Asabasha 40, 350 AOR

“Shit,” Jrue murmured. “It’s Raymond.”

Within a heartbeat, the atmosphere surrounding the three aggressors changed. Blind rage and ruthlessness turned to annoyance and apprehension, their forms rigid and eyes unsteady.

Being the case, that begged the question, who was Raymond?

Cal’s eyes darted to the dashing blonde as he casually walked toward the altercation, the sound of his sandals clapping against the wood floor, only to stop every now and then to say hello to a few of the horrified patrons with a polite smile and quick wave. When he finally reached the bar, his blue eyes—shining with an almost innocent air—took in Unmarried Man’s bleeding wrist, Latiss’ offending sword, his friend’s pointed blades, and finally Cal.

Raymond’s blue met Cal’s greens, staring into them like he was trying to find Cal’s soul. Then he let out a single chuckle and turned his attention back to Latiss. “This is quite the dilemma, huh, Liam?” he said with a grin. “What’s going on, buddy?”

Latiss clicked his tongue and looked to the side. “What are you doing here, Raymond?”

The blonde was unperturbed. “Ah, you know, I was just in this part of town. Some voice in the back of my mind said I should come here. Figured I’d listen to my head for once, and now I’m here.”

Latiss’ face soured. “What a compelling story.”

Raymond grinned. “Indeed, so now I must ask again… What’s going on here?”

“A misstep, you could say,” was Latiss’ indifferent response, the dread from earlier slowly evaporating.

Raymond didn’t appear bothered as he took a step closer and inspected the offending blade like it were a complex puzzle. He pointed at it with his head cocked to the side. “Then… why’s your sword lodged in this man’s wrist?”

The entire time, the amiable smile on Raymond’s face never left, clearly bothering Latiss as he soon pulled his sword from its confines.

As Unmarried Man’s friend fell to the ground to soothe his friend, Ray smiled softly. “Go to Toultir and tell the guards that Raymond Crim asked for the best healer to assist you.”

‘Crim?’ Cal thought, the name familiar.

Unmarried Man shakily stood with his friend’s help, profusely thanking Raymond until the former turned to Cal. “Thank you, too, sir. I won’t forget your kindness.”

Cal barely acknowledged the man, attention still stuck on Latiss, which is when he realized that his dagger was still inches from Latiss’ neck. He didn’t pull back, however, not until Raymond put a hand on his shoulder.

“If you don’t mind, could you remove your blade from my… friend’s neck? I can assure you this won’t happen again.”

Cal stared up at the blonde—seeing as he was almost half a head taller than him—and after catching the small glint of plea in his eyes, Cal retracted the dagger and slid it into its sheath with practiced ease.

Raymond smiled and turned back to Latiss, expression suddenly darkening as he placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Now, Liam… get the hell out of my sight.”

Though begrudgingly, Latiss and his friends left the tavern, but not before many expletives were muttered by the fleeing young man. Nonetheless, right when the doors closed, whispers flew through the tavern, some concerning Raymond, others concerning Latiss, and many more concerning Cal.

Sighing, knowing that his course of action probably wasn’t the best one, Cal turned around and sat back down at the bar, ready to finish his meal and get the hell away from the tavern and the prying eyes surrounding him. Unfortunately, the presence of a certain blue-eyed blonde would keep him from fleeing too soon.

“Pretty hectic experience for your first day in Elda, huh?” he asked after taking a seat on the newly vacant stool beside Cal. “The usual, boss!”

The bartender nodded and disappeared to the back, just to return five seconds later with an assortment of vegetables thrown together and topped with steak squares.

Ignoring the unreal speed at which the tavern produced food, Cal raised a brow toward the blonde. “How do you know it’s my first day in Elda?”

Raymond was mid-bite when he paused and looked at Cal incredulously. “It’s a prince’s job to know those within his kingdom, don’t you think?”

“I suppose,” Cal said before casually taking a bite of boar and vegetables…

He stopped mid-chew. Then his head gradually turned to Raymond, whose countenance shared Cal’s stupefaction as they stared at one another. Swallowing his food, and nearly choking in the process, Cal’s eyes nearly flew out of their sockets.

Everything clicked.

Crim, a possible noble submitting to him, blonde hair, blue eyes…

The prince of one of the Three Great Kingdoms sat before him!

Cal couldn’t be certain as to what was rushing through the prince’s mind, but Cal’s was in utter turmoil.

He was sitting with the Prince of Elda—so casually too!

Should he be bowing?

Should he apologize for his lack of respect?

Does he need to beg for forgiveness?

All these thoughts would be irrelevant, however, as the prince burst into laughter, dropping his fork and holding his sides as people glanced at the two. Cal’s countenance shifted to one of mortification.

“Oh, wow! That’s definitely new!” the prince hollered out as his laughter was reduced to small chuckles.

Cal was more than lost.

“I’m… sorry?” He apologized… sort of.

Raymond waved a hand at Cal. “No. No. No. No need for apologies. It’s refreshing, actually, to not be looked at as a prince. Actually, that was rather delightful.”

“Uh… So—”

“Ah!” the blonde exclaimed, eyes wide. “I should still probably introduce myself, though. The name is Raymond Crim, the first and only child of Kendrik Crim and the Prince of Elda. Nice to meet you—wait, I don’t know your name either.”

“Right. My name is Cal Gray. It’s nice to meet you as well, Your—”

“Stop right there, Cal! Just call me Ray… please,” he insisted, hands raised like Cal was about to hit him.

Cal faltered. An emotion shone through the prince’s eyes, one a person would probably see in a beggar’s. It contrasted vastly with the easygoing facade he had worn for all but a few seconds, pleading for Cal to simply listen and not question it.

So he did.

“As you wish… Ray,” Cal said rather uneasily.

Ray exhaled and smiled. “Thanks. Now it’s nice to meet you, Cal.”

“Likewise,” Cal said before the two shared a short handshake and turned to their meals.

Cal had only taken a few bites when Ray spoke up, attention still on his food. “So, Cal, why are you here in Elda?”

Jabbing a piece of boar, Cal replied, “My… mentor is a new professor at Aldera, asked me to tag along.”

“You sound uncertain,” the prince chuckled. “Who is he?”

“Julius Airetore.”

A choked cough shot out of Ray’s mouth, lasting several seconds until he hit his chest a few times. Once settled, between another bout of coughs, he blurted out, “Julius Airetore? You’re mentor is Julius Airetore, the Sixth Sage?”

Cal’s brows furrowed. “Uh, yeah? You know him?”

“Personally? No. But generally? Yes,” Ray clambered, blue eyes burning with a fire in his eyes. “Sages aren’t something you find on the corner of the street, Cal! The last Sage was dubbed such nearly three centuries ago. Since then, no one’s reached such a title, or anything higher. How did you even get to be his student?”

“Um… He kind of just showed up a couple of weeks ago. We have similar goals, I suppose.”

“You must be amazing at magic, right?”

“… Not really.”

“No need to be modest, Cal!” Ray smiled. “How many spells do you know?”

“Four…”

…

“Four?”

“Four.”

“Well… Are they impressive?”

“Torch.”

“Torch?”

“Torch… and Lightning Armor—a couple of others too.”

“I think… I’m a bit pissed.”

“I apologize,” Cal muttered.

Releasing a shout somewhere between aggravation and excitement, Ray ran his hands through his hair. “By the gods, who cares? You must let me meet him one day!”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Cal said before eating a few more bites.

“Great,” Ray nodded before slamming through his food and then pointing his fork at Cal. “Still, I’m surprised that you decided to stand against someone like Liam on your first day of being in Elda. You couldn’t have made a more stupid decision.”

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“How so?”

Ray raised two lengthy fingers. “There are two… rules in Elda, so to speak. One, always show your respect to the king, and two, never get on the bad side of a noble. There are good nobles, but they’re about as rare as dragons. It’s best to just keep your head low. You’ve already broken the second rule, so I’ll say this as a prince, as well as a kind soul, but don’t further antagonize Liam. He’s different than most.”

“In a bad way?”

“His family is the second most powerful family in Elda—helped found Elda alongside my ancestors or something—so getting on his bad side is about as bad as insulting the king himself,” Ray explained firmly before he stopped and his mouth fell slightly open. “Oh, wait. There’s a third rule actually. It’s the most important.”

“Don’t you think you should’ve led with that?”

Ray waved him off, eyes darkening as he leaned toward Cal and lowered his voice. “Never use Dark Magic. Don’t even think about it. It’s completely forbidden, understand?” Cal nodded, but Ray wasn’t finished. “Elda’s first king—my seventeenth great grandfather—fought the Goddess of Darkness fifteen hundred years ago. Every story, every account—survivors, heroes, kings, and queens… they all spoke of her terror and carnage. She was a storm of treachery, devastating all she touched. Such evil magic has been banned almost entirely, but in Elda, to use it means walking yourself to your death.”

His foreboding words sat between the two for a moment, giving Cal plenty of time to take in the new information regarding the evil art. The prince showed off an easy grin then, pulled back, slapped a silver coin on the bar, and stood up. “For me and my friend, boss!”

The silent bartender nodded and turned to another patron. Cal, on the other hand, glanced at Ray. “There’s no need to pay for me.”

“Come now. Think of it as thanks for sticking up for Krista back there and speaking to me like an actual human being.”

“That may be, but—”

“Anyway, let’s go,” he interrupted, his hands back in the confines of his pockets as he was already heading for the door.

Cal looked back at the silver coin, then to the prince, and reluctantly turned to follow the blonde. “What do you mean? Where are we going?”

Ray looked over his shoulder as he pushed the door open with the same charming grin on his face. “I wanna show you around town, and no turning my offer down either, Cal. Think of it as a direct order from the Prince of Elda!”

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Elda was enormous.

It was the simplest way Cal could describe it.

If he took the time to explain it, something he planned on doing in the first letter he would send to his family, he would tell them about the four districts that made up Elda: the Common, Noble, Royal, and Academy.

The Common District was the largest of the four, and though Cal went in assuming it would be—well, less than average, he was sorely mistaken. Situated at the lowest and frontmost part of the city, including the main street and plaza—Heroes Plaza—he first witnessed, the Common District housed thousands of diverse buildings. The charm of the Common District was brought on by beautiful brick and wood structures—some even larger than entire blocks—while other smaller ones were crafted with stucco and timber like the ones back in Markstead. Those were often dwarfed by their neighbors, but it did little to take away from the charm of the former.

Greenery—bushes, trees, vines, and grass plots—spread through the Common District, adding to the forest-like ambiance of the kingdom. That didn’t even take into account the magical aspect of Elda and its inhabitants.

The difference between Markstead and her citizens was rather small, but with the scale of the kingdom in comparison, magic seemed much more frequent of a sight. Similar to Markstead, magic was just another tool to be used. The blacksmiths who scorched and doused their weapons, the florists who grew their product, the scribes who wrote dozens of scrolls in minutes, and the merchants who led their Familiars through the crowds. Cat-like beasts standing a dozen feet tall, waist-high falcons with faces like an owl, and even modest-sized reptilian creatures that crawled along the walls and roofs of buildings, careful not to leave even a mark.

Magic… it was everywhere—it was liberating.

Cal ducked beneath a man who carried a pyramid of boxes over his head before stepping around the children who ran through the streets and alleys.

“Heads up!” someone to his right shouted.

When Cal instinctively covered his head, he removed his arm and looked up in wonderment as a huge ball of water floated above the streets. Once it reached a rooftop that was covered in foliage, the ball popped, dousing the flowers and verdure. An old man’s head popped over the side.

“Thanks again, Shafa!” he croaked out.

Cal wouldn’t get a chance to observe the situation any longer though as he found himself running into Ray’s outstretched arm. That was when Cal glanced in front of them and watched as a line of white fluffy creatures walked from one side street, over the main road, and to another side street, all of which were carrying wood planks over their heads.

They were wide, short, and had beady black eyes with small, silver beaks. With fluffy white fur and a cotton ball tail, their webbed feet waddled across the stone road. By the time Cal counted fifty of the rather cute, bird-looking creatures, he turned to Ray. “What are these things?”

“You’ve never seen them?” Ray asked with incredulous eyes before shrugging. “They’re Bobos.”

“Bobos?”

“Yup.”

Cal watched as the line of Bobos continued. When he counted another two hundred, he looked at Ray, who held up a reassuring hand. Sighing, Cal silently waited another ten seconds until the last Bobo disappeared into the side street. When it did, the afternoon traffic resumed.

“Those creatures are from Northern Volmier. They’re rather small, but the strength they possess is equal to three men. That’s why their owner, Mr. Chet, brought a few from Volmier when he came here to start a business as a carpenter.”

“That’s a lot more than a few,” Cal pointed out.

Ray chuckled sheepishly. “They, uh… have a high drive, if you know what I mean.”

A slightly disgusted frown broke through Cal’s stoic facade as they continued on. Between looking at everything he could, Ray spoke.

“With the size and configuration of the Common District, it actually has three other names: South, Central, and North. We’re currently in the South District. The main road, Heroes Plaza, and the immediate area surrounding it are the Central District. The North District is above that, which is also where the Academy District begins,” Ray explained before lifting his finger. “Unlike the Noble District, the Common District is rather unorganized and spread out. There’s no designated space for shops or homes, so everything is combined into one big puzzle. Surprisingly though, once you live here long enough, you begin to understand that puzzle.”

“It’s huge—a lot of people…” Cal mumbled.

“Fifteen million to be exact. What? Not fond of crowds?” Ray laughed before clapping Cal’s back. “I figured you weren’t all too sociable, but you’ll be fine. Aldera sits on a sizable campus and only houses a little over one thousand students and staff. The city is practically nonexistent once you enter campus grounds.”

“Mm.”

After circling the South District, the pair returned to Heroes Plaza, but instead of heading toward the North District, Ray led Cal to an enormous staircase further, and a bit ahead, of Heroes Plaza. They climbed the one hundred and one steps—Cal counted. When his eyes reached over the stairs, and he was thrust into what seemed to be an entirely different city, his mouth nearly fell open.

Soaring above the stone brick retaining walls that separated the two districts and supported the upper district, buildings of immaculately crafted stone and marble replaced the wood and brick of the Common District. Tinted window panes, tall and wide, reflected gold and luxury as the much larger homes and shops practically radiated wealth and lawlessness. The roads, seemingly embedded in jewels, were less active; however, horse-drawn carriages had simply replaced the humans as the latter had moved to smaller roads on the sides of the road.

“Sidewalks,” Ray called them after realizing Cal wasn’t joking when he said he didn’t know what such a thing was.

‘That’s a dumb name,’ Cal had thought.

Between the main roads and sidewalks—as well as the middle of the roads—trees provided shade, giving Cal and Ray a bit of reprieve as they drank a citrus juice that Ray had bought for Cal. The sweet but slightly sour taste was unlike anything Cal had ever consumed… but he didn’t hate it. Choosing to ignore the fact that Ray had bought something else for him, Cal silently drank his beverage as Ray explained the Noble District.

“Like the Common District, the Noble District has its own inner districts, though it’s only the Residential and Shopping District,” he said before waving at a passing boy who walked silently beside his parents while they talked to another couple. “The Residential District houses the mansions and manors of Elda’s nobility and other prominent figures; there are about three hundred of those estates, and though it’s the main area of residence for the noble folk, there are still nicer, smaller lodgings within the Shopping District. Aside from the shops and markets though, there are several theaters, libraries, jewelers, churches, and more.”

Looking around as they walked within the commercial half of the upper city, the larger buildings—as large as entire blocks—rose up high, multiple stories tall and constructed with humongous windows and engraved patterns chiseled into the marble and stone. There was no market full of stalls or yelling vendors; instead, the finely dressed citizens walked in and out of the stores of different sizes. Whether it was the small flower shop pinned between the five-story clothes store, or the artistry shop stationed beneath a cosmetic store, the women and men, their dresses and suits of gold and silver, walked with regality.

It was all such a stark difference to the people who lived beneath them.

Cal wasn’t fond of it.

“How is your father, Your Highness?”

And that was why.

Leaning against a fence bordering a bakery’s veranda, arms crossed and expression flat, Cal watched within the shade as Ray was hounded by another pack of nobles. The blonde smiled sheepishly after having been practically dragged away from Cal, who stood unacknowledged. The few glances he did receive were not the good kind. There were many looks of cowled disgust that took in his dirty pants and boots, though there was a woman who had shamelessly looked him up and down, smiling and licking her lips when she met his eyes; she returned to a dignified state when her husband—Cal assumed—looked toward her. A child had also looked at him with simply curious eyes, but their mother urged them to stop.

Cal pressed his lips into a tight line as he watched the blue of Ray’s eyes darken despite the smile he wore. Through their tour of the kingdom under afternoon skies, Cal had figured out a few important things about the Prince of Elda.

Firstly, he was blindingly happy. For no reason either. Everywhere he went, no matter who he saw or what he did, he was always smiling. He was like Dante in that regard. Secondly, he was a people pleaser. Helping a fallen child, carrying a few boxes for an older shop owner, comforting a drunk who had upset his partner—he helped them all. He’d get along swimmingly with Bea. Lastly, Raymond Crim was incapable of putting his foot down. To what extent, Cal wasn’t certain, but they had already run into dozens of nobles, and each time, Ray stopped to talk to them… even if the expression he wore was painfully fake.

The crease in his brows, the fingers pinching his pants, and the light in his eyes fading.

It was respectably pathetic.

Cal pitied him and his kindness.

By the time Ray had spoken to each nobleman and woman, Vrexa and Yanola had already begun to fall behind the kingdom’s walls, painting the sky in orange and violet as waves of clouds rolled.

Ray approached Cal, expression exhausted and slightly annoyed. “Sorry about that, Cal. It’s sort of normal, being a prince and all.”

“Did you know that none of them asked you about yourself? They only asked about your father.”

“They never have.”

“Not once?”

Ray shook his head. “Power is imprisoning. That’s what I’ve been taught as the son of a king. These arrogant bastards bend over to get fucked for just an ounce of privilege. They want me to do it for them though—not like I’d ever do it. I won’t be a prisoner like them… like my father.”

Cal observed the prince for a few beats before pushing himself off the fence and heading toward the main road that split the Shopping and Residential Districts and led to Heroes Plaza.

“We got more to see, right? Let’s go.”

He made it ten steps when Ray ran up to his side and threw an arm over Cal’s shoulder, an eye-reaching smile spreading across his face. “You’re nicer than you look, you know?”

“Is that so?” Cal deadpanned.

“Yes,” Ray said before tapping Cal’s arm. “But don’t worry. I’m not insulting you.”

Cal rolled his eyes. “I’m truly honored, Your Highness.”

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Returning to Heroes Plaza, Ray led Cal through the North District, passing by several restaurants, butcher shops, markets, and even bakeries, one of which Cal watched as a short girl nearly fell off a ladder outside while fixing a lantern, just to be caught by another taller girl.

Ten minutes later, they reached the edge of the district, a dense forest acting as a wall between the North District and Academy District. Yet, it was the wide open gate with sculpted gray stone pillars and two arching black gates that struck Cal as the most interesting, more so since there were no fences stemming off of it. Anyone could walk around it or through the open gates.

So… why was Cal standing in front of a useless gate?

Such a question would soon be answered as Ray took a few steps toward the gate, turned, and held his hands out as if revealing to Cal his magnum opus. Eyes shimmering in delight, the prince’s voice carried much exuberance. “What do you think?”

Cal was very confused, to say the least.

“It’s a… uh, nice forest— a nice gate… I guess?”

Ray’s hands dropped to his side. He looked at Cal, back to the empty forest, and then back at Cal. “Oh… I’m stupid,” he muttered, lifting his left hand up after the self-insult. “Did you receive this ring?”

On his ring finger, a silver ring with a pattern chiseled on the shank and a crimson gem atop its head shone in the light. Cal was immediately reminded of the ring Airetore had given him. He grabbed it from his pocket and lifted it up.

Ray grew enthusiastic. “Put it on. Put it on.”

Admittedly, a small rush of excitement welled up within Cal as he looked at the ring and slowly placed it on his left ring finger. Ray’s countenance told Cal that something amazing was about to happen, and when he took into account that they were in the Academy District, and had yet to lay eyes on it, his hint of excitement doubled.

Upon placing the ring around his finger, Cal’s body grew somewhat lighter, yet sturdier. He was uncertain of either sensation, but there was one thing he knew for sure…

“Uh, Ray… Nothing’s changed.”

Well, that’s what he thought before he finally looked up and realized that the Prince of Elda had disappeared right before his eyes.