Disclaimer: I don't own any of the main characters (except for one or two) since the rights to Tales of Zestiria belong to Bandai Namco and NOT me.

Wishes and Malevolence

Sorey and Mikleo headed into Ladylake with a quickened speed.

But, as they entered, they began to take notice of how nothing had changed over these passed twenty five years.

The city was just as grand and just as bright and big as it was all those years ago from what Sorey or Mikleo remembered when they first arrived so many years ago...however the place was decorated with flags and banners and confetti rained down from the skies above.

Clearly there was a celebration going on.

But rain poured down in bucketloads, the skies were filled with dark gray clouds and raindrops pelted the windows. Small white specks of snow started to drift down, mixing in with the rain, from the stormy skies that made it appear as though a strong and fierce blizzard was to arrive within the next week or so.

The thickly-meshed-together, dark clouds started to shift and change shape as the soft winds blew in small slivers of icy coldness that created the occasional noise of high-pitched whistling.

Sorey acquiesced, seeing how that the climate was to only plummet from there.

Wasn't really the type of weather to hold a celebration but to each their own.

Besides the awful weather, the air was jovial and filled with joy that electrified the atmosphere and snapped it back to life.

The confetti started to blend in with the snowflakes, the small droplets of condensed water and thin strips of paper and card whirled and spun as they made their collective ascension to the ground below.

Sorey and Mikleo both slowed their pace as they took a survey of their immediate surroundings.

The roads were bustling as people made their way in the direction of the castle, everyone dressed in thick winter attire to keep themselves warm during this growing rainstorm/snowstorm. The pathway was covered in a sparkly layer of frost and ice, so much so that some even skidded on it a little bit before recovering their footing and continuing their walk, the adults had to carry their children to prevent them from slipping. When the townspeople breathed their breaths were fog which made the air collectively become slightly misted as a result.

How long had this snowstorm mixed with rainfall been going on, had it been going on long?

Was this like Pendrago with how it rained almost constantly?

Not only that but, the longer the brothers stayed, the more that the apparent malevolence started to take its toll on the pair of them; Sorey clutched his chest painfully as he felt as though his internal organs were beginning to knit themselves up in discomfort and his heart thudded painfully in his chest whilst Mikleo, too, clutched his chest but he just doubled over in pain whilst breathing heavily.

The two hunched over for what felt like hours (but in reality it was only a few long seconds) before they finally summoned the strength to straighten their respective postures.

The malevolence was thick in the atmosphere, so thick that it was like a fog of darkness that whirled and twirled and danced in the air —just like the snowflakes and raindrops that threatened to come hammering down.

"Unnnnngh!" The shepherd moaned painfully while still clutching his chest painfully. "I forgot what this felt like..."

Mikleo side-eyed his brother and nodded in agreement.

Sorey couldn't help but feel a wee bit claustrophobic standing amongst such a large group. He didn't know whether or not it was because he spent twenty five years without any human contact but he tried his best to ignore the discomfort settling in the pit of his stomach and just kept his eyes focused on the sights in front of him. After being stuck in limbo for twenty five years, the shepherd felt a tad nervous about being around people but he bit down that silly fear.

Sorey also felt this sense of joy that he was walking among other human beings once more.

"Hey."

Sorey almost jumped out of his skin when he heard his adopted brother's voice ring inside his head and he looked around wildly he set his gaze back to whatever was in front of him. He didn't realise that Mikleo had decided to retreat inside of his brother while he wasn't paying couldn't help but cry out in panic as he clutched his chest tightly to try and calm his racing heartbeat.

He gasped and panted a bit before glaring.

"Mikleo, please don't scare me like that."

Mikleo shrugged.

"Sorry," He muttered "I noticed that you looked a little cold and a bit pale. You wanna sit down for a minute?"

The irritation on Sorey's face melted off of his face and was replaced by a gentle grin.

"I'm fine. It's normally me who asks you that, though." He quipped whilst furrowing a brow at him.

Sorey visualised Mikleo shaking his head.

"If you do get tired then you gotta tell me. You've spent more than two decades purifying Maotelus to get rid of the malevolence in him so it would be understandable that you won't have the energy to cope with things like you would normally."

Mikleo's voice took on a troubled tone.

"Even still, we better ask around to see what's going on here? I don't like this snowfall, the air is heavy with malevolence..."

"And I can't purify it?"

"Not without Lailah, we'd need her for that."

"Right."

It was true.

While the shepherd still had the ancient sword, he still needed Lailah and her power to be able to purify Hellions again.

Sorey kept right on walking, trying his best not to let his feet slip on the ice so as to not tumble right out from under him. He hugged both his arms out of a mix of nerves and as a means of warming himself up against the frigid cold. He skidded on occasion but, somehow, kept himself straight and upright.

He could hear the icy cold wind whistling in his ears, said breeze blowing against his feather earrings.

It felt as though Sorey had made the slowest strides he'd ever made until he had reached the Ladylake marketplace that was in the aquapolis which hadn't changed much since the last time he'd been venturing around the area. Everyone was busying themselves with either going about their daily lives or preparing for whatever celebration was taking place right now.

Sorey spotted an young woman, probably in her early twenties whom was selling goods at her shopping stall.

It seemed that this lady didn't recognise him and, judging by how young she appeared to be, had no clue that he was the shepherd. Of course, the outfit was a dead giveaway but she didn't seem to notice that just yet.

Sorey, seeing this as an opportunity to get some info, approached her in a friendly manner.

"Excuse me. What's the occasion, ma'am?"

The lady looked up from whatever she was doing and stared at Sorey for a moment until she seemed to get herself into a salesperson mindset. Nevertheless, even though she found it quite odd, the young woman decided to answer the man's inquiry with a plaintive smile twitching upon her soft peach-coloured lips. Clearly she had no clue as to who he really was.

"Oh? Have you come all this way to see the crowning of the prince?" Asked the woman.

Sorey froze.

The prince? What prince? Last time Sorey was in ladylake, Alisha was still the princess! But, then again, he did keep having to remind himself that the last time he'd seen her was twenty five years ago; it's more than likely that Alisha was queen now but, if there was a prince now then that could only mean one thing...

"The...the prince? What do you mean?"

"Prince Zenrey! He's the son of queen Alisha, bless her resting soul."

Sorey's eyes widened so much that they almost popped right out of their sockets, his mind just about to explode.

The lady continued to speak, oblivious to the shepherd's disbelief.

"If you are here for the coronation then I'm afraid you were too late, it's been cancelled not just because of the rough weather conditions but also because the prince never showed for the coronation in the first place."

Sorey almost blanked out after hearing the shocking news about this new prince.

Alisha...had a son!? She managed to have a family during his time away!? He felt his heart threaten to crumble at the realisation since he wanted to be able to have a family with her someday. He wanted to be a parent, just like Gramps was to him and Mikleo, but he couldn't help but wonder if Alisha lived her best life after having her son? Who did she marry? Who fathered her child? Was he a man who treated Alisha with the respect she deserved?

But, at the same time, he couldn't help but be slightly befuddled about the "never showed up for the coronation in the first place" part of the sentence so alas, in the midst of his attempt to sort out the chaotic storm of emotion and thoughts in his own mind, the shepherd's ears had managed to latch on and catch the rest of that last sentence and he immediately fixated on it.

Regardless, he thought he should ask for his lover's well-being afore all else.

"What about Pri...Queen Alisha? How is she doing? What did you mean by that last bit?"

The lady was stunned as she stared at Sorey in bewilderment.

"Several years ago she vanished without a trace, she's been assumed deceased since! Have you not heard?"

Sorey could only give a shake of his head in response at that moment.

A spike of devastation shot through him.

He felt all the blood drain from his now light head and his vision started to spin, his world started to whirl around and his feet began to sway underneath him. He started to feel numb and he began to stumble backwards as though he were about to faint...only to fall back into someone's arms.

Sorey heard Mikleo's voice ring in his ears, except he was back outside this time.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah. Easy there. Take it in slowly, I know it's a lot."

Sorey was still in a state of disbelief.

Alisha...had vanished, was she dead? No! She couldn't have died! She was far too strong and brave and...and...

Tears of sadness started to fill his eyes as he ground his teeth and shook his head in refusal, drops of rainwater and snowflakes flying in all directions as his swift head movements flicked the raindrops off of the tips of his spiky hair. He blinked the tears back, though, and sucked in a breath through his gritted teeth to try and steady himself.

Pain and heartache rippled through Sorey's entire being.

"What...What happened, Mikleo...?"

Mikleo flinched when he heard the agony anchoring his brother's voice, trying to steady the biologically younger man in his arms as he kept his grip firm on the human's shoulders and he kept his own voice mellow so as to soothe Sorey's stricken soul to provide emotional support.

Nevertheless, the water seraph decided that it was time to answer that long awaited inquiry regarding Alisha.

"I...I didn't want to tell you encase I overwhelmed you as I mentioned back in the ruins so I wanted you to get some more time before explaining but I guess there's nothing for it now; Alisha was kidnapped a year after you vanished. We don't know who did it or why but we refuse to give up on her. Besides, you lost one squire already and we didn't need you hearing how you lost your other trusted squire right away."

Sorey silently pondered about all this.

So Alisha had been kidnapped, but nobody knew of her fate.

Who could have kidnapped her and why? If they wanted to hold her for ransom then they would have released her after they got their money's worth. Could it be that someone wanted to get her out of the way? She was very influential as the princess (queen) so maybe some powerful people wanted to seize power. But then wouldn't they have just killed her, wouldn't that have been easier?

No...no, there must be something he was missing.

There must be an alternate motive for this.

However, Sorey had Alisha as his squire for some time so, maybe, he could try and sense her location? He didn't know whether or not his abilities as the shepherd would grant him such an ability but it's been so long since he'd last used it and he was still trying to get back to full power.

He made a mental note to ask Lailah about it.

Sorey felt numb as he started to make his way to where the castle was...or at least where he remembered it was since he was very much aware of the fact that a lot could change in twenty five years. As he walked, he was reminded of the very first time he had come when he and Mikleo set out into the big wide world all by themselves.

He remembered vividly how he wandered into the sanctuary and inadvertently took part in the Sacred blade festival where he drew the ancient sword from the stone, partly to rescue Alisha and partly to save the audience attending from drowning in malevolence and to slay the hellion that was wreaking havoc.

He also remembered how he made Alisha his squire and how the two of them had formed a strong bond.

Sorey hadn't dwelled upon it much but, every time he interacted with her his heart would pound in his chest and he'd feel this need to stick close to her and keep her safe. He tried to ignore it since he knew that he needed to focus on not only his role as the shepherd to save the world but he also needed to make sure that his friends were kept safe.

But, now that he thought about it, he began to wonder if what he was feeling meant that...he'd been crushing on Alisha all along?

No.

This was more than a crush.

He knew it...but he didn't know how to admit it to himself.

Sorey shook his head, admonishing himself mentally. Now was not the time to be thinking about such things! Not only was he freezing and keen to get inside but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

Sorey struggled to clear the thickness from his voice as he resumed speaking.

"So, do you know where Lailah is? My guess was that she went back here to Ladylake but we haven't been able to find her anywhere."

Mikleo replied thoughtfully.

"That could only mean that she is still doing her training over in Gododdin, the lost village; after you...left...she decided to work on her fire power for a bit at the Igraine trail of fire."

It clicked in Sorey's mind then.

Of course a fire seraph would decide to go train at a fire trial...

The shepherd didn't have much more time to ponder on this revelation as he heard a voice shout out.

"Oh. My. GOODNESS! THE SHEPHERD HAS FINALLY RETURNED!" A distant voice cried out, garnering the attention of literally everyone around.

Sorey felt his blood freeze in his veins and he watched as all eyes fell on him and he immediately felt this strange sense of foreboding and impending doom; he was really hoping that he wouldn't be recognised right away but it appeared that he didn't have the foresight to remember that there would probably be some people alive who saw him 25 years prior.

He was thrilled that everyone in Ladylake loved him so much...

Before he even had the chance to run for his life, Sorey was crowded and bombarded with questions he couldn't quite pick up on due to the incessant chattering of every individual at once. He made an (failed) attempt to settle the situation down as he held both hands up in a calming gesture, showing the palms.

"H-Hey! One at a time! Don't crowd each other! Please settle down!"

But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The crowd just continued on with their highly-enthusiastic clamouring and chattering, each individual shouts and yell tangled and intermingled with many others as each and every single sentence and word drowned in an ocean of non-intelligibility.

Sorey and everyone only stopped when a small and insignificant pebble flew up into the air, zipping around, whirling and spinning before finally clicking and skidding down on to the cold and slippery cobblestone pathway; the world seemed to have been set on pause as everyone just stared at the levitating rock in a mix of awe and pure bewilderment, as if they were trying to comprehend what they were witnessing.

Sorey saw Mikleo holding the small pebble and flicking it while everyone else just saw a floating stone.

Mikleo was standing a little ways behind the crowd as he sent a nod Sorey's way, silently telling him to go on ahead while he distracted the townsfolk so that Sorey could avoid being crowded and mobbed to death.

Sorey grinned with relief and he cast a grateful thumbs up to the seraph.

This was his chance!

"Thanks Mikleo!"

Alas with that, before he could be seen, Sorey made a break for the castle in both an attempt to get away from the citizens predictably going to stalk him like predators to a prickleboar and in an attempt to investigate what he'd heard earlier. Not only was he keen to meet this prince but he also wanted to investigate Alisha's disappearance as soon as humanly possible.

He ran as fast as a human's legs allowed him, eager to get out of the rain and snow.

Upon entering the castle, he was greeted by some of the palace guards.

They both looked startled...especially when they saw Sorey's attire.

Sorey packed his hurt over Alisha away and stored all thoughts and feelings towards her and her current circumstances into the recesses within his mind, planning to sort them out later on when he wasn't trying to solve other problems. He needed to focus on what was happening and what he was doing right now, he needn't dwell on his personal feelings right now.

He, with the escort of the guards, was led through the castle.

He couldn't help but notice how that nothing about the castle had changed even after all these years had passed, it was almost as if no time had changed at all.

It was beginning to become increasingly obvious that his arrival was becoming well-known as he was continuously on the receiving end of some disbelieving stares and became the subject of slack-jawed gawking.

He waved shyly in unease whenever he'd happen to glance over at someone gawping at him.

The shepherd was eventually escorted into the main throne room where he met a young man whom was apparently the prince of Ladylake...

It was obvious that this boy was Alisha's son.

The prince did certainly inherit some traits from Alisha such as her Sandy blonde hair which reached down to the bottom of his neck, her lime green eyes and he even wore the transparent parts of Alisha's armoury...but he also had some other traits such as dark brown tints to the lower parts of his hair and he also had some other particular traits such as the shape of his chin.

Upon standing in front of the prince, Sorey felt this strange stirring in his chest as he stood in front of the young man sat upon the throne —his body felt numb and he couldn't explain it but he did feel strange.

Zenrey wore a small golden ringlet upon his brow that was adorned with a single Ruby red jewel, probably a symbol of his royal status —like a crown or something.

Sorey caught himself staring and tried to disguise it by hanging his head and dropping down to his knees in a bow.

"It's, uh, nice to meet ya, your highness."

The prince stared at Sorey for a moment before smiling at him warmly, in a manner that reminded Sorey yet again of Alisha, and he spoke —the tone of his voice was sincere as were his eyes as they were agleam with compassion as well as solicitude.

"C'mon, Shepherd Sorey, on your feet. As a friend of my mother, it'd be pretty remiss of me to ask you to bow before me; any friend of my mum is a friend of mine."

Sorey flinched when Alisha was mentioned.

Even though he just learned of what had happened to her, he felt a pang of pain hit him right in the heart at the reminder that not only did she marry someone else but she also vanished and no one knew of her fate nor her whereabouts.

However, while he was upset about it, he refused to hold it against Alisha since he had no idea why she left and it could even be said that she left against her own free will...but something was very wrong with that equation since Alisha cared for her people far too much to abandon them and, most likely, even more so her son.

Regardless, he didn't need to be told twice as he stood up.

Instead of bowing, he walked over and proceeded to take the young man's hand into his own and shook it vigorously...however, Sorey felt a hint of discomfort as he felt a multitude of scowling eyes set their sights upon him and he immediately got the impression that not everyone approved of him greeting the new sovereign like this.

Zenrey, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes and sighed whilst still gripping on tight to the shepherd's hand.

Sorey and the prince watched as an elderly man approached, he was tall and had a broad yet muscular build while his face was as hard as stone. He was well-poised and had a rather "hoity-toity" air about him as he kept his own nose raised in the air whilst literally looking down upon the shepherd and the prince. He wore nice velvet white robes and he had a poise that caused instant dislike in anyone who may have already been unfortunate enough to met him.

He seemed somewhat pompous.

"Prince Zenrey, I'd rather not you greet your subjects in such a roguish and peasantry manner." The man spoke in a tone of voice that was as cold as the flurries that fell in the old town of Merchio "This man may be the almighty shepherd but you needn't be so naive as to trust him at face value alone. You are royalty and, if you don't let people show you the respect royalty deserves then you'll just end up letting your subjects walk all over you."

Sorey found this guy's attitude, demeanour and all around rudeness to anyone of lower social status not only distasteful but also reminiscent of the late Chancellor/Lord Bartlow. Regardless, he decided to just be civil.

He retracted his hand and looked down with guilt.

"Sorry..."

In the meantime, Zen just rolled his eyes in irritation.

"But Augustine! I don't want-"

"No buts! You will listen to what you're told and do it!"

Sorey couldn't help but find this hard to watch. He watched as Zen's head lowered and his eyes darkened, he looked as if he wanted the very floor below him to swallow him whole. It also looked like this man's words were really cutting into his heart like a swords blade cutting into the bark of a chunk of wood.

His heart ached in sympathy for the prince.

But the old man had more to lay on the kid's shoulders.

"And what's more is that you were nowhere to be seen for your coronation! Where were you? What could you have possibly been doing that was apparently much more important than what should be the most important moment of your life!?"

Zenrey didn't answer, instead he just kept gazing at the marble flooring beneath his feet, clearly finding the ground far better to look at instead of the face full of fury that was on the older man's face whom berated him so aggressively.

The old man continued. "Well? Answer me! It's bad enough that this weather has made it hard to celebrate almost anything at the moment but we were supposed to have this celebration for you and you couldn't even have the common decency to even make an appearance! You'd do well to give me a good answer for your tardiness!"

"Well, Augustine...I...I didn't want to-"

"What you do or don't want is not part of the big picture, you WILL be coronated whether you want to or not! Your duty is not to question but to become king and lead! Do I make myself clear!?"

"...Yes sir..." Zen muttered, a dark look overcoming his facial features.

The man known as Augustine harrumphed as he turned his back to both the prince and the shepherd and started to walk off towards the direction of the royal chambers.

Everyone else either stood idly around or awkwardly gawking at Sorey.

Sorey stood off to the side awkwardly (just like everyone else) with a huge frown and wide eyes. He couldn't help but feel sort of responsible for all this, perhaps if he'd waited a little then maybe he wouldn't have come at such a bad time and maybe keep such a brutal argument between Zen and that Augustine guy at bay...

Zen didn't say anything as he slumped his shoulders and skulked off, a dark and angry aura gathering around him like a storm, but not without giving a wave of his hand as if to gesture to Sorey to follow him.

The shepherd was happy to oblige as he chased after the prince, being careful not to say or do anything to worsen the awkwardness that hung in the air.

The Prince of Ladylake and the shepherd whom saved the world traipsed down the castle hallways, walking passed several stain glass windows that had many a various depiction. The glass of the multicoloured windows cast flickering red lights as well as the odd shade of amber orange/yellow and even a sapphire blue; the colours beamed through the windows and danced across the marble floors of the castle hallways.

A silence brewed between the two men, a drawn out and very uncomfortable one at that.

Zen finally spoke up, shooting an apologetic glance over to a troubled-looking Sorey.

"Sorry you had to see that and about Augustine's harsh behaviour, Sir shepherd Sorey. He's been my advisor and has raised me since I was a babe so I guess he's a little protective."

Protective?

Sure, maybe.

Sorey couldn't help but feel that there was more to it than just overprotective instincts, though. His face turned into a bright shade of scarlet and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed about being referred to as "Sir" or anything formal. He didn't want to be treated like royalty, he wanted to be treated with the same respect as everyone else —an equal.

"Oh, uh, just Sorey is fine. You don't have to be so formal with me either."

Zen nodded his head in agreement before falling silent once more.

The two men walked alongside one another whilst taking in the awkward silence, unsure of what more to say to one another. Whilst they walked, Sorey decided to silently occupy himself by surveying the glass stained windows that they were passing, looking at not only their beautiful colourful patterns but also the images depicted upon them.

There were many imaged sculpted into the stain glass windows such as crowns, jewels, what looked to be historical events and much others. Even though he hadn't toured this part of the castle before, he knew that nothing had changed about it; the castle interior was in the exact same condition as it was all two decades ago.

But, even still, that got Sorey thinking.

He had missed so many years of seeing this world progress into something new and foreign to him and he didn't know how to handle it.

"How much have I missed...?"

Sorey's expression became rather pained and somber as he was taken aback at the realisation; he really had been abandoned in time in every sense of the word, time had practically marched on without him. His friends had lived their lives peacefully and he wasn't around to see any of it; granted, he was thrilled that those close to him had lived such peaceful and happy lives...but that didn't make it hurt any less.

As though sensing his internal struggles, Zen spoke up suddenly.

"Are you thinking about how much has changed?"

Sorey blinked and stared at the prince in surprise.

How did he know...?

"Of course, I can't imagine what it must have been like —being stuck in limbo for so long— but I can assure you that both countries of Hyland and Rolance are in near perfect tranquil harmony, true there are a couple of fights that break out between them but they seem to be like miniature squabbles that are amended within a short span of time."

The two finally stopped, turned to face the wall and stared at a fairly large portrait that hung high in front of them, nestled in between a pair of especially large glass stain windows.

The portrait depicted a familiar woman with innocent yet kind and courageous lime green eyes staring and a soft smile painted upon her lips. Her Sandy brown twisted hair was done up into a blend of a bun and a ponytail, a diadem sat upon her brow. She wore an elegant fluffy cape around her neck.

Queen Alisha...

The Shepherd and the prince stood in silence for a long few moments until the latter spoke.

"...Growing up things were both hard and easy, hard as in I was constantly being reminded about how I was gonna rule someday while it was easy because I also had my needs and wants met whenever I asked...I even snuck out of the castle to play every once in awhile when I had to get away from my responsibilities."

Zen chuckled to himself at the memory, seeming reminiscent of his childhood.

Sorey grinned.

"Sounds like you had a good childhood."

The smile on Zen's face dropped within an instant.

"Not really. With my mother gone, I was never allowed much privacy or freedom. I was confined to the castle all my life with people constantly watching over me; it was stifling. I felt like a caged bird and the only freedom I ever got was during those times I could sneak out..."

Sorey flinched at his error. He should have thought better than to make assumptions like that, of course the kid had a rough childhood. He lost his mother when he was little, was forced into a role filled with this crushing pressure and didn't seem to actually be given a chance to be a child overall.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made such assumptions."

Zen looked alarmed and waved his hands about, showing the palms of his hands, hoping to avoid making the shepherd feel too bad.

"O-Oh, don't mistake my reminiscing as complaining! I'm truly grateful for everything I've got! I just..."

Zen sighed as he slumped depressively.

"All my life I've heard nothing but how I have to take my mother's place. Ever since she disappeared when I was a baby, I have been preparing for how I've gotta be king someday. I just don't feel ready for the responsibility yet."

Sorey looked at the young man with a pained expression.

"But...But what about your dad?"

Zenrey shook his head.

"I never met him. Don't even know who he is."

Sorey's heart quivered as though a giant fissure was about to split it open.

Zenrey didn't even know who his dad was? Never even met him? That was curious, if Sorey wasn't mistaken then anybody who Alisha were to be betrothed to would have wound up becoming king the second Alisha became absent...so why didn't that happen? Alisha wasn't the kind of person to just meet up with a random guy either, she was more the responsible type.

This was boggling his mind to no end!

What was going on...?!

The more Sorey learned about the circumstances, the more he found that the pieces to this puzzle were mismatching the situation; nothing was adding up here.

The shepherd decided to just offer his support in any means necessary.

"Don't worry about it. Since I'm back, I can stick around and give you support when you need it! It's normal to feel nervous, Zen—I can call you that, right?"

"By all means."

"Okay. I don't know much about ruling but I've been around Alish-errr, your mother enough that I might have picked up a thing or two from her so I can give ya a helping hand,"

Zen stared at Sorey in stunned wonderment for a few long moments before his eyes teared up somewhat and he bowed his head in gratitude. His brain couldn't even conjure up the words to try and express how thankful he felt towards the shepherd, he didn't know why but he felt like he could easily trust this guy and that he wouldn't betray him. He was always warned of how people would betray him but he always took those words with a pinch of salt.

"Thank you, sir shepherd...you have no idea how much hearing that means to me." He said.

Sorey felt a blush of paint his cheeks scarlet as he glanced over his shoulder while he reached over and scratched the back of his neck bashfully. He couldn't help but be humbled hearing such polite gratitude coming from this young man. His shoulders rose and his heart and gut twisted.

He didn't know why he felt strange right now but it was as if he knew this boy.

He decided to move the conversation.

"Sooo...this snow, sleet and rain. How long has it been going on?"

Zen stared at the shepherd in confusion.

"Two months, non-stop."

Sorey's brows knitted together in concern.

"Really? It didn't stop once?"

Zen shook his head.

"Not once, not when it was supposed to be raining or when the sun was supposed to be shining."

"Hmm..." Sorey hummed thoughtfully. "I think I know how to get rid of the rain, snow and drizzle but it means I've gotta go all the way to a small secluded village in the mountains over to the Rolance area and find someone."

Zen seemed stunned for a moment, his mind absorbing the words, and he smiled a little albeit timidly.

"Okay, but I've got a proposal for you."

Sorey was intrigued but didn't say anything as he gave the shepherd his cue to explain what this proposal was.

Zen did just that.

"Please allow me to company you."

"Huh? Why would you wanna come?"

"W-Well...I mean, as prince of Hyland I think it's my duty to check out all of this world so I could learn to be a better king."

Sorey quirked a dubious brow at him but he couldn't help but let a coy smirk play on his lips; he had a strong feeling that there was one more reason as to why he wanted to come along to go get a hold of Lailah.

"And the other reason?"

Zen looked like he had his hand caught fishing in the cookie jar and reached up to scratch the back of his neck in a mix of embarrassment and guilt. The prince admitted in a quiet tone of voice, whispering so he couldn't be heard by any unwanted eavesdroppers.

"...I also kind of want to get a bit more freedom packed in there before I'm shackled to the throne."

Sorey blinked.

From the sounds of things, Zen didn't really like the responsibility of being king...and he couldn't blame him; if Sorey was assuming things correctly then he would had guessed that Zen was pressured into his role because of the legacy Alisha had left behind when she vanished. Sorey felt his heart break a bit for Zen since, if he were to see things from his perspective, then his circumstances didn't sound all that fun.

So, if that was the case, perhaps letting the man get out a bit would be beneficial.

A small smile twitched upon the shepherd's lips and he nodded in agreement.

"Okay. Let's go together, Zenrey."

Zenrey blinked disbelievingly.

"R-Really? You mean it?"

Sorey nodded, a huge smile on his face.

Zen put a thoughtful finger to his chin as if to ponder deeply on the proposal.

True, he really wanted to go out especially since this was his very first time...but that was also the exact reason why he hesitated. The only times he had ever set foot into the outside world was when he was trying to escape his royal responsibilities on the odd occasion.

Sorey took notice of the prince's reluctance and smiled warmly at him.

"Listen, kid. I was a little nervous about leaving my home at the beginning and Ali-uhh, your mother encouraged me. I wanna do the same for you."

The prince smiled back and nodded gratefully.

"Hey. Do you think we can look for some ruins too? I've read the Celestial record and-"

Zenrey never got to finish that sentence since Sorey abruptly lunged right at him and grabbed him by the shoulders.

Sorey's eyes practically sparkled when he heard that. Zen had read the Celestial record!? Really!? Even though it had been such a long time since he had read it, he had still felt the words and information, facts and theories of many people from the past flow through his veins and echo in his mind. He didn't know why but he felt a huge surge of pride when he heard that and he couldn't contain his mix of disbelief or his enthusiasm.

leaned in so close that his face was inches away from the prince's face.

"YOU'VE READ THE CELESTIAL RECORD!?" Sorey exclaimed excitedly.

Zen couldn't help but shuffle uncomfortably on the spot.

"Uhhh...yeah? It was my favourite book when I was little, I read it religiously through the years and I thought by the end of it 'I want to travel the world and search for all the worlds ruins'"

Sorey wore the biggest smile imaginable after hearing that, his eyes shimmered as if he were about to cry; he felt this strange and misplaced sense of pride and couldn't help but be reminded of himself when he was (in a sense) younger and had the very same thoughts and dreams when he was growing up reading that book. Hearing Zen say those words instantly lit a spark of a flame in his heart as he grabbed hold of Zen's arm and started dragging him along.

He was going to find some ruins and get this boy to explore some...after grabbing Lailah and the others and saving Ladylake but he swore that he was going to do that!

He felt like he needed to.

"Well, c'mon then! Let's get you some ruins to explore!"

Sorey proceeded to seize hold of Zen's arm and continued to drag him along behind him, off down the hallways.

Zen started to cry out in panic.

"HEY! WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! I GOTTA GET PREPARED AND GATHER UP MY THINGS!"

A/N: Hi, everyone! Heres a new chapter.

In this chapter we meet Zenrey and it seems like Sorey has made a new friend in him.

What will Mikleo think when he gets back?

Will they find Lailah?

What will be in store for our heroes?

Don't forget to review and fave, everyone!

-Chloemcg