Royals & Rogues 1: NAIF (MXM)

Chapter 2

Radley has been sailing for a whole week trying to find the light tower he once taken shelter to when a raging storm came and swept the ocean, he vaguely remembered it was at the southern part of kaloa sea, at the middle of a two clashing oceans that make travel much harder, he luckily find a hidden route towards the tower with much safety. Unfortunately it has been 5 years since that incident, the memories of that day were now blurry to the point that only a few things can be remembered.

He was turning and turning around the area for more than a week but to no avail he can’t still find any trace of the hidden route. Filled with indignation, he refused to give up and continue seeking what cannot be found.

At last after almost two weeks, he finally found it in between two gulf, the route was very well hidden from the eyes of the public. It can be seen that a normal person wouldn’t make any light tower at all in the middle of two colliding oceans knowing the dangers it will bring.

Their destination and route has been set, they were only waiting to arrived at the place, but now the sailing was much smoother and faster. It took them only four days.

Brimming with vigor despite the exhaustion they had just arrived at the vicinity when they heard a loud trumpet blowing, though loud they can hear and vaguely felt the panicked in that one followed by a second and a third, it only stop after a dozen times and eventually their side return the greeting and after a while a light tower zoom in their line of sight.

Radley Fulton the captain of Sigma, directed his suburdinate to slowly turned the ship towards the tower, the scenery around evoke old memories that has been buried deep within his mind, that one night, the small ship he was sailing was nothing to the current Sigma he was a captain to, that small and old ship he had gotten when he first left the kingdom he was born into, sailing without care of the people he left behind.

It was a random day when a raging storm came, the ship was swaying so hard he was afraid and thought it would sink any moment and be eatin' by the ocean, waves crushing the side and water constantly poured in. As a new sailor and one without proper knowledge and did it only for a moment of recklessness, he was alone with only a horn, binocular, food and necessities in his possession.

As a eighteen years old, young man that had only entered the world of adults, he was careless and did things only for the fun but at that moment he lost his composure, angry waves amd hungry ocean wants to swallow him alive, any person with thoughts would not accept it’s calling, the bone chilling wind howled through the windows, the deck of the ship was now filled with salt water, ruahing about despite the rocking of the ship, he grabbed the nearby bucket and scooped the water as much and as fast as he can, but a human cannot compare with nature, his sorry state did not evoke any good will from it, his struggles were futile, the water came rushing in much faster than he can take it out.

“No, no, no…” he keep repeating to himself, I can’t die like this, I still need to avenge them, save  them… his mind crushing, hoping for survival, his reckless and arrogant nature can’t accept this kind of defeat, his demise can not be like this.

His will is bleak, the unwillingness in his heart were nothing but a feeling right now, it can’t help him survive this tragedy.

As his last hope broke, his mind churning with unease and panicked, he felt the ship colling with something, thinking it was just an Iceberg he did not take it to heart at all, he will now eventually why worry for it.

The moment he closed his eyes and admit defeat, the intense rocking of the ship while once in a while colliding with that thing, he rest his heart and mind at rest despite their unwillingness.

*****

“Hey, Mr. Unknown what is you name?” Radley had splitting headache the moment he opened his eyes and be bothered by this little rascal, though he admit his a little beauty but with this little chatterbox he hadn’t got the peace he wanted after waking up, adding the fact that there is a glaring young man at the door, looking so unhappy.

“Heston, stop bothering him, he just woke up and seems to have a headache from your chattering,” the young man at the back said but not at all looking like he’s helping me, he obviously only want the little chatterbox to leave my side, sensing my annoyed aura he’s afraid I will choke this child.

“But brother, he didn’t even say anything, you’re the only one complaining,” he pouted, his crisp little voice did not sound annoying at all, the innocence brimming from his entire persona.

“He did not complain only because I’m here, if I leave you alone he might choke you right here right now,” his brother tone was scolding but his face shows obvious soft and pampering look on it.

“Now, get up and go to your own room, sleep, it’s dawn already much past your sleep time,” The older one said looking at the little chatterbox.

The child immediately let out a loud yawn unconsciously hearing the word sleep, he got up, pad his hands and walk towards the other at the door.

“Goodnight brother Stefan,” he said as he kissed his brother’s cheek and in return his brother kissed his forehead.

“Goodnight Heston,” his brother replied, shooing him outside the door. Radleylooked at him pushing the heavy door and moving out but to the surprise he turned around and murmured ‘goodnight mr. Unknown’ he said as he closed the door and leave, his lips curved up but he put it away fast after sensing the change in aura from the brother whom was left alone with him here.

“Who are you?” his tone was strict and grave unlike the softness he portrayed when his younger brother was here. He did not even hide his aura and directed it to Radley, the sharpness of Stefan’s look give away his animosity and untrust towards him.

“I’m a nobody,” he replied, not planning to tell the other, Radley’s bearing tell’s he wasn’t afraid at all and that makes Stefan much angrier.

“I, Stefan Peige-Quest the Heir to the Agravathe Throne, asking you, who are you? What is your intention in heading this way?!” His forcefull momentum burst out, it was much stronger than earlier.

“Ha! A Quest, a mere barbarian from the borderline dared to say such sentence and speak with such tone,” Radley might left his kingdom but he knew Agravathe was nothing compared to Kathashi, the capital of the continent, located at the most wealthy and central part of Ambersia, the leading continent out the Southern alliance which consists of three different continents, twenty-one kingdoms and hundred towns and cities.

“YOU! What an impudent ungrateful brat, do you think you will survive if we did not help you, oh, I didn’t want to help you at all if not for Heston softening his heart and begging me to grab you from that rugged ship of yours,”

“You say Agravathe is a barbarian kingdom then what are you, a lone pirate with a mere broken ship at his beck, not even one equip with advance workmanship, and on top of that, YOU DID NOT EVEN HAVE A SINGLE SUBURDINATE WILLING TO GO WITH YOU!,”

Stefan’s wrath can be felt at this moment, the once calm Radley became alert, he knew himself he had gone overboard, shaming and degrading of one’s own kingdom is out of line, even if he was the one spoken to with that word he had just said, he would be just like the current Stefan-No he might even be worse.

“Leave! Leave before I lose control and kill you right here, right now” Stefan said that surprised me. He regained his composure very quickly but Radley can see through his clenched fist, he was just stoping himself from doing anything.

“I don’t want to stain my brother’s home with your filthy blood, LEAVE AND DON’T EVER COME BACK!”

At this moment we heard footsteps and after that the door opened, Stefan and Radkey both froze. Heston looks at them with a confused gaze, awakened by the loud shouting.

“Brother why are you shouting?” he ask, his voice carried the hint of sleepiness that successfully calm their tense nerves.

“Nothing Heston, just go back to sleep” Stefan replied, hastily putting away the hatred in his face, he softened his voice and smiled.

“Mr. Unknown are you leaving now?” he ask pointing at Radley’s sachet that was now in his hand, earlier when he woke up it was put near the bed at the table just across it.

“Yes he is,” Stefan replied even before Radley had the chance to, shallowing the words he was about to say, Radley nod at Heston.

“Yes, I’m leaving now, thank you for saving me,” Radley said it only towards Heston but the naïve he is, He did not perceived the clashing aura between his brother and Mr. Unknown.

“Oh, do you have enough food, wait, your ship is broken right? My brother’s friends were here already, I saw two ships, one big and one small, you can borrow it for now,” the tense atmosphere disperse.

Stefan had no choice but to agree, Heston, after piling bunch of foods and clothes in the two big bags, he stuffed it in Radley’s hand, taking no for an answer, he refuse to take it back no matter how Radley insisted on, finally watching the two push each other, Stefan can only spoke to stop them.

“Hey, you just take it, we have enough to ourselves,” he butted in shutting the two.

“By the way Mr. Unknown what is your name? Tell me before you leave”  Heston asked and even Stefan’s interest got pick om.

“Lei, you can call me that” Radley said his nickname which was given to him by his mother and no one knows it except the two of them, and now he told it to another with much ease.

“Oh, Lei see you again next time”

“Goodbye, visit me again later”

At that one fated night he met two contradicting brothers, one was serious and proper while the other was a chatterbox. He tried to find them and make a visit but the hidden route can’t be found anymore, and the Katharshi Kingdom left him unable to with the constant fight between nobles and the current Royal Court at turmoil.

Now after five years, he got to see them again, Looking at the port coming down, a silhouette can be seen, it became a young man, carameled skin, glinting golden eyes, his black raven hair flutter, the same eyes that look at him the same way years ago, he finally got to see him again.

“He is a young man now, unlike the chatterbox he was years ago, he grow to be such a stunner huh!”

Heston, the little chatterbox grown to become a stunner, like a flower in its full bloom, it was enchanting that Radley fall into daze for a moment, the time stop, he can only hear his heart pounding so loud.

“At last, I have finally find you.”