The smoke sat heavy in the air as Vector's ship was finally able to dock at port behind the rest of his fleet. As he stepped onto the docks all he could hear was an eerie silence accompanied only by the snap and crackle of the wooden shops and straw huts that made up the village. Fire wasn't a normal tactic for his men, but that didn't stop the darkness from twisting across his face pleased with the destructive liberties his army had taken.
"Search for survivors, if they don't immediately surrender execute them." Vector ordered and the remaining soldiers fanned out into the village disappearing into the smoke.
Vector too stepped off the dock and made his way into the destruction. The air around him was hot away from the sea's cool breeze. It felt strangely comfortable, like a warm embrace congratulating him, and the smell of seared flesh and bone welcoming him home. As he made it further into the town the ground became more scorched; the bottom of his feet feeling the burn through the soles of his sandals. The smoke was thicker further into town and he was finding it harder to breathe. He tugged his cape around him, shielding his face so he could at least breathe, though the smoke still stung at his eyes making him wince. His will to not let a single free soul go kept him moving forward.
"Your Majesty, over here!"
Vector turned towards the cry as his eyes squeezed shut against the smoke. He was coughing slightly as he moved through the thick smog towards his men. When he reached the other soldiers the air was suddenly clean; his lungs gasped greedily for the air like it was the first breath of his life. Violet eyes watered as the fresh air cleansed them, his vision blurred slightly as he looked around. The ground he now stood on was green, the vegetation under his feet not even singed in a small radius around them. In the center of the circle a teen laid, curled into a ball and passed out.
"He's alive but unresponsive, should we just put him out of his misery?"
Vector's mouth opened to instinctively give the order of killing the teen, but something was pulling against him. He felt his heart stop briefly for a moment, a pain that pulled against his soul, choking out the very order before the words formed on his lips.
He stepped closer to the teen; bending down one arm rested across his knees as he moved the comatose teen with the other. The teen's red hair fell away from his face revealing the long purple tattoo over his left eye and continuing down his cheek. His jaw slipped loose and the gasp died in his throat. He pushed himself from the ground dusted off his pants.
"No, that won't be necessary. Take him back to my vessel, and lock him up."
Vector strolled down to the cells in the belly of his personal vessel in his fleet of war ships. The guards unlocked the iron door without word or direction, as they were used to it by now. Vector moved into the cell simply waving his hand over his shoulder and the heavy door slid shut behind him.
He bent down, running a nail over the face of the sleeping boy on the ground. A fire mage, he couldn't have been more lucky if he made a deal with Lady Luck herself (and he knows, he had done that dance twice before.) It was a beautiful war prize – one that seemed to fall into his lap by accident.
"It's time to wake up," he muttered, his voice was thick and choking as he tried to gently wake the mage.
The boy stirred against the straw he was laying on. His eyes rolling as they tried to get used to the dim light in the cell as the only light available came from a small port hole. A soft grunt passed over his lips as he struggled to push himself off the ground. He went to speak but his throat ran dry, his tongue running over his lips but it was dry too.
"What's your name?"
He coughed hoarsely, his eyes meeting the king's. Vector shrunk under the blaze of his gaze, the same pull against his soul he felt earlier consuming him once more.
"IV." He choked out before coughing again.
"Interesting name," Vector mused as he pulled his canteen from his side, offering it to IV.
IV took the container, consuming the water faster than he could swallow, some liquid dribbling down his chin. A sharp gasp left his lips as he pulled the empty bottle away in an attempt to fill his lungs again with air.
"Where are my brothers?" IV asked as he handed the canteen back to Vector.
"Brothers?" A smile twisted on his face as he knelt down in front of IV. He reached out and ran his nail over the tattooed cheek; the crimson eyes narrowed under the touch, IV's hand snaring Vector's wrist causing the king to laugh. He twisted his wrist free, taking IV's in his grip. "You're not just any old mage are you?" a dry chuckle cracked in his throat as his fingers pressed down into the space between the bones on the top of his wrist. IV wailed sharply as he tried to jerk his hand away. Vector continued to grip the wrist harder, running his thumb over the area causing IV to shutter as pain ran through his body. Vector felt the skin under his thumb heat up as a pale lavender gem appeared imbedded in his flesh. "You're a damn Guardian," he laughed again, a darkness consuming him. "This isn't even luck anymore. It's fate."
IV was finally able to pull away, scooting as far back in the cell as he could to put space between himself and the Madness King. "W-what do you mean fate?"
Vector stood up off the cold cell floor, brushing the straw away that stuck to his knees. He shrugged, seemingly ignoring IV's question. "Your brothers, were they with you in that village?"
"I'm not answering you," IV's eyes narrowed as his hand clamped down on the gem around his wrist, as if to protect it from Vector.
"It doesn't matter," Vector shook his head and pulled IV to his feet; slamming him against the wall. His hand covered the sorcerer's own, applying more pressure to the gem. A pained cry passed over IV's lips as his knees shook underneath him, "They'll feel this won't they?" All of Vector's features darkened in shadow, his eyes growing cold. He watched the tears form in the crimson pools, the fire all but extinguished and clouded in pain.
"They'll come find you. And they'll bring It with them."
The pair of brothers fell to their knees as they collapsed on the cave floor, hands clutched around their right wrists.
"Brother, IV is-" the youngest brother winced as he felt the yellow gem under his hand burn hot.
"I know." V sat back on his feet, ignoring his own burn and pulled his brother into his arms. He ran his long fingers through the pink curls in a shallow attempt to sooth his youngest brother.
"We shouldn't have left him."
"I know."
"He's pigheaded," a voice came from deep within the cave. Both brothers looked into the darkness, eyes meeting with a cold red glowing pair, "it's better that you left him, or you all would have been captured."
"We need to save him!" III protested into the darkness. He went to stand but V managed to hold him in place.
"We will with time, my sons."
