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Crackjaw
Chapter 1: Tempest Kingdom

Chapter 1: Tempest Kingdom

Chapter 1

Commoner discussion could be heard even from the fifth story of the castle, through the open window of an ornate bedroom. Wooden bookcases lined one side of the room, populated with dozens of legends, histories, and fantasies. A number of paintings resting in frames occupied the walls, their archaic beauty shining on the opulent room. A young man sat in front of his desk, which housed a portrait of a woman with long, blonde hair, as well as a notebook, where he was scribbling frantically. His yellow hair was combed neatly over his head, his blue eyes planted in his notes. They briefly flickered up toward the window as he could hear some of the townsfolk shriek excitedly. After an irritated pause, he glanced back down at his notebook and began to write.

The Tempest Kingdom stood proudly in the center of an otherwise vacant field, so as to draw all eyes from adoring visitors. Many residents dwelled within its walls, sauntering across the plaza in jovial discussion. They strolled past the Tempest Fountain, an enormous bowl made of rock, from which a beautiful geyser endlessly flowed. The brick paths on either side of the fountain converged at a regal gate, where the path climbed up the sprawling hills, toward a massive, opulent castle.

The young man continued to write in his notebook, before hearing the bedroom door open. He turned around to identify the visitor: a tall man with broad shoulders, his frame narrowly fit in the doorway. Short, light brown hair offered little shade for his stern glare.

“Hello, Father,” the young man said, standing up from his chair.

“I trust your studies are coming along well,” his father said, eyeing the notebook. “You'll need to work hard to become an exceptional king one day, Nobu.”

“But of course,” Nobu assured him. “I've already memorized all of the key guidelines of the first seventeen books.”

“Wonderful...the Tempest Kingdom stands proudly as the pinnacle of mankind. We are, by far, the most powerful royal family across the land – we must wear that badge with pride. You must commit to both your training and your studies, so as not to soil our legacy.”

“Yes, Father,” Nobu replied.

“Well then, I'll--”

“Your majesty!”

King Tempest turned his head to face a guard in the doorway.

“What is it?” Tempest curtly asked.

“Sir...Prince Nobu has a visitor,” the guard explained. “He says he's a childhood friend...he's been over a few times now.”

Nobu felt a surge of annoyance flow through him.

“The commoner, Sebastian, no doubt,” Tempest mused. “What business does it have with Nobu?”

“He—he didn't really say,” the guard replied nervously. “He just mentioned that he had to talk to him about something important...”

Tempest hesitated. “Fine. Let it in. But tell it to keep things brief. Nobu is busy.”

“Yes, sir!” The guard exclaimed, before rushing away.

“You may entertain it for a bit,” Tempest said. “After that, return to your studies.”

“Yes, Father,” Nobu said, the agitation evident in his voice.

His father disappeared into the hall, closing the door behind him, as Nobu tapped his pencil against his desk.

What does Sebastian want this time? Nobu thought. No shortage of interruptions...

He sat at his desk for another minute, before the door opened behind him, revealing a commoner with long, scruffy brown hair. It strolled through the doorway, its torn, baggy clothes threatening the room's pristine image. Its eyes rested on Nobu, a docile grin spreading across its face.

“Knock,” Nobu ordered.

“Right,” said Sebastian. “Sorry.”

“What is it?” Nobu asked bluntly.

“About the rumors of the Terrace Kingdom to the west...they say they're really planning to invade Tempest.”

“And?”

“Well,” Sebastian started. “The townsfolk are saying they overheard the council talking...Terrace has made their move. They've gotten closer and have already killed some of the soldiers we deployed.”

“It is of little consequence,” said Nobu. “Soldiers can be replaced.”

“But if they're that that strong, then--”

“The Tempest Kingdom is exceptionally powerful because of the royal family, as is usually the case,” Nobu explained impatiently, trying to focus on his notes. “But our power far exceeds even that of the other royal families. If they make their move, we'll crush them and be done with it.”

Sebastian clutched its pockets, shuffling its feet. “I don't know,” it said nervously. “Do you remember that cave we explored when we were kids? There was a monster in there that was really dangerous. We almost lost our lives.”

“I'm much more powerful than I was when I was a child,” Nobu said. “My father will fight alongside us as well.”

Sebastian paused for a moment, before releasing its pockets, relief washing over its face. “Yeah...King Tempest is truly the 'Eye of the Storm' they say he is...”

Nobu began writing in his notebook again.

“Say...” said Sebastian. “It seems like you never have time for fun anymore. Why don't you take a break? The archery range is empty right now.”

“I have a different idea of 'fun,'” Nobu retorted. “If that's all, leave. Close the door behind you. Quietly.”

Nobu could feel its gaze on the back of his head as he turned the page of his book.

“Alright,” Sebastian sighed. “Fine.”

It headed out of the room, closing the door behind it. Its footsteps disturbed the silence for a few moments longer, before fading into the distance. Nobu continued studying as the hours flew by him. The commoners' banter was replaced with the gossip of crickets as the moonlight shone into his room. Nobu yawned and shut the window. Later that night, after a banquet in the dining hall, he returned to his room, climbed into his bed, and drifted off to sleep.

The next few days floated by without incident. Nobu would alternate between studying in his room, and selecting new books at the library. Whenever he went out in public, he earned the stares of the awestruck commoners, much to his ire. After a filling lunch, he returned to his room, fresh books lining his bookcases. He consulted one that lied open on his desk before returning to his flooded notebook, but his studies were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Nobu asked sharply.

“It's Gloria,” a meek voice responded from the other side. “I've brought you a drink, if you'd like. May I enter?”

“Yes,” said Nobu. “Set it on my desk.”

The door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman drifted in, holding a tray with a glass on it. It set the tray down on the desk to the right of Nobu, the ice rattling within. A lemon was perched on the side of the glass, as though prepared to dive into the water. Nobu set his pencil down and took a drink.

Gloria's eyes drifted to the left, before hovering on the photograph of the woman with blonde hair. It sighed. “It's hard to believe it's been seventeen years...your mother was an exceptional woman. She would be so proud to see how hard you're working...”

Nobu set his glass down, before picking up his pencil again.

“Well...please enjoy your drink, your highness,” it said.

As the commoner withdrew from the room, Nobu glanced at the photograph of the woman, her smile shining back. He then returned to his book, shifting his focus back to his studies as the hours marched forward. The melody of the hummingbirds outside complemented the otherwise tranquil silence. Then, suddenly, the song was disrupted. The insects' buzzing was eclipsed by the sound of a massive explosion, quickly followed by the screams of the townsfolk.

Nobu's head shot up in astonishment. He quickly jumped to his feet and looked out the window. Smoke was emanating in the distance, soaring above town.

What in the world? He thought. Did those fools really attack us?

Nobu swung open his door and stormed out of his room. His thoughts raced as he hurried down the stairs, ignoring the yells that echoed throughout the castle. Arriving at the first floor, he bolted toward the doors, shoving past the servants. He flung open the doors and bolted out into the courtyard, the chilly breeze greeting him. As he rushed down the hills, he saw smoke drifting upward above the city gates in the distance. The townsfolk were sprinting in his direction, screaming.

“Out of my way!” Nobu demanded, pushing through the fleeing crowd.

Sweat began to pour down his face. He could feel his anger building up, but he kept running until he emerged from the other side of the crowd. A few of the houses had caught fire, debris littered the ground, and the royal army had already arrived on the scene and begun fighting. He could barely discern the enemy troops amidst the chaos.

Where is Father? Nobu thought.

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Once he had a clearer view of the Terrace army, he stopped running, scrutinizing the enemy. Some of the soldiers remained idling in formation, with a tall, middle-aged man standing in the center, wearing a sprawling, green cloak. Its brown hair was occupied by a golden crown, its lengthy beard sheltering an undeniably smug visage.

“Who are you?” a soldier roared, its sword clashing with that of the enemy. “Do you think you can get away with this?”

“Keep the damage to a minimum,” the king of Terrace ordered. “This will be our territory soon.”

Nobu began to walk towards it. “You haven't a clue what a mistake this was,” he growled. “You should've clung to your table scraps in that trash heap you call a kingdom.”

“The prince of Tempest,” Terrace surmised. “Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, for however brief. Men! Kill him!”

A few soldiers on either side of Terrace raised their swords in the air and began to race toward Nobu, who held out his arm. He could feel the flow of his magic as sparks began to dance around him. Thrusting his hand toward the mob, a massive surge of electricity jetted through the air. The soldiers' faces were painted with panic before they were consumed with the lightning magic, their ensuing yells reverberating throughout the town. Astonished, the crowd stared in the direction of the flashing light.

“There he is!” one of the Tempest soldiers yelled. “His highness! The Tempest royal family is unbeatable!”

Nobu lowered his hand, and the electricity stopped in front of him. The soldiers caught in its grasp fell to the ground, charred.

“Impressive,” Terrace remarked. “That magic never disappoints. Men! Step aside.”

Terrace lowered its hand, clutching the ground, its soldiers anxiously shuffling out of the way. Nobu cautiously studied its movements. Suddenly, the road was vandalized by a series of stalagmites bursting forth from underground, launching some of the Tempest soldiers into the air. Nobu leaped back as a trail of stalagmites erupted from the earth in a line, traveling toward him. He shot out another burst of electricity, but several more pillars of stone launched skyward around Terrace. The lightning struck the crust shield, cracking it and leaving the king unharmed.

“What a show you've put on,” said Terrace, the top of the pillar crumbling. “Your tenacity will be remembered.”

“I'll make an example of you,” Nobu growled.

Terrace held out its hand, but hastily snapped its head toward a distant threat. More cries pierced the city as an enormous wave of lighting tunneled through the ground, splitting the brick walkway and swallowing dozens of soldiers. Terrace frantically leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the insatiable current.

“So you've finally arrived!” Terrace shouted over the yells of its men, as it regained its footing.

Nobu turned toward the source of the lightning, to see King Tempest, arm outstretched. “Father!”

“I'll deal with their king,” Tempest said. “Can you dispose of their army? And make it quick. I've got a month's worth of paperwork ahead of me.”

Terrace cracked a smile. “Your ego will be your downfall.” It pulled a sword from its sheath, concealed beneath its cloak.

Tempest produced his own sword and they charged toward each other, blades crashing. A flurry of lightning strikes jetted through the air, met with rising stone columns. Nobu turned toward the approaching army, firing his own electricity toward the group. Terrace soldiers approached from the sides, but Nobu pivoted, launching fierce bolts in an arc. He lowered his arm, watching the soldiers drop to the ground.

The clanging of swords echoed through town as the two kings clashed, but another surge blasted Terrace into the air. The king fell on its back, rolling across the brick tiles.

“King Terrace!” one of the soldiers yelled.

“Protect the king!”

Terrace gave a shaky laugh, climbing to its feet. “The Eye of the Storm...you truly deserve that title. I'm impressed. At any rate, I've had my fun. It's time to end this.”

“Is that so?” Tempest asked, pointing his sword at it.

“Alban! Minerva! Your turn.”

After electrocuting several more soldiers, Nobu turned toward the crowd. Two figures approached from the back. The first was a young man wearing white robes. It sported neatly combed brown hair, and green eyes that clearly spoke its apathy. The figure next to it was what appeared to be a woman. However, its rotting, decrepit skin made it difficult to identify. Long, matted black hair fell over its face, contrasted by its vacant, white eyes. Even without pupils, the creature's aimless gaze was unmistakable.

“What the hell is that?” one of the Tempest soldiers asked.

Nobu glared at it, repulsed. “How is that thing alive?”

“Oh, she's not,” the young man called Alban replied, with a carefree voice that betrayed its environment. “Minerva is a corpse that I've reanimated: a zombie.”

“Looks like it'll have to die a second time,” said Tempest, shifting his attention to the zombie. He charged toward it, sword drawn.

Tempest swung his sword and sliced the zombie's right arm off, which fell to the ground. It began emitting incomprehensible croaks, an otherwordly noise that made Nobu's hairs stand on end. The Tempest royal army stared at the beast in disbelief. The dismembered arm twitched, redirecting the army's focus. Suddenly, pitch black embers ignited on the detached limb, before engulfing it. The flames then disappeared, the arm vanishing with them. Nobu tilted his head back toward the zombie, and saw an identical black fire form on Minerva's right shoulder, before spreading downward and reshaping itself. The fire vanished, revealing that its arm had materialized in front of it.

“It can regenerate?” Tempest asked. “What a sophisticated monster.”

“You don't know the half of it,” said Alban, smiling.

Minerva held its hands out. Black mist began to swirl above its palm, forming the shape of an orb. It hurled the sphere in front of it, leading Tempest to throw himself out of the way. The orb continued to soar through the air, before striking a building. A massive explosion immediately burst forth as the building caught fire.

“That's quite the power,” Tempest remarked. “I suppose the only way to kill it is to destroy its body completely.”

He rushed forward with his sword and unleashed a flurry of slashes, cleaving the zombie into pieces. Tempest then held his hand out, launching lightning toward the beast's scattered remains. The lightning consumed it, as its uncanny shrieks sounded through the plaza. Steam began to flow from its slowly dissolving body, before fading alongside its haunting screams. The crowd stared at the scene, awestruck.

“No way,” one of the Terrace soldiers uttered, terrified. “He killed our secret weapon!”

Nobu smiled.

“Now then,” Tempest said, facing Terrace. “You're next.”

Terrace held its sword out as Tempest raced toward the enemy king, initiating another series of blows. Nobu struck a a group of soldiers with lightning, which traveled toward Alban. The latter flung itself out the way, before light particles collected above its palm. The light formed a sphere, pulsating with arcane energy reminiscent of Minerva's. A smile spreading across its face, it tossed the orb toward Nobu, who quickly sidestepped it. He could hear the explosion engulf more soldiers, their yells trailing closely behind.

Tempest thrust his sword upward, throwing Terrace off balance. He blasted it with electricity, and quickly brought his sword down. Terrace tried to dive back, but the blade struck its shoulder. It yelled, blood trickling down its arm. Panting heavily, It glared up at Tempest, panic embedded in its eyes.

Nobu watched as his father held his sword up, but found himself quickly distracted by something unusual on the ground. Tiny, black embers were swaying beneath them, outlining the shape of the zombie. The black fire began to vanish, revealing Minerva's corpse underneath.

“Father, look out!” Nobu yelled, urgently turning to face the king. “The zombie--”

Tempest quickly looked to the side, but the zombie had already regenerated, and hurled its orb. The orb struck him, throwing him back. A winded yell escaped him as he stumbled onto the brick tiles.

“Damn it!” Nobu began to run after Minerva, but was suddenly hit by a massive explosion. He roared, the pain coursing through his body as he felt himself soar through the air. The blunt force of the explosion was followed by a heavy impact as he struck the ground. Lifting his head, he saw Alban, smiling with its hand outstretched.

“I'm afraid the show's just getting started,” Alban taunted. “No need to interrupt. Just sit back and enjoy.”

Tempest climbed to his feet, but Terrace had already regained its footing. It thrust its sword into Tempest's shoulder, who let out another roar. Electricity began coursing through his entire body, before bursting outward. Terrace pulled its sword out and leaped back, but multiple soldiers were caught in the storm, dropping to the ground. Minerva growled, throwing another sphere of energy at Tempest, who only had time to look in the monster's direction before getting hit with the explosive magic.

“Damn it,” Nobu growled, climbing shakily to his feet.

Terrace grasped the ground beneath it, sending another flurry of stalagmites bursting from underground. Tempest was launched skyward, right as Alban threw another orb in his direction. After another destructive blast, Tempest collided with the ground, his sword flying from his grasp. He stood up slowly, blood running down his face as he desperately reached for his blade. Panting heavily, he managed to grasp the hilt. However, Terrace was already standing inches in front of him.

“The Kingdom of Tempest is ours.”

Terrace thrust its sword through Tempest's chest.

“NO!” Nobu yelled.

Tempest glared ahead, in shock. His eyes bore into Terrace, panic and anger reflected in his gaze. A few moments later, they lost focus, before drifting shut. Terrace pulled its sword out, the blade soaked in blood. It stepped back, as Tempest fell to the ground.

“KING TEMPEST!” his soldiers shouted.

“He is no more!” Terrace declared. “Men! Kill the prince and extinguish his bloodline! Then, kill the rest of his army! The kingdom is ours!”

“Don't let him get away with this!” a Tempest soldier yelled. “Protect the prince!”

“You're dead!” Nobu snarled.

The Terrace army rushed toward him, but he let out a massive burst of lightning, throwing them back. Minerva rushed toward him, its ethereal wails petrifying the crowd.

“How many times do you have to die?” Nobu yelled hoarsely, before striking Minerva with an arcane current, blasting a hole in its chest.

After the lightning dissipated, the same black flame resurfaced on its body, reforming its corpse. It quickly launched another energy sphere, knocking Nobu back with the blast. He began to feel disoriented, his adrenaline drowning the pain. Breathing heavily, he tried to climb to his feet, but a soldier had already approached.

“I got the prince!” it shouted with glee.

“Get away from me!” Nobu ordered, his voice cracking.

The soldier swung its sword down. Fear surged through him as he desperately tried to push himself up, but quickly heard a clang. The soldier's blade had been blocked by a knife. Looking up, he saw Sebastian, holding back the enemy's sword.

“Nobu!” Sebastian said. “Good, I was on time. But is that King Tempest? Is he really--?”

“I need to get out of here!” Nobu shouted. “They're after me!”

“I know!” said Sebastian, pushing back the soldier. “Can you stand?”

Nobu slowly climbed to his feet. He turned around and began to run in the direction of the castle, pain coarsing through him. Sebastian followed him, glancing behind it. Several soldiers were in pursuit, but Nobu blasted them back with piercing thunderbolts. The Tempest army poured in, forming a barricade and locking swords with the enemy, but they were outnumbered. The enemy approached from the sides, quickly closing the distance.

“Don't let him get away!” Terrace's voice echoed from the back of the crowd.

Alban sprinted toward him, another energy sphere forming in its hand. “You sure can run.”

“Damn it!” Nobu exclaimed, launching more lightning in its direction.

Alban leaped out of the way and fired its magic. Nobu mustered all of his strength and sprinted away from it, as Sebastian ran in the opposite direction. Nobu closed his eyes, bracing himself for the explosion. He could hear it, but fortunately, he was not caught in the attack. The sound of his own breaths seemed to eclipse even that of the yells from the crowd.

“I can barely run anymore!” Nobu hollered.

“It's gonna be okay!” Sebastian assured him, as it returned. “Do you remember that monster in the cave? You thought you were going to die then, too...but because we teamed up, we were able to escape. I lost my favorite knife because of it, but that's alright! The important thing is, we both managed to make it out alive!” It grinned.

Nobu glared at it, panting as they sprinted, the enemy soldiers racing toward them as quickly as his thoughts.

“We're going to make it out this time, too!”

Nobu tried to reclaim his focus as he ran. He turned toward the east gate and made his way to the town's exit. The ground was stained with blood, the fire was spreading, and smoke was floating into the air, but the exit was growing closer. They rushed through the doorway into the open field, the yells echoing behind them.

“They can't all fit through the doorway at once!” Sebastian said gleefully. “They won't all be able to catch up!”

That may be, Nobu thought. But they won't stop until they've caught me. I can't keep running forever. There's only one spell I can think of that will assist me here, but I've never used it before. Will it work?

They barreled across the field, the chill winds blowing past them, as more and more of the Terrace Army spilled out from the city's gates. They could see a forest in the distance, neighboring the field.

“There!” Sebastian shouted. “If we can get to the woods, we might be able to lose them...”

Foolish, Nobu thought. They'd find us in no time...

They kept running, hearing the shouts of the army behind them. Nobu began to feel nauseous. The sharp pain flowed through him, but he kept running. His perseverance carried him, as the woods grew closer. The sound of crunching leaves beneath their feet signaled their arrival -- before he knew it, they had entered the woods, and were met with the embrace of the forest's shade.

“This way,” said Nobu, veering off to the left.

They ran between the trees, trying to ignore the boisterous cracking of twigs beneath their feet, before finding their way into an open clearing. Nobu stopped to catch his breath. He felt as though the sound of his breathing alone could be heard from all the way in town.

“We can't stop here!” cried Sebastian. “They'll catch up in no time!”

“I know of a spell,” said Nobu, panting. “I may be able to create some distance, if I can pull this off correctly.”

“Do you mean it?” Sebastian asked, its face lighting up.

Then, a man's voice rang out from somewhere behind them. “They can't have gotten far! Hurry and find them!”

Sebastian quickly turned in the direction of the voices. “Alright, I trust you,” it said. “After you--” Sebastian stopped, its expression frozen. “What...I...?”

Nobu had pulled out a knife and stabbed Sebastian through the back, the blade piercing its chest.

“But...Nobu...” it said meekly. “Why...?”

As its voice faded, Nobu dislodged his blade, before Sebastian promptly dropped to the ground. Nobu pocketed his knife and hastily knelt down on one knee. Then, he hastily turned the commoner's body upright.

I can do this, Nobu thought.

He placed his hand above Sebastian's chest, sparks hovering around his fingertips. Suddenly, electricity spiraled upward from the body, forming a column. The magic erupted into the air like a geyser, jetting toward the sky.

“There they are!” a voice from beyond the trees emitted.

This had better work, Nobu thought.

The electricity expanded horizontally, shooting outward in both directions. It formed a massive barrier, sparks dancing around it. The army poured in, before coming face to face with the wall of lightning.

“There he is!”

“What in the world is this?”

Nobu could see Terrace in the back of the group, glaring at the barrier. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Heed my words,” said Nobu. “I'll return some day, and when I do...I'm going to kill you and your entire army. Then, I'll restore my kingdom...your days are numbered.”

“Big words from a prince fleeing for his life,” said Terrace. “This barrier won't last forever. We will find you.”

“Gloat while you still can,” Nobu said, panting. “Your fate is sealed.”

He turned around, stepping over Sebastian's corpse and continuing through the trail. He could feel his pain and his exhaustion flowing through him. However, even beneath the layers of doubt, he could sense his conviction returning -- his determination pounding in his heart.

I will rebuild my kingdom, Nobu thought. This is only the beginning.

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