Return of the Heir Chapter 3

He vowed to find the little one and bring it home to the grieving family so their city could once again see the sun. Novaton fell asleep listening to the rain fall upon the roof and dreamed of one day fulfilling his vow.

Hadeen soon rose over the horizon and woke Novaton up from his slumber. His ankle felt better this morning and he went out to check on the energon crystals that grew out in the fields. The cold season harvest was coming up and it wouldn't be long before they would go into the city to deliver their quota. The stipulation was that if they fulfilled the quota on time then what ever wasn't sold was there's to keep.

The young mech went about inspecting the tools needed for harvest and checking Dusthoof's harness when he was interrupted by his master. "You forgot to come in for breakfast."

Scrap, he forgot about that again. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." His master never beat him for disobedience, but there was one time when he was younger he was whipped by a city guard for accidently knocking an argon apple off a stand. Timegazer was furious about it, telling the guard he was just a youngling and he was still learning. It took him a couple of days to recover, but the scars were still there.

"I know, but what makes me curious is why you always seem to want to work?"

Novaton never really thought about that, "I like to do work, it keeps me from being board out of my processor and it keeps me out of trouble; to a certain extent."

Timegazer laughed, "Yes it does and now I want you to go and refuel."

"Yes, master."

The dark green mech watched as Novaton walked back to the house and then turned to the tools; he was stunned that they were all clean and ready for use. Dusthoof stamped in his stall and Timegazer walked over to him. He rubbed his servo up and down the zaphorse's neck, as he was doing so he saw the Manganese Mountains rising behind the farm. He walked outside and wondered if anyone still remembered the old legend?

Over in Iacon prince Optimus was eating breakfast with his sire, the king of Iacon Ultra Magnus. The young prince thought a lot about the story he desperately wanted to know the truth about and so in a burst of courage he asked, "Sire, I want to know the truth on the story of the Lost Heir.

The king paused in drinking from his goblet and when he final put it down he looked at his son, "Optimus, you know the story. There is nothing else to say other than what you know already, I do not want to speak of this again; do I make myself clear?"

The young red and blue prince wanted to know more, but he was still young and had to what his father told him. "Yes sir."

"Good, now then we need to discuss about getting you another roomkeeper and for you to start finding suitors for your coming of age ceremony."

Oh, Primus how he hated these discussions with his sire, they always ended with both being angry at each other, "Sire I don't need a roomkeeper, I can take care of that myself and why should court someone I don't even love?"

"Optimus, you must do this. You are a prince of Iacon and how can you court someone if you are busy with your own chores when a slave can do it for you?"

"Because, if it is something I can do I want to do it and I will only court someone I have feelings for and they me."

Ultra Magnus had had enough of his son's antics and snapped, "You will get a slave to do your chores, you will focus more on your studies, and you will also court your suitors even if you don't love them. That is your duty as a prince of Iacon. We will go to the market to find you a servant tomorrow and that is final!"

Optimus ran from the room and when he closed the door he fell on his bed crying. His sire never yelled at him like that on matters like this, only when he was in trouble. He looked over to his berthside table and picked up the picture of his carrier. "Why did you have to leave us, leave me; I wish you were still here." He curled in on himself and cried into recharge.

Later that day, Novaton was riding along with his family as they made their way into the crowded streets of Iacon. The femmlings were fascinated with all the shops and spotted one with candy in the window. "Can we go there, sire?"

"Maybe later Starfire, I have to get to the market square first."

They arrived a few minutes later and Novaton proceeded to unload the cart. Once the load was dropped off the merchant picked out all he wanted and told the family to keep the rest. The shop keeper gave Timegazer the shanix that was due for the shipment and went about to the next customer. He then proceeded to give half the bag to Novaton, "This bag is for you three to spend, little one's Novaton will handle the money and if you see something you want ask first ok?"

"Yes, sire we understand."

"Good, your carrier and I will meet you back here in thirty mega-cycles."

The trio walked down the streets until they came to the candy shop they saw earlier. Novaton bought them a small bag each and then they saw a toy shop. Starfire and Copperheart both picked out a stuffed mechanimal each. Novaton had enough coins left for two more purchases, the merchant he walked up to saw that the white and blue mech had the mark of a slave on his arm but didn't question it. "What can I get for you?"

Novaton saw that there was some premium cy-gars and some jewelry on the stand. "I would like six of those cy-gars and that sapphire colored mirror, please." The shop keeper smiled and wrapped the gifts and handed them to Novaton. The mech then handed the required coins and turned to see an unwelcoming sight. Copperheart was trying to get her new toy back from some bullies and Starfire was standing next to her trying to help.

"Give it back its not yours."

"Yeah give it back."

"What are you going to do about it farm femmes?"

Copperheart lunged and missed making her fall into a muddy puddle, crying. As the mechlings were laughing, Novaton walked over and pulled the toy out of the mechling's grasp; he then helped Copperheart up and a kind femme handed him a mesh-towel to help dry the femmling off. "Hey, why did you have to do that, we were only playing."

"You think playing is taking someone's toy away, I think not."

Novaton turned around the femmlings preparing to take them back to their creators when he heard the sound of running pedsteps. He turned around to see the same mechling coming towards him and right at the last moment he side-stepped and the mechling tripped and fell into the same muddy puddle.

He started to cry and alerted the attention of the city guards who came running. "What's going on here?"

"This slave tripped me when I was just giving that femme her toy back."

"Is that true then, you should know the law states that disobedient slaves are punished right?"

Starfire and Copperheart ran to get their creators who came running after them when they told them the story. Timegazer and Coalfire saw the city guards arresting Novaton for an unknown reason. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Is this your slave old mech?"

"Yes, he is and what do you think you are doing arresting him?"

"According to eyewitnesses, he tripped this little mechling for trying to give that femmlings her toy back. Also, we have a shop keeper saying he bought goods from his stand with what appeared to be stolen shanix."

"I gave him the money as payment for helping me with the harvest this year, and from what I can tell he spent most of it on my sparklings."

"Well the law states that slaves are not to be in procession of any form of currency unless their master is present and they are not to be payed anything."

Timegazer never heard of this law before, the only laws he heard of were that if a slave who puts forth the effort, it is then up to the master to decide whether they get payed or not. "When did this law go into effect?" The still unnamed guard told him that the law went into effect two solar-cycles ago and wasn't budging on the issue.

"So, you are left with two options: you go to the stockades and lose your farm or you can sell your slave as payment for any injuries the mechling obtained. What will it be?"

Timegazer turned to his mate and she could only look back with tear stained optics as she led the children away, "Alright, I'll sell him."

Novaton looked at Timegazer with absolute horror on his face, "Master, please don't do this. I had no knowledge of the laws, please don't let them take me."

The dark green mech ran over and hugged him telling him he was a good mech; he'll would also tell the little ones what really happened when they are older, but for now he would tell them that Novaton wouldn't be living with them anymore. The guards soon led Novaton away from his old master and a weeping Starfire and Copperheart.

The shop keeper who Novaton bought his gifts from handed the bundle to Timegazer. "I saw everything, but with the laws in place I was powerless to say anything. I knew he was a slave and what I saw what he was buying, I knew the money wasn't stolen; the guards cooked up that story. I used to live in Kaon when Lord Megazarak still reigned and we didn't have to worry about any of this. I hope someday his heir returns to help us end this problem once and for all.

Timegazer and his family went home shortly after and the mech sat down after the sparklings were put into recharge. Coalfire went downstairs to see what was taking her mate so long and saw him holding a small necklace that was unwrapped from its leather cloth. "I can't believe I did that to him, knowing how much he trusted us.

"Timegazer, we did what we had to protect our family. I loved him like my own son and I would do anything to bring him back, but we can't."

"I know; however, we need to leave Iacon if we are to help correct the past." He looked down at the small object in his hand and looked out to the mountains to the south and the storm that was raging on the peaks.

Novaton was taken to the slave market and locked in a foul smelling, dirty cell. The cold north air came through the barred window on the far wall and he could hear other prisoners moan and groan throughout the night. He was stripped of everything he had in his possession, but the one thing he had hidden was a picture of his old family when the warm season returned and the sparklings were playing with him in the stream. He curled in on himself holding the picture close to his spark and cried himself into recharge.