Author's Notes:

I fixed up some grammar and punctuation issues that I found while rereading the prologue. No changes have been made to the plot though. Sorry for uploading a few days late. I got a rocket-book, which learns my hand writing and automatically turns my writing into text, so that I don't have to retype my drafts, saving me time on editing, and motivating me to write more often. (I prefer drafting with pen and paper, and I'm always writing that way.) I did have an error with this chapter uploading to my email (several pages weren't syncing) which is why it took a few more days.

If you find any issues that I may have overlooked, please let me know and I will fix them right away. I'd also love to hear your feedback on the world I've thought up, as well as the plot for my story.

I do leave updates on my profile for anyone waiting for my chapter updates. Thank you for reading, and I hope you will enjoy this story, and please be patient with me.

"You're home?" Seto stood, his blond hair falling just below his shoulders, with one long strand tied back, lying against his collar bone.

His older brother chuckled. "It's not for long, so don't get used to it."

Mokuba stood a full foot taller than he did. The two truly looked nothing alike. Mokuba's hair was black as coal, and his eyes resembled their mother's, a piercing red. The years of working on the farm had his muscles defined, and his body toned. If ever there were a man who resembled he last guardian, it was surely him.

"No need to be crude." Seto scratched the back of his head. "It's a long way away from the imperial city. If you're headed back, I'm assuming things have gone well for you?"

An optimistic smile crept over him. "It's not everything I've ever dreamed, but so far things are proving to be in my favor."

"Oh yeah?" Seto didn't actually care much, but waved his brother to follow him as he stood up. "Well, tell me more over dinner. I have to get my stew over the fire."

"I have so many things to tell you. I can hardly wait that long!" His brother was always more excitable than Seto ever was. "And actually..."

Mokuba took large strides to match his brother's pacing. He lied his hand on Seto's shoulder, pulling him to a halt. Seto peered over his shoulder, his darker purple eyes with the oddly white pupils staring back at him. Another horrid reminder that he was a chip off the old block and a spitting image at that.

"I won't be able to stay that long either." Mokuba's smile had quickly faded. "I'm actually on an assignment right now."

"Assignment?" Seto asked. "Doing what exactly?"

"Well… Just as I set out to do..." Mokuba stood in attention, his demeanor now serious. "I've been knighted 'Sir Mokuba.' Of the imperial guard at that."

Seto couldn't fully face him, but still stared over his shoulder. It only took him a moment to turn and continue walking to his home.

"Congratulations." He sighed, not seeing the appeal in being a soldier when the only threat to all of Atlantis was their father, whom was locked away for eternity. "I'm glad you got what you wanted."

"W—wait!" Mokuba ran after his brother. "I know you're against the imperial knights. I get that, but I've come to ask you for a favor..."

"What could a farm boy like myself possibly do for an imperial guard, huh?" Seto started down the hill towards the pathway that would lead him to his house.

"I want you to be there…" He was forward with his request. "You don't need to live on this farm, worrying about the harvests constantly anymore."

"No." Seto didn't hesitate to reject the offer.

"I'm not asking you to become a soldier." Mokuba continued. "I make enough now for the two of us to live comfortably. And in the city for that matter!"

"No." Seto rolled his eyes and continued forward.

He was comfortable where he was; the home he was raised in, doing the laborious work he took pride in. Sure, not having anyone to help him made it more difficult and caused him to spend the majority of his time working, but every single year, it was his crops that were purchased to be taken to the kingdom. His produce was cooked, prepared, and served to the royals. If he was to be the last person to work on this farm, than he'd gladly do so until the day he died.

"If you won't come to stay… Will you at least come to view my judgment?" Mokuba's words stopped Seto in his tracks. He swallowed the air drying out his mouth before continuing, "The oracle will be passing judgment on me in twelve days. It's important to me… I'm already making my way through the ranks. Even the princess of the west sees potential in me to become a royal knight. And..."

There was a silence between the two for a moment.

"And I want to know if I carry the blood of a dragon… Just like mom." Mokuba stared to the dirt below.

"Is that so?" Seto asked, again not actually caring all that much.

"Yes… While I was training in the arena against other soldiers… The princess of the west was passing by on the imperial bridge the crosses over the colosseum." Mokuba looked up to the sea, staring to the dome as if he were recalling the memory. "She was walking with the guardian, Hermos. She was running her hand over the sides of the walls, gracing the limestone with her touch." He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, clearly taken by her. "I caught her eye with my resemblance to the previous guardian, who they still await on his reincarnate. She had one of the royal guard meet with me, handing me a scroll that requested my meeting with the oracle, as decree by the Princess of the West, and the parchment was even embedded with her seal as proof of royalty. Given the date… I was sent on an assignment to complete before returning to the city and preparing for my judgment..."

Mokuba let out a brief sigh, soaking in the distorted rays of the sun before looking back forward to his brother, whose back remained turned to him. "So please… will you at least come to my judgment?"

Finally, Seto turned back to his older brother. He, too, sighed, but for different reasons. "Even if I wanted to go, I wouldn't be able to. I'm the only one tending the crops here now. Just a few days could wither my fields, and ruin the harvest that the kingdom is expecting. The royals expect my harvests to be plentiful. I can't afford to leave, and you and I both know that the kingdom is a four day walk, with little time to rest between nights."

"You wouldn't be going by foot, I can send a carriage for you and cut two days off your way in to the city and two days off your way back home."

Mokuba bargained with him." And I can pay the neighboring farm keepers to tend to your fields in your absence."

Seto sighed again. It just came down to the fact that he didn't want to go. The furthest that he' s left his home was to the market place outside the first city' s walls. It was a day and a half by foot, and he only ever was there to trade off produce for money or materials. And it wasn't fear keeping him away… It was Seto' s own resemblance to his father that kept him away. The moment anyone looked at his eyes, they would know he was the son of the criminal.

"It's important to me, Seto." Mokuba explained, "I want to know if my blood holds dragon's blood… Like moms…"

"Why is it important that I'm there though?" Seto tried to level a with him. "If people see you with me… They'll know your also the son of the criminal..."

"The princess already knows, and she doesn't care..." Mokuba rubbed his forehead in frustration."What can I do to get you to go?"

" You want to negotiate?"

" If that's what it takes."

Seto closed his eyes, trying not to get a head ache from this banter. What could be enough to get him to go? What would make the trip worth it to him? All he wanted to do was work on his farm.

"I want help on the farm. Be it a hired hand or new tools." Seto opened his eyes and blew his bangs out of his face. "That's my condition."

Mokuba smiled. "That can be arranged! I'll get a messenger out to request aid from the neighboring farmers, to tend your fields during your absence. We'll depart in seven days. After the judgment, you'll be compensated with either workers or tools; whichever you choose. I'll then have a carriage deliver you home, so everything will go back to how things were. I'll even supply payment for those who worked on your farm during your leave."

"We'll depart in seven days, and yet you can't even stay for dinner?" Seto sounded like a mother, scolding their child for being late…

"I told you. I'm on an assignment." His eyes retreated to the side as he though critically thinking for a moment. "I should probably get back now honestly… I'm on an escort assignment… But I was asked to turn a blind eye for a bit..."

Seto rose a brow, somewhat curious, but not enough to intrude on his brother's work. "Fetch me for our departure when the day comes then. I've got dinner to prepare and more work to do before the night. I also need to visit the shrine today."

"The dragon of the south's shrine?"

"Yes." Seto turned to make his leave. "Today's the offering day for me. I do an offering every few days with a prayer."

"Mother and father only did offerings once a season… Right before a harvest." Mokuba's voice was somber in tone as he stared down to the ground, tepidly smiling at the memory.

Seto began to walk away, the same cold expression he always bore. "Yeah, well... It's just me now. And I'm not them… Things are harder now than they were in those times."

They didn't say goodbye to one another. They both just walked away, each to a set destination of work. But though things seemed to be settled, the tone still left a sour taste in Seto's mouth. Since Mokuba had left to become an imperial guard, Seto just didn't look up to his brother the way that he use to. In fact, he didn't look up to him at all anymore. It had been just the two of them for roughly fifteen years, since losing bother of their parents. But Mokuba leaving made Seto feel… bitter. So he closed Himself off. it was just easier not to be attached to his family this point.

It's as though the world was bound and determined for him to end up alone…

After preparing his stew, Seto left it to simmer over his fire pit, just outside his small farm house. He began to gather some of his already harvested produce, as well as some incense and a small water bowl for his visit to the Southern Dragon's Shrine. Had he not run out of flowers, he would have been able to present a better offering, but all that mattered were the thoughts and feelings he put into his prayer towards the harvest.

At least it wasn't a long walk to the shrine. Just beyond his fields were hills that lead to the neighboring orchard. Just beyond that was the shrine. It wasn't as big as he had heard the other shrines were. Atlantis was so big, and the Southern Shrine was the furthest away from the kingdom. Rumor has it, that's the reason for the Southern Dragon's reincarnate for taking longer than the others, as well as the guardian who would only ever be found after the princess was.

The Southern Shrine sat at the boarder of Atlantis's edge. It represented fertility, and good fortune towards peaceful days. It's said the princess who reincarnates as the Dragon of the South is quiet and standoffish compared to her sister princesses and the chosen queen among them. But Seto always felt calm while at the shrine. If the princess was standoffish, he believed that it was more of a show of respectfulness to the boundaries her people. Where most royalty would tower over those who were viewed as lower, but this dragon was not like the others… she gave off the feeling of accepting all.

And so, she would be worshiped at the farthest point from the kingdom, The Edge.

The Edge is what's known as the dome that covers the entirety of Atlantis, keeping it submerged beneath the sea. The four White Dragon Shrines, each of a different cardinal directions, were said to be the anchors that hold the edge in place, as well as allow those born in Atlantis to be able to reincarnate. There's never been a worry for over population due to this "blessing." And because each person born in Atlantis has had their soul once carried in a past life, the oracle is able to see into the lives they once lived. Thus, she may pass judgment on the souls of all, allowing her the visions of who are royalty, who are the guardians, who are born of dragon's blood, and who are just… normal.

Of course, physical features also carry a large role with the judgments that the oracle would pass. Most people in Atlantis carry dragon's blood, putting them on the higher pedestal of the hierarchy created by the immortal king. Very few people are considered to be "normal." Normal humans, well, they live a normal life. They live further away from the royal city. Normal humans can choose to live however they ... They don't reincarnate… Their souls tend to linger. There are few who can see the restless souls of those who reincarnate, and even fewer who can see those who linger. Those that reincarnate… They will always be carriers of dragon's blood.

Though Seto wasn't completely sure of how the reincarnation cycle worked, this is at least what he could gather from what he remembered his mother explaining it to him. He didn't understand why souls couldn't be created, so that there could be even more within Atlantis… But he did learn from his father… A soul is capable of being destroyed, never to reach their next life.

In this life and the next… He would never see his mother again. He knew that more than anything. And his father wished to perish with her…

But he wouldn't think about that now. Not before he was to make an important prayer. He hadn't even realized just how lost in thought he had been. Seto found himself nearing the shrine as it came into view. Just the sight of it was relaxing to him. Taking in a deep breath, he approached the small shrine. He climbed it's white stair case to the smaller columns that lined the outside of the shrine's entrance. The columns each had etched out of them a small, square cut hole to act as a shelf. This is where the offerings would be set.

He took in a deep breath once more, feeling the calm air again as he prepared to set his offering. He closed his eyes, thinking of his prayer. He was ready to set up his offering.