2 The Fall

Delan stood up and looked towards the swordsman with a slight smile, "Action speaks louder than words kid. Give it a few years, you might be a match for one of those monstrous card holders, eh prince?"

"Sure," said the prince, returning to his reclusive aloof personality now that the group wasn't in danger. "We should go clean up," says the prince, "It looks like the rain is calming down, so I'll go clean up by the river. You need it more than me though Delan." commenting on his crimson hue.

"Alright, but if you lose yourself, look for the smoke from our fire." says the mage, which was answered by the back of the prince's head.

As the prince walks off by himself he begins to reflect on the battle, and the hunting trip as a whole. 'What a mess' he thinks, 'I had to show off a bit too much, but the spearman confuses me. He has always seemed so on guard and stiff, but he got incapacitated so quickly, what was he doing?' He passes through the forest slowly but smoothly, observing the surroundings. The thin clouds barely expose the pink-yellow afternoon sun, which makes the trees appear to glow. The light-blue bark and the purple leaves fill the air with a calm aura that allows the prince to slip deeply into thought. The soft wind causes the leaves to rustle together wrapping the prince in what sounds like distant applause. He stands still.

'Sigh. I wish this were closer to the royal castle. I would be here everyday meditating.' When he resumes walking his ears are soon filled with the sound of rushing water, and he approaches the river. The prince begins to think about this party again, 'Despite their flaws, this group is fairly nice. The spearman and the swordsman seem almost like brothers. I wish I had siblings.' he thinks. 'They are nice, I'll put in a good word to my father for those three. I still can't believe he sent Captain of the Guard to protect me. Delan's presence is wholly unnecessary, father knows how strong I have become in the three years under his tutelage.' He removes his clothes and slowly walks into the river, careful not to trip.

As he washes himself he reflects more upon his home. 'The Sword Kingdom' he thinks 'What a farce. My father is too kind, and my mother too hot-headed, having those two running a kingdom famed for its military might, I can't imagine what it would be like in fifty years. I'll be King then. I'll inherit my father's card, and will give mine to my son.' He raises his head towards the evening sky. 'I wish I could explore the world a while, but my father does not have another heir if I end up dead. Plus the royal family would lose another Sword Suit card, after what happened with the Nine of Swords, I should play it safe.'

He watches the transparent water flow, spotting a few fish swimming upstream for breeding season. He sighs again 'What a stupid tradition, I spend so much time with the Knight of Swords, then have to give it to my son and trade it for the King of Swords. Where did it even come from? Father says it's a rite of passage, that in order to become a king, you must know how to live as a knight. He is wise. Much wiser than he appears.' The bushes rustle behind him and he turns to see Delan covered in dry blood. The prince moves to the riverbank so that Delan can bathe, he wasn't all that dirty anyway.

"I greatly underestimated your power, my prince, you did well in the battle," says Delan with an emotionless face. "We should finish this as quickly as possible so we can head back to the royal caslte, I can't stand having filth watching my back. Makes me feel slimy."

The prince sighs again in exasperation, "Lay off the noble blood stuff until we return to the castle Delan, we don't any trouble with them."

"Like what they think matters to the Sword Kingdom, they are just greenhorn soldiers. Probably joined up together from some vile farmer family down south." says Delan, "Let's just hope they aren't idiots and try to take your card."

"Agreed," says the prince. Delan steps out of the river and dresses himself before looking at the prince.

"Follow the smoke, my prince," says Delan, mockingly.

"I'm no child Delan." replies the prince disdainfully.

As they grow closer to the pillar of smoke, they overhear boisterous laughing from the soldiers, the loudest being from the spearman, who, despite being injured, still could fool around with his friends. Delan looks upon the scene with suppressed anger, and the prince with slight fondness.

The prince approaches the fire, hiding his smile. 'I should stay arrogant, so the public won't view me as an idiot and weakling.'

After eating the bear and sharing a few drinks the men go to bed after the fire dwindles. The prince lies awake in his tent in the middle of the night. 'Nine of Swords. It was curved swords wasn't it? Graceful but deadly. The owner was the previous Captain of the Guard before Delan took his place. I wonder who finished that old fox off his technique was amazing, it would have been even better if it was a beautiful woman doing it, but it was still fascinating to watch.' Right as he begins to drift into sleep, he senses the soldiers surrounding his tent.

They all pounce together, before the prince says "Weapon Release!" and rolls out of his tent in order to put distance between him and his attackers.

"Why?!" the prince exclaims.

"You heard my brother earlier. Just a single Minor Arcana and we would be set for life, let alone a royal card." said the spearman.

"Hand it over." said the mage, but before the prince could react, a terrifying aura emerged from Delan's tent, and he sent cloth cover flying before yelling.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING," a fully transformed Delan lumbered from within his tent.

"Shit." the swordsman said softly, "We were just fooling around Delan, sir, my friends here just had a few too many drinks. Delan walks and stands beside the prince before raising a sharp claw towards the soldiers. The prince was disappointed and his green eyes shined with regret, and the feeling of betrayal, and as the claw from Delan fell, it landed where none may expect it. On the prince's chest. The prince was baffled as he looked at the four men standing above him, with ferocious sinister smiles.

"These are my men, my prince." Delan says mockingly, "And once I've killed you and taken your card, one of them will inherit my Nine of Swords." His wolfish grin stretches across his face as he takes out two curved swords.

"IT WAS YOU!" exclaimed the prince, crawling slowly backward, "YOU'VE BETRAYED THE KINGDOM" he cried before he felt his hand touch only air. 'The ravine,' he thought. He takes out his golden card as Delan charges towards him.

"Not on my watch kid!" he yells before being blinded by a golden light. "Full Transformation! Golden Eagle! The prince smiles smugly, but his eyes betray his sadness. Before he can celebrate his chance at escape the mage chuckles softly.

"Wind Bullet." he says. These two words were enough to make anyone sweat, and as quickly as the wind, a small projectile pierced joint between his body, and his wing, causing him to fall to the ground, crippled. The prince sees only one more opportunity. The ravine. Right before, he crawls over the edge, he glances back at the faces of his newfound enemies. Knowing that dying without being killed would send his card across the world randomly, he had to take this chance.

"I'm so sorry. Mother, Father. I will wait for you." he says as he falls into the almost endless darkness. Faded from the eyes of those above him, he drifts away from the light, before thudding hard on the earth, where the light from above is nearly gone.

Back on the surface, Delan began thinking of excuses for the king.

"Shit." said the swordsman.