Chapter 9: You're our King

Javier is in the net as he looks and sees where he is. Desolate canyon lands… St. Aegolius. He then is brought to a large base that looks in somewhat ruin. He then remembers a faint memory of seeing this place before. He then is brought into the courtyard and he is released from the net in a violent manner in front of Morin, Celia and Zekal. He looks around and sees all of the owls looking at him, watching his every move.

"Are you… Pure Ones?" Javier asks

"You should know, Javier." Morin says

"How did you know my name?" Javier asks

They all bow before him and he looks around confused. How did they know his name? Why are they bowing? Javier has an awkward look on his face as Morin steps forward.

"You are Prince Javier, son of Nyroc and Elanore. I am Morin, General of the Pure Ones." Morin says

"Right, so… Let me guess, you knew them?" Javier asks

Morin chuckles "Knew them? I had served under them and I was there when you and your sister were born."

"What my husband is trying to say, sweetie, is that you are our king." Celia explains

"So that is what the scrooms were on about." Javier thinks to himself before he speaks up "So, I'm the king eh? Sweet."

"Morin, please give an explanation. He is sixteen, he won't know much." Celia orders

"Alright, Celia, keep your head on." Morin replies

"Yeah, mum, keep ya head on." Zekal says before he cops a smack on the head

"Javier, you and your sister were born two weeks before the Aligned Forces attacked. Coryn killed your parents without mercy and took you and Elysia away. This is your home and birthplace. Coryn has been lying to you for your whole life. You are son of Nyroc, who was his son named Zayin, and Elanore. You were supposed to grow up here to learn what the sacred beliefs of the Pure Ones. You were to become King someday." Morin explains

"So… I was born here. Looks like a dump." Javier says

"Since the attack, the base has been in despair. We have been in lockdown and haven't been able to fix the damages done that night sixteen years ago." Morin says

"So, you have been hiding from Ezylryb and Autumn's crusade for this long?" Javier asks

"Pretty much." Morin replies

Javier then takes two steps and Morin, Celia and Zekal watch as he walks around the courtyard. In his memories, he sees soldiers training, Morin constantly barking orders and Celia running around chasing young Zekal. Now, he sees nothing more than what is left of the Pure Ones and a base in dire ruin and despair. It is as if it has been dead for this long. He walks into the throne room and his mind flashes to see soldiers and his parents before turning back into complete silence. Morin and Celia follow the son of their deceased king and queen and great-grandson of Kludd and Nyra inventively.

Javier walks around the throne room and there is faded out bloodstains on the floor. He looks back and Morin turns his head away in mourning and angst. Javier gathers that this is where his father fell dead. He imagines his grandfather killing his father in a gruesome way, he shudders at the thought. Could his grandfather, the great and noble Lord Coryn of Hoole, really kill his own son, his father, Nyroc/Coryn-Zayin? He then walks up some stairs and he then walks into a room with an open door, which he recognises almost, immediately…

"They don't have red eyes…" Coryn says

"Must be lucky. Who knows what evil could have been breed into them." Josh adds

Javier sees a younger version of his sister, Elysia. She is crying tears in her golden eyes. He feels like he has transformed into an owlet of around hatchling age again. He is a brown and downy ball of feathers like his sister, who has a darker shade than he does.

"I would have had their mother join us. She wanted a second chance before she killed herself and I offered her to join us. Her eyes were the same colour as my granddaughter's." Coryn says

"Things will never change. She will hate Guardians regardless of any side she is. If she loved Metalbeak, hanged out with Kludd and was the surrogate of Nyra, she would really hate Guardians." Josh replies

"I know. It was worth a try anyways." Coryn agrees

Javier sees his grandfather, of age 22, standing over him with Josh. He stares with curiosity, as he was only young. He has some cuts and scratches on him and he thinks that Coryn was just fighting someone… Coryn lowers his head to their height and sighs sadly.

"I know you don't understand, being owlets and all, but, I am your grandfather. I know you are missing your mum, but she… never mind." Coryn says

Coryn then wrapped a scarf around them and carried them away from St. Aegolius… Javier sees himself being flown away from the base as Pure Ones escape into the shadows.

Back to now, Javier looks at some of the things left in the room before he ends up walking away. Morin and Celia can remember when Elanore was raising Javier and Elysia. She never yelled at her children, never scolded and always loved them. Within these vague memories, Javier sees what the Pure One base used to be He then is in the library when he stares up at a portrait he has seen before, but a smaller version.

He feels like his mother and father are watching him while Elysa, little miss goody two claws, is just being her usual younger sister self. He often hates how his grandfather would always treat his sister kindly. He does remember what Coryn had said about girls and how sensitive they are, but that is beside the point.

Morin and Celia come beside him and he just continues to stare at the portrait. Deafening, nerving silence fills the room before Morin breaks this silence.

"This was painted just a few days before your parents met their end. Your father was a courageous and true fighter for our beliefs and your mother… Hagsmire, she is quite a woman, Javier. As silent as a whisper, as beautiful as Goddess Amara, as strong as a great grey… She was a noble and beautiful woman who fought till her dying breath." Morin enlightens Javier as he continues to stare

"Javier, you are a descendant of Kludd, he was our king a while ago. Coryn, your grandfather broke the bloodline then your father, Nyroc put it back together by having you and your sister. In this bloodline rule, you have darkness inside of you. You are the true king if your sister shows no sign of darkness." Celia explains

"She is too much of a baby to be evil. She is just a bloody girl who always makes grandfather proud. I am sick and tired of her and how she will always steal the spotlight from me. I will become your king, Pure Ones, just you watch." Javier says with hostility in his voice