Sentria: The War for Askeran (Book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Rising Son

The trees surrounding the water relic village no longer had their brilliant blue leaves—they were all bare and black, corrupted by the dark magic of the north and the dark wizards in their ranks. Inside the circle river, all was as it had been before, quiet in the night and safe from the decaying blackness outside...but it wouldn't last forever.

Eldwyn and I walked up to the door of the long home and I knocked upon it anxiously. I worried that no one would be awake at this hour and I was wrong. A young water relic woman answered the door and took us directly Qual's chamber. Other water relics greeted us on our way to him, remembering our time here not long ago, but we were too distracted to stop and greet them properly. 

Qual was seated on his floor meditating. There was an orb of water spinning in front of him and he looked most at peace, but this was an urgent matter and I had to interrupt.

"Qual," I said coming into the chamber, "We need your help."

"Friends," Qual said with a simple smile, unperturbed by our entrance. "How may I help you?"

"It's our friend Lucas," said Eldwyn, "He rests between life and death and we need your help to bring him back to the light."

"Is there anything that you can do?"

Qual stood up. "The ancient waters might restore him. Come with me."

We followed Qual through the wooden halls of his labyrinthine home, thankful that he didn't treat this as an impossible task. 

"Has this ever been done before?" I asked.

"Not in recent times," replied Qual. "When you were here last, I said that the waters have brought relics back, but never a civilian mortal. Only those made of magic, made of light in the times of old have been able to recover from the beyond. I pray that your Lucas has some magic deep within him, as all beings under Bronte have."

He tasked a young relic boy with retrieving a bottle, and once he came back with it, he kneeled at the ever-blue pool and scooped some up.

"Pour this into his mouth," he said, handing it to me. "Concentrate on your love for him and hopefully he reawakens. It's not a certainty, but I pray that it works. And be sure to take a sip for yourselves. Ancient water has untold curative powers."

We thanked Qual and Eldwyn created another portal, taking us back to the Ancient Temple.

Princess Ilya was seated on the floor next to Prince Lucas, stroking his blond hair when we arrived, and her eyes lit up when she saw us. "You've returned," she said standing up.

"We have," said Eldwyn. "And we have the ancient water."

I walked up to Prince Lucas, opened his mouth, and poured some of the contents into his mouth. I took a sip myself and passed it around to everyone else to do the same. We stepped back, outside of the sun symbol and closed their eyes. I recalled all of my fondest memories of him: our limited time as children and our adventures through Askeran. He taught me so much about my princely duties that I had taken for granted. He never shunned away from his responsibilities to the crown, whereas I wanted to run away from that, to escape the forests with sword and shield and seek out danger. To him, royalty wasn't an obligation, it was a privilege.

I opened my eyes and from the ceiling, I saw the winged lion star light up and shine down on Prince Lucas and he lifted slowly off the ground as if he were a celestial. Gold energy wrapped around him in streams as he's positioned upright. He was almost too bright to look upon. He descended back down to the floor in the center of the sun symbol and his eyes opened. Those blue eyes. The light fades and he stands there, staring at us.

"L-Lucas?" I asked. "Is that you?"

He turned to me. "I am."

I didn't know what to say. I had hoped with all my heart that this would happen and yet I still couldn't believe it. He looked the same. He sounded the same. This was a wish come true.

"We recovered you from the Dragon Isles and resurrected you," I told him. "You're here with your friends now. You're safe."

"Yes," he said, looking around the temple.

"How do you feel?" asked Princess Ilya. "Do you feel...the same?"

"No," he said quickly. "I am different. I don't know how yet, but I am."

We all stood in place. What was one to do when their friend returned from death? Apparently, Eldwyn knew, as he ran up to him and hugged him.

"You're back!" he screamed, and Princess Ilya and I ran up to him as well and joined in. I closed my eyes and warm tears fell from my face. I had felt so much guilt for the trouble I had caused. I just wanted everyone to be well, for all of us to be together.

"Prince Lucas," I said, standing back and sniffling. "I need to apologize to you for what happened in the Mountainlands. I should have protected you."

"Nonsense," he said. "I was in charge of my decisions. I was only ever truly alive when I was with you. Never forget that even for a moment."

I needed to hear that. "I don't want to worry you with your return, but war is upon us any day now. We need to get you back to Stargon to convalesce—"

"No," he said clearly. "Now that I've returned, I know now what I must do. I don't remember where I was exactly...there was light, but more than that there was a feeling. A feeling that I must right past wrongs...I apologize for getting in between you and Eldwyn. Yours is a true love, and matters of the crown do not outweigh matters of the heart. I know that now."

"There's nothing to forgive, Lucas." I said.

"Yea," said Eldwyn who had stopped hugging him and was crying himself.

"Furthermore, when I return to Stargon, I must stop my father from his slavery trade in Cairon. It has gone on for too long and has ruined too many people's lives, and I well help fight alongside of you in the war. That is my purpose in this life."

"He has also gone on a rampage," said Eldwyn. "King Marbury has sent his soldiers out to kill all relics after your death."

"And that will be stopped too. You have my word, Eldwyn."

I had never sound Prince Lucas sound so confident, so sure of himself. Princess Ilya was right, he was different, but in the way that it seemed like he had become the person that he was always meant to be. It was a hard road, a cold destiny, but he had journeyed it, and once one returned from such deep depths, there was nothing that could destroy them.

"Then let us go to Stargon," I said, triumphantly. "We have food in our carriage and you can replenish yourself." I started for the door.

"Wait," said Prince Lucas, and I turned back around. "I wanted to thank you, High Prince Darren Colress of Sentria. You have been my most loving friend, and I will never forget all that you have done for me."

My lip quivered, I instinctually wanted to hold on to my knightly appearance, but I simply couldn't. I went back up to him and hugged him again. Then we all left the Ancient Temple, all misty-eyed and hopeful, but outside, where the sun had just begun to dawn, we realized we were not alone. There were tens of Rainnian soldiers in black and yellow armor, surrounding our carriage and holding out sharp spears. One of them, a bulky man with a scarred face walked up to us.

"High Prince," he growled, "This is the end of the road for you and your friends."