeping for, but already the port was far behind us. I looked at Cathleen, who was at the rear of the boat. She had her hand just above the water. Her hand glowed for a brief moment, and a burst of wind pushed away from the water, propelling the boat further. So that's what it was. She was using magic. I couldn't help but stare. I was mesmerized at the water rippling from the force of the wind. Cathleen looked up at me and gave me a warm smile. I looked at her and smiled back and fell asleep once again.
The boat pulled up to the dock of a small port town in Castia. Cathleen took the baby out of Sylas's arms so that he could tie up the boat. Seraph was sleeping very soundly in her arms. She couldn't help but smile at the baby.
"Let's go home, Cath," Sylas whispered, helping his wife out of the boat.
"Let's." She beamed.
My eyes opened as I heard a click of the door. It was a quaint rustic home. It looked very cozy. The door shut behind us, and I listened to the thumping of footsteps from across the hall. A little girl, probably four or five years old, with black hair and caramel skin ran up to the two.
"Mommy! Daddy! Your home!" She squealed, clutching her father's leg.
"Hi, honey! I'm sorry we haven't been here in a while, but we are staying here for good now!" Cathleen said, looking at her daughter.
"Lorena, has your neighbor been taking good care of you during the day, as we asked?" Sylas looked down at her.
"Yes, Daddy! She gives me really good bread!" Lorena giggled. Her eyes suddenly shot up towards me.
"Who's this?" She asked, pointing at me
"Well, Lorey... this is your new baby brother!" Cathleen stroked her daughter's sleek black hair.
The little girl's eyes widened. "Really?" She gasped
"Yup. You better be a good big sister and teach your brother, all you know." Sylas chuckled.
Cathleen kneeled to let her daughter have a better look at her brother.
"He has black hair like me!" She exclaimed happily.
I sighed in my head. She was a cute kid, for sure. I reached out my small chubby arms towards her. Might as well act cute for her. I sure as hell dont want a mean older sister.
Lorena squealed once again and lifted me.
"Careful Lorey dear," Cathleen said, her hand still underneath me, preventing her daughter from dropping me.
Lorena sat down on the rug next to the fire and put me in her lap.
"Hi, baby brother!" She looked at me with big eyes, trying to see my reaction.
I smiled at her, and her eyes lit up.
"I always wanted a little sibling!" She said, bouncing me up and down.
I also always wanted a sibling that would protect and care for me. More precisely, I always wanted a family, and now I had that.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone