Nathan ran into the town, his heart hammering in his chest. He knew what those red eyes meant. He knew what the wind kicking up meant. And he knew that if he didn’t act immediately, the loss of life would be catastrophic.

He’d never considered it before. Of course, the Dustend would eventually hit the city. Why wouldn’t it?

Well, if it were truly random, the chances of it hitting a settlement head-on would be low.

But Nathan didn’t buy that. It wasn’t random. It struck where it could cause the most destruction. And if its aim was the greatest possible damage, then the capital city was the inevitable target.

Why didn’t it attack earlier, though? Why now?

“The Dustend! It’s about to hit here!” Nathan shouted as he ran through the streets.

More than a few people looked at him with confused eyes. Someone laughed nervously.

“What are you doing?!” Nathan shouted again. He slowed to a stop and grabbed a man by the shoulders. “Get underground, now!”

The man rolled his eyes. “Everyone knows you can’t predict when a Dustend is coming.”

“I can. Trust me, it’s about to hit, and if you don’t—”

“Oh, quit it,” the man said. “I already said I don’t believe you. Lay off.”

Nathan gulped. These people were about to be massacred, and not a single one of them realized it—

“Nathan?”

He turned to see several of the farmers he often drank with sitting together. Among them was Abaya.

“What’s this about?” Abaya asked. “There’s going to be a Dustend attack?”

Nathan nodded. “Yes, and you all need to get underground. Right now.”

“Where?” another farmer asked. “Is there even shelter around here?”

Nathan was about to respond when one of the farmers nodded.

“The Founders feared a day like this would come,” the nodding farm said. “All of the houses have basements.”

The man Nathan had grabbed earlier stared at the group in confusion. “Don’t tell me you believe this lunatic.”

“Don’t you know who this is?” one of the farmers said. “This is the miracle man—the one who saved our farms. If he says the Dustend is about to strike, then I believe him.”

With that, every single farmer in the establishment stood up and started packing their things.

The energy in the air shifted. Several people unaffiliated with the farmers exchanged nervous glances. After a few seconds, a waitress disappeared into the back to grab her belongings.

“While you’re heading for shelter,” Nathan said. “Warn other people.”

The farmers nodded, and Nathan broke off toward another quarter of town. With the help of his connections to the farmers, he managed to convince several more people of the danger. It didn’t hurt that, by the time he was halfway through, thunder cracked ominously in the distance.

That should be most of the city. I need to get back to the palace to check on Zayen.

Nathan began running toward the palace when he felt something small but sharp crash against his skin—a sand grain.

He looked to his right.

Lightning cracked across the massive sandstorm, and the smell of magic filled the air. It loomed closer and closer to the city walls. For a second, Nathan almost hoped the walls could withstand the assault. But of course, they couldn’t.

He sprinted toward the palace, but he knew he wasn’t going to make it. He was at the outskirts of the city, and the palace was still minutes away.

The Dustend smashed into the walls, reducing the grand, mighty barriers of the Sandara Kingdom’s capital to rubble in an instant.

It was like watching a scene from a movie. The scale of the destruction was so inconceivably massive that Nathan almost believed it was just CGI. A giant chunk of rubble demolished a house, snapping him back to reality.

Nathan dug his feet into the sandstone road and dashed forward as fast as he could. The Dustend slammed into a row of houses, and he knew it by the sound of screaming and the blast of wind that struck him.

He kept running toward the palace.

Another row of houses was obliterated. A plank of wood and part of a roof flew overhead.

The Dustend hit Nathan like a brick wall. He was flung through the air, crashing into a house’s door and rolling onto the floor inside.

Groaning in pain, Nathan’s eyes snapped open just in time to see a piece of rubble flying straight for him.

Tidal Bulwark.

A shimmering, iridescent shield of magic materialized in front of him. The rubble smashed into it, and stone dust exploded through the room. Nathan coughed as the dust began to settle.

The shield stood unharmed, not a single crack visible.

Nathan climbed out through a window. He wasn’t far now.

To the side, he saw a dead body lying in the street. To the left, one house had been hurled into another.

A flicker of doubt wormed its way into his gut.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Did I cause this?

If it wasn’t random... Had the Dustend somehow sensed what Nathan was trying to do? And if it knew it was a matter of life or death, had it deliberately struck at the heart of the Sandara Kingdom?

No. He shook the thought away. He was assigning motive where there likely wasn’t any.

Probably.

Nathan pushed the thought from his mind and ran for the palace. When he reached the throne room, he shouted, “Zayen! Anyone!?”

No answer. Was everyone already in the Royal Archive? That was the most obvious shelter.

Nathan glanced back at the entrance. The Dustend was almost upon him. Gritting his teeth, he dashed downstairs and threw open the archive door.

“Who is it?” someone shouted.

“It’s me!” Nathan yelled. “Remember?”

Kamil stepped forward, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Thank goodness,” Kamil said. “We thought you’d been caught in the storm.”

“What about the king?” Nathan asked. “Where is he?”

Awkward glances passed through the group.

“Well?” Nathan pressed.

“Oh, he’s fine,” Kamil said quickly. “It’s just...”

“What? Where is he?”

Kamil hesitated. “Well... you just missed it. There was a coup. I don’t know who the king is anymore.”

----------------------------------------

Nathan managed to piece together what had happened. Apparently, just as the Dustend was spotted on the horizon, Rami had seized the moment to declare Zayen an unfit ruler. Naturally, many in the court were shocked and refused to follow her, but she’d managed to win over the entire guard prior to the whole incident.

"Where are they now?" Nathan asked. "Are they here?"

"No," Kamil replied. "The royals have a vault specifically for situations like this."

Nathan clenched his jaw. "What's going to happen now?"

"I haven’t the faintest clue," Kamil said, glancing toward the entrance doors. "If Rami is feeling particularly merciful, she’ll simply lock Zayen away in a dungeon. If she’s feeling callous, she might go for a public execution."

Nathan’s shoulders tensed. "But she won’t do that, right? After all, they’re cousins."

"Blood counts for far less than you think, Nathan,” Kamil said. “The only reason she wouldn’t kill him is because of the symbol he represents. If he were to die, he’d become a martyr, and her reign would be overthrown in a heartbeat. No, it’s far more likely she’ll let him waste away somewhere, never to be found."

Nathan glanced around at the scientists and lowered his voice so only Kamil could hear him. "In other words, this is the only chance I’ll get to free him."

Kamil lowered his voice as well, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. "I hope you aren’t planning to start a civil war."

Nathan pursed his lips. What was he planning?

Kamil was right. Freeing Zayen could very well ignite a civil war. But what were the other options? Besides, even if Nathan’s intent was good, could he trust Zayen to be levelheaded, to avoid impulsive actions, and to steer clear of war?

Yes, he could. Oddly enough, Nathan found himself trusting Zayen—a teenager, at best—to handle this. Despite his age, Zayen was one of the most composed people Nathan had ever met. Zayen had managed an immense state apparatus with surprising success. He avoided conflict, resolved difficulties, and ensured his subordinates didn’t overstep.

No, Nathan could trust Zayen.

But what could they do?

Exile. That was the only option.

"I’ll get him out of here—him, Omarn, and any other loyalists in the court," Nathan said.

"And what about us?" Kamil asked, gesturing to the bookshelves behind him. "What about the Dustend? We need these archives. Are we just going to give up on them?"

Nathan stared at the shelves of books, then at the researchers. A devilish grin spread across his face.

"Kamil," he said, "have I ever told you about my soulbound town…?"

----------------------------------------

Nathan ran out of his town and waited for the storm overhead to subside. When it finally passed, he stepped forward and looked over at the palace.

The entire city had been destroyed—leveled. There was nothing left but rubble, glass, and wood strewn across the streets.

He bit his lip. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone inside the shelters had gotten hurt. At least, he didn’t see any giant sinkholes where the shelters might have collapsed, which was a relief.

The sound of a dozen boots pounding the ground interrupted his thoughts. He turned around.

Behind him stood Rami, Omarn, Zayen, and several members of the royal guard. Flanking them were about two dozen additional guardsmen.

“Well, Nathan,” Rami said. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Nathan’s eyes darted toward Zayen. He stood with his hands folded, the fabric of his robes concealing any trace of skin. It made sense—if anyone could tell he had his hands tied up, it might cause issues of stability. The same was true for Omarn and a few other court members.

“Rami,” Nathan said, his voice even. “I just got back.”

Rami smirked.

“I believe it’s Queen Rami now.”

Nathan’s gaze shifted to the top of her head, where a gleaming crown rested. It was crested with jewels of every kind—a crown he’d seen many times before, back when Zayen wore it.

Nathan glanced at Zayen. The young man stood straight, his eyes hard, his gaze steady in spite of the bruise on his cheek. In contrast, Omarn looked like he’d been hit by a wagon. Repeatedly. His face was streaked with tears, and he limped slightly.

Nathan tensed his legs, ready for whatever was coming next.

“How did that happen?” he asked, forcing calm into his voice. “I thought Zayen was king.”

“Not anymore,” Rami said sharply. She snapped her fingers, and a dozen guards broke off toward the royal archives. “I’m afraid you and the rest of the palace staff are under new management. I trust you’ll cooperate.”

Nathan resisted the urge to smirk.

Rami arched an eyebrow. “Something amusing?”

Nathan stretched out the roots from his arm, letting them run through his back, down his legs, and into the ground. If he was going to pull this off without a word, his timing would have to be perfect.

“Yes,” he said.

“I think that my first royal decree will be your banishment.” Her tone dripped with mockery. “I’m afraid my cousin made a mistake in bringing you in. All you’ve done is unsettle the peasants.”

Nathan rolled his eyes. Then, in one swift motion, roots shot up from the ground, entangling everyone except Zayen, Omarn, and the other people who had their hands tied up.

Rami gasped, looking down in shock. “What?!”

Nathan grabbed Zayen and Omarn by their collars. “Run!”

They broke into a sprint. Behind them, Nathan could hear the sound of vines snapping as the guards tried to free themselves.

“After them!” Rami shouted.

Nathan glanced behind him. Five or six guards were in pursuit. To his side, Zayen was visibly struggling. His face was pale, and his breath came in ragged gasps.

Nathan held up a hand behind him.

“Tidal Bulwark.”

A shimmering shield materialized, blocking the guards. They crashed into it at full force.

Within minutes, Nathan and his companions had disappeared among the rubble. Even so, he knew their safety was temporary.

“What was that? Where are we going?” Zayen asked between gasps.

A few of the tied up court members stared at Nathan. “Yes, what’s happening—?”

“Quiet,” Nathan said. “I have an escape route.”

“You don’t mean—?” Zayen cut himself off, slapping a hand over his mouth.

Nathan shut his eyes, concentrating on forming the portal. White sparks began to appear in front of him. After a few moments, the portal popped open.

“Go, go!”

Zayen hesitated, glancing back at the ruins of the town. Then he nodded and leapt through the portal. Omarn followed, his long robes trailing behind him. The rest of the court followed in, one by one.

Nathan was about to step through when a voice called out.

“What exactly is your plan?”

Rami stood behind him, sneering.

“Do you honestly think you’ll be able to overthrow me?” she said. “The people blame you. They blame Zayen. Rightfully so.”

Nathan snorted. “If you seriously think that’s going to demoralize me, you’re an idiot.”

Rami’s eyes widened. “You—!”

But Nathan ignored her. He stepped through the portal and slammed it shut behind him.

On the other side, Zayen and Omarn were doubled over, hands on their knees, gasping for air.

“Well,” Zayen said at last. “That was a disaster.”