Chapter 4

I have plans for you, child.

My eyes shot open and my body contorted. I coughed the sea water out of my lungs desperate to replace it with much needed air. I feel my body hunched over on wet sand. My vision begins to clear. I was on a beach. The sun was shining on the golden sand. I was alive?

I crawl up the beach and collapse onto a rock. The coughing suddenly turned to sobbing. All the terror and chaos of the night before grabbed me, like the lingering emotions of a nightmare. But it wasn't a nightmare. It was real. It happened. I was about to die. The Voidwoken trying to kill me, the collapsing debris of the ship, and the waves of the storm dragging me down into the depths of the sea. The thoughts of never seeing my family or Brell again. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I curl my body into a ball and let the tears flow out of my eyes.

Several minutes pass before I could collect myself. I relax my muscles and lay out my body. I feel the sun barring down on my scales. I breath in the scent of the sea and let the rays of the sun warm the cold blood in my veins. The stress and unease faded away and my mind relaxed. A few more moments pass, and my mind was clear enough to process what I needed to do. I lift my body up and bring myself to my feet. I observe my surroundings. Along the beach there was a tall rock wall and pockets of dense foliage restricting my options of movement inland. The only way leading anywhere else was down the beach.

Okay. Move forward. Find out where you are.

I move my talon forward, and my body followed. I proceeded down the beach, turning the corner of a rock formation to a longer stretch of the beach. As I moved down the stretch of sand, I saw pillars and walls of ruins littering the beach side. There was a presence here. As if the spirt of the structures long gone was lingering still. I didn't need to have the senses of a mystic to feel this uneasy presence. I eventually made it to an incline of rock. I move up the not-so steep formation to the top. I see in the distance a fort planted in the side of the coast. I didn't need to see the Divine Order flag waving from the spires to know where I was.

"Fort Joy," I mutter to myself. Out of the frying pan, and into another. At least I think that's how the human saying goes. So much for escaping the ship and surviving almost by miracle.

But my hopes weren't completely erased when I spot something a stroll down the beach a good distance from the fort. I make my way down the rock toward it. It was the lifeboat Ifan and the other surviving Sourcerers escaped from the ship on. That meant they must be alive and here too.

Considering that I was far from home, and trapped on a prison island, it probably would be a good idea to find some friends to watch each other's backs.

Okay. Find some friends. Find a way out. Simple, right?

And it seemed my plan was already in motion when I spotted someone standing on a nearby peninsular rock stretching out to the sea.

Was it one of the survivors? Could it be one of the possible friends I needed? I move down the beach and approach the rock. The outline of the person became clearer. It was a lizard. He was looking out toward the horizon with a steady, malcontent stare. It was a scene that could be captured in a painting that could speak a thousand words. But the awe of this scene and the excitement of finding a friend drained from me when I noticed that his scales were the color of blood-red.

Great.

"Well at least I know at least one person survived the attack on the boat thanks to my idiotic bravery," I say behind his back not even hoping that my sarcasm would get through to him.

He turns his head to notice me, then he turns about with the graceful ease of a dancer…or a dualist considering that he most likely was from the House of War. His eyes were two smoldering embers that sizzled and somehow peered into me. A very different display than the one I saw in the hold of the prison ship.

"I did survive, yes," he said, glancing down at his claws. "And chances are I wouldn't have, had you not returned to aid of your fellow passengers down in that dreadful hold. You have my gratitude."

He put his hand over his heart and saluted me with a bob of the head which was more of a nod than a bow.

"One good turn does deserve another, so as far as the whole slave business is concerned, let's just forget about it. You may as well have your freedom!"

I was ready to throw another sarcastic insult at him, but he surprised me so much I held back. Last night he had the nerve to take ahold of me and claim me to be his new slave but here he was saying he no longer considered me one. I didn't consider a person like him to do that.

"W-well…" I say. I shifted my stance left and right projecting my surprise in clear daylight. "T-thank you."

"You're quite welcome," the Red Lizard said. "Now might I ask how you've managed to arrive here alive? The last I recall, you were still on the deck of the ship telling that human to run before that foul monster destroyed the ship."

"I-I… honestly have no idea," I tell him. I dig into the reaches of my mind to remember whatever I could amongst the terror and panic of being thrown around by the waves of the storm. "The… the last thing I remember was me sinking into the sea. Then… I heard a voice telling me something. I saw a light then… then the next thing I know, I'm on this beach coughing up sea water."

The Red Lizard pondered what I said. I wasn't sure if he thought my story wasn't believable or not, but he responded.

"Considering how severe that storm was, I wouldn't be surprised if it was Zorl-Stissa herself who spared your life."

Considering how amazed I was to find myself alive on this beach, I wouldn't be surprised if the Goddess of the Lizards herself did save me.

"Maybe," I say. I move on to the next subject. "Are the others who were on the lifeboat here too?"

"Yes," the lizard said. "They're all alive thanks to your bravery. They've all gone their separate ways. Most went up to the fort while… others decided to preserve the feeling of serenity of the open world."

He turns and looks out to the horizon again, as if he was looking at something that he felt was within reach. I hear him sigh.

"Tell me," he said. "What do you see when you cast your glace over this ocean."

I look at the horizon with him. The waves lap against my thoughts from several tranquil moments.

"I see… memories. Memories of my childhood. With my parents and playing in the warm sun."

"Memories," he repeated absently. "Quite so."

He observes the horizon for another moment be for turning back to me. I peal my gaze from the sea and bring it to his.

"As for myself, when I consider this vast expanse before us, I see an empire."

"I know what you mean," I say. "I miss the scent of home as much as you do."

"It's more than that," he said. "I miss the continents dotted with mighty cities. I miss the shimmering along the soft curve of the sea's horizon. But what I miss the most… the palaces that formed my paradise... lost."

I tilt my head.

"'Your' paradise? Lost? What do you mean?"

He responded as if offended. "What do you mean, 'what do I mean'? I mean just what I say: I had a very actual Empire that I lost."

There was a silence between us as he stared at me with utter incredulity.

"Well don't just stand there gawking like an ape at an abacus! Or do you really mean to tell me you don't know who I am?"

I put my scholarly brain into motion to figure out what he was talking about. If he was talking about the Empire and he was talking about it as it was 'his', then that would mean…

"No..." I say with my eyes wide open in awe. The pieces were together, and they showed that he was…

"You...you can't be the notorious Red Prince!"

The Lizard grinned an almost devilish grin.

"The very same! I am the Red Prince! The All-Conqueror, The World-Tamer. The Spouse of the Sun. Of course you know me!"

I did indeed know him. The Red Prince was a figure of grandiose coming from the House of War. Stories told of how he, as a general, directed the Empire's armies and won wars without even leaving the comfort of his own palace. But for some reason, he was cast out and disgraced for something only those behind the walls of the Forbidden City knew about.

There was a brief pause between us. The grandiloquent pose he took deflated.

"Well I guess I was right in my assumption that you were from the House of War when we were aboard the ship," I say.

The Red Prince snorted. I didn't know if it was from amusement or sarcasm.

"Well… thanks for telling me who you are. But I must be off," I turn to walk away.

"Wait!" the Red Prince said. I stopped and turned back. "Where are you going?"

"To… find the human and the elf who were on the lifeboat. I need their help to find a way out of here."

"Those two lower creatures? And not one of your own kin?"

"I…I didn't know you wanted to travel with me. I assumed that since you didn't consider me a slave anymore that you wanted nothing to do with me."

"Just because I let you free does not mean I am not in need of soldiers on the battlefield. A battle cannot be won without soldiers working in unison to fight it. I am in need of some able bodies if I am able to leave this place to reclaim my throne."

I felt torn. This lizard was of royalty of our people. But at the same time, I didn't feel he would be helpful with his attitude. But in the end, I was only one young wizard who had no prior combat experience and would surely parish in a fight on my own if I came across any other foe, be it Magister, Voidwoken or any other danger these far away lands held in store for me.

"Okay," I say. "We can use each other's' help in escaping this place. Once we've escaped, we'll both head home to the Empire."

"Jolly good," He nodded and gave a smile that was on the line of courtesy and contempt. "Before we depart there are certain things I must take care of here."

"What do you need?"

"I've reason to believe a Dreamer is on this island. The first step in regaining my throne is finding this mystic for reasons I will not disclose right now. Unless by chance you are a Dreamer yourself."

I shake my head. "I'm afraid I come from the House of Law."

"Then you must help me find this Dreamer."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Alright then. Second thing you need to know. As you're aware you'll be travelling with a prince. Proper forms of address include 'Your Majesty', 'Your Royal Highness', or if you're feeling particularly frivolous, 'Milord'. And as luck would have it, I seem to be fresh out of luggage, so you won't be required to carry my belongings. Of course, there are other forms of protocol to bear in mind, but I'll see to it you'll pick up the rest as we go."

I tilt my head. "Of course… 'milord.'"

"Excellent!" The Red Prince said "So, without further ado: let us be off!"

"My name's Mahilia by the way," I say.

"I'll do my best to remember that," the Red Prince said. But I could sense he probably wasn't going to commit it.

I turn away and I hear the Red Prince walk down from the rock and step behind me. I didn't know if I made a good choice traveling with this man. He could be more of a burden than a benefit. But I couldn't do anything about it now. I needed to find the others and then figure out what we could about this island and if there was a way out of here.

We proceeded together down the beach. He walked by my side, slightly ahead of me. I wasn't much of a leader, so I guess it made sense that the heir to the throne would be the one to lead this band of convicts. But the fact he was famous for winning battles that he did not attend to had me worried. He directed the legions of our best kin into the bloodshed of battle while the lower officers made the decisions to direct the soldiers to fight the enemy forces at the ground level. That disconnection could be costly since we were only two individuals who weren't equipped, and in my cased trained, to fight against enemies that outnumbered us. Perhaps I should talk to him about how he planned to fight if we got into that situation, though I hoped we would not have to after what happened on the ship. Before I could speak to the Red Prince, I hear a voice shout out.

"Lizard Lady!"

I look up to find three human children running toward me. And to my surprise, they were the three children from the ship. I gasp with exactment and a surge of joy flows though my body. I kneel and hold out my arms awaiting them. All three of them, including the one who seemed afraid of Lizards, clumped together and we all gave each other a large hug. The Red Prince just rolled his eyes and looked aside.

"By the gods, I'm so happy to see you're all okay," I say to the children.

"We're happy too," the girl of the group said. "When we saw the ship break apart, we thought for sure you were dead."

"How'd you survive?" another child asked.

"I honestly don't know," I think back to that moment in the water. "Perhaps it was an actual miracle from the Gods."

"You really think so?"

I nod.

"Well I'm happy that they saved your life," the girl said. "You deserved to since you went to help those people in the hold."

"Couldn't live with myself if I didn't try," I smile, and the children smile back. "Might I ask your names? That way we can keep better track of each other."

"I'm Trice," the girl of the group said.

"My name is Paulie," the red head boy who wasn't afraid of lizards said.

"Sandy," the blond boy who was hesitant to speak to me on the ship said.

"My name is Mahilia."

"That's a lovely name," Trice said.

"Thank you," I say warmly.

"Might I inquire we move on?" The Red Prince said, obviously impatient. "There are more important matters to attend to than conversing with these annoying brats."

"Hey!" Sandy said. "That's not nice!"

"Oh, do shut your mouth," he said. "You shouldn't talk back to greater species let alone royalty."

"I don't like that red lizard," Trice said to me. "He's rude."

I glance at the Red Prince then back at Trice, "That he is. But he's going to help us escape this place."

"We're escaping?" Paulie turned his head toward me. "You mean you're bringing us with you?"

"What?" the Red Prince looked over at me. "You can't possibly believe we can look after these brats. They'll only slow us down."

I want to respond swiftly to him be I stop myself when I think about the bigger picture for the moment. The ship was a different story since it was just a trip down the ladder. But here, there were so many unknown variables that could lead to disastrous results.

"Well… they can be helpful," I say to the Red Prince.

"How?" he gives me a stern look.

But before I could answer, Sandy spoke up. "We could act as scouts."

"Yeah," Paulie said. "We can squeeze into areas you couldn't and find things that can be useful."

"In fact, we found something that can help you out right now."

Trice reached behind her and pulled out, wouldn't you know it, a new wand. Having lost the one I had when I fell into the sea, this was an invaluable replacement.

"Thank you very much," I say as she hands me it.

"You're welcome," Trice said. "Just be careful not to have it out inside the Fort. The Magisters take away weapons they see Sourcerers carry."

I hear the Red Prince sigh. I look up at him.

"Perhaps they can assist in small matters," the Red Prince said. "But if the situation requires we drop everything and run, I will not hesitate to leave these creatures behind."

"Fine," I say.

"You won't leave us behind, will you?" Sandy said.

I felt torn once again. In the shortest amount of time, I had befriended three children, who were without their parents and were of a completely different species. Now I felt I was their caretaker somehow. I guess it could make sense since I was of the age that I could reproduce and have my own brood with a suitable partner. But we were still trapped on this island, without a way to escape.

"No," I say. "I…I won't leave any of you behind. We're all going to escape. Together."

"Thank you Mahilia," Paulie said. "We won't let you down either."

"I appreciate that," I say. "Now let us be off."

"Finally," the Red Prince said rolling his eyes. I stand up and the three children follow suit in following the Prince toward the entrance to the fort.