Kingdom's Despair

They stood in a row, each next to the other, watching Tim's lying body, which he eventually crawled from beneath the crab's heavy body. Tim turned around and looked up at the crab's big face, gripping his own head, as he rolled over onto his legs and clinched his claws with a smile and sweat streaming down his forehead.

"Hey, Jazu! What was the point of that?! You weren't trying to kill me, were you? If you don't want to become a baked shell, tell me the truth!"

Jazu shook and sweated as he swallowed, while Codey stared at him, bored and disappointed, and likewise gulped in response to Tim's unusual inquiry.

"What did you expect? You told him that he'd be a great meal for us, but better yet..."

"Why the hell are you riding a monster crab like this?!"

Tim slipped his right foot to the side and exchanged glances with Codey, then dropped his arms to join up his hip and answered.

"Oh, Jazu? He's one of my friends. I found him snoozing in the sand, but when I touched the side of his claws, he awoke. You should know that he's quite funny..."

Elliott's feet were getting pulled in the background by Karisa and Nina since the top of his body, along with his head, was trapped in the sand. They pulled harder and harder, whimpering under the strain, while Natan stood beside them with crossed arms and a bland expression.

"Come on! How deep did you go?!"

"I'm trying to pull him out, but he's way to big and heavy for my strength!"

With his continually dull expression frozen on his macho posture, Natan eventually decided to ask a question.

"Do you need help?"

"YES PLEASE!" As they struggled to pull Elliott out, the two girls shouted and urged Natan to hop in front of them and hold Elliott's feet together. Meanwhile, Codey took a step closer to Tim and gave him a puzzled look.

"Where were you? We tried to find you, but never found you. At the very least, by returning to us alone, you didn't give us too much of a bother... Oh, and there's that colossal crab-"

"Sorry, hehe! When you suggested I should back away, I mistakenly backed away too far and lost sight of you, so I was lost and didn't know where to go. But then I met Jazu, and everything worked out perfectly in the end!"

"How do you get lost?! You went straight, didn't you?!"

"Yup, straight ahead!"

"Then you could've just turned around and go straight back!"

"Oh, right... Yeah, that fell out of my mind."

Elliott was finally pulled from the sand, his face dizzy throughout, his body slim and weak as the sand continued to flow out of his mouth, piling up on the floor beneath him, with the two girls breathing heavily and holding their knees, while Natan stood next to them and then joined up with Tim, Ellie, and Codey, where Ireene quickly stepped closer to them and asked a question.

"Is he your captain?"

Codey responded with a nod and introduced him for a bit, while Tim happened to hold his arms together on his hips and look at Ireene quite confused. The question marks happened to pop up on top of his head as he was surrounded by the glimmering sparkles and confusing thoughts.

"Who's she?"

"Hey! Show some respect, Tim!"

Ellie's shout drew Tim to look him closer and scratch the side of his head while trying to learn the meaning of the woman being with them, while Jazu stood behind him, sitting and waiting to continue moving.

"It's all right. I'm Ireene, and I'd want to introduce myself. Princess of the Golden Wasakona. Captain Tim, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope my presence does not upset you; I've been attempting to journey through the desert in search of something I don't want to reveal."

But the instant she tried to properly introduce herself, she became white and stopped in place when she observed Tim crouching in front of Tubby, where they were both slapping their hands together.

"Hey! It's a lot of fun to play with this bird!"

Codey yelled with a popping vein on his forehead and grumbled about Tim mistaking the animal's race as he rapidly dropped his arms to near the bottom of the sand.

"It's a penguin!"

"It's still a bird, isn't it?"

"It may be a bird, but it still cannot fly and it has a specific name!"

"Oh, sorry... Didn't know that..."

"I see you've gotten quite friendly with Tubby. That's good, I'm glad you do."

"Uh-Huh.... So lady... Who are you again?"

Everyone became ice cold, standing up on the floor with annoyance directed at him and grabbing their brows, with Karisa yelling at him.

"Are you deaf?! Do you not listen?!"

"It's fine. I'll just introduce myself again... I'm Ireene, the princess of the Golden Wasakona, and I'm-"

She instantly realized Tim was scooping up Ayuka's body from Tomomi and rested her back against his backs before continuing. "Thank you so much, Tomomi!" Tim's thankfulness elicited a nod from her, while Ireene simply gave up.

("He's "seriously" not listening to me...")

Nina finally spoke out, her voice gentle as she coughed to keep it from seeming annoyed as she swiftly explained why Ireene was there.

"Ireene is the Golden Wasakona's princess. We happened upon her and were introduced to the hardship she and her people face. A country ruled by a "Sea Noble" who forces people to participate in fatal trials and enslaves them if they succeed. She promised to take us to the nearest doctor. So, if you don't mind, she'd want to join us back to the main residence of the Golden Wasakona."

"I don't get it. What's this trial you're constantly talking about? I've heard it multiple times now, Ireene."

Ireene looked at Ellie's curious look and exhaled the breathe of sorrow and fear that she understood as a problematic, and insulting activity toward the Golden Wasakona's people.

"I was scared you'd ask, but I'll tell you anyway. Byron assigned people to a weekly task he dubbed "Trials of Survival," in which they must go across the desert in quest of water, which is only found on the Shautara Island. It's a region surrounded by plants and a vivid blue body of icy water, but it's also guarded by some of the most terrifying monsters in the world, who will defend the territory from anyone who comes to visit. The Hornhogs are a nasty beast that threatens human lives. It's a monster that looks like a hedgehog, but has the body of a reindeer and horns that protrude from its mouth. They are quick and deadly, which is why so many individuals never return. We're essentially defenseless against them because the people who take part in the trial are deemed to be weaponless and can just dress up. People aren't even given a barrel through which to transport water, so they must devise a strategy for returning to town safely and with at least seven liters of water."

"He gives them such a tough trial without allowing them to make a decision, and then he doesn't even help them out?! That's straight up cruel!"

"Yes, in fact, I'm on the same trial, which is why I've been absent. I'm looking for this island so I can bring water back."

"You too?! You can't be serious?! What does this guy thinks he is?!"

"It started two years ago. We were attacked by Byron, and there was nothing we could've done about it..."

~While the tremendous carnage took place outside the castle's gates, Ireene and her father were gathered in the royal room with soldiers protecting them. Byron had been rampaging through the streets of Golden Wasakona, fighting the guards with all his might and making short work of them while ramming his way past the city's main defenses.

"Come on?! Stop putting these useless slaves in my way and show yourself, royality!"

When the gate abruptly opened for the king to walk outside with a serious face set in his look, Byron descended from the air in front of the castle's gigantic stairs leading to the entryway.

"Byron, why have you come here? Leave this country immediately or face the wrath of the Golden Wasakona's troops."

"Come on, pops, you can do it. You don't think I'll leave this country now that I've pushed my way past your feeble little troops, do you? They were simple to figure out, and if you couldn't figure it out, pops... I've come to swap places with you. I'd rather not deal with an obstinate, tiny old fool who happens to be the king by chance! You're too old to run this country, so it's time for you to hand over the reins to someone younger like me. If someone like me were to run this city and share the rules, it would be a lot better place."

"You must be insane to think I'll give up my throne for a pathetic person like yourself. Even after you were ejected from my country, you've been rampaging over it ever since you got your dry and dazzling sand powers."

"You can't possibly be serious, can you? An old hag like yourself directing my actions as if I were a fool? Because of your obstinacy toward my mother, I was expelled. When I was the first to be born, you chose your little princess and formed a strong attachment with her. Is it fair to the world to evict your own son while keeping your defenseless small daughter as one of your favorites? I thought parents were meant to love both of their children, no matter what mishaps they were responsible for."

"Byron, you have no idea what's going on. I'm sure you understand why you were kicked out of this country. You've taken from our people, made them lose hope, and even compelled them to fulfill some of your most heinous demands. You made them do it without even giving them the option. A person like you should not be allowed to live in such a place. That is the sole cause for your expulsion."

"I am royalty, pops, and I have complete authority over how I treat my subjects! So don't be a fool and hand over your reign to me. I promised I'd look after my younger sister, and I might put her through a few trials, but don't worry. Unless she has a hard time, I won't be too tough with her."

"Byron, I've made my decision and I'm not going to change it. I'm going to tell you this one more time. Leave this nation or face the Golden Wasakona's army's wrath." ~

"Even if my father tried to defend his title and keep the citizens safe, my brother still overcame his troops and even defeated the king. Ever since that time, he imprisoned our father and laughed in his face, not even sharing enough food with him. He's been ruling this country for two years and more and more people started to perish. If they tried to leave, Byron would demand the troops of his own power to chase down the escapee or execute that person by himself. I wanted to fix all of this, but no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't, and even after I confronted him, my brother then put me into this deadly trial."

~ Ireene dashed up the stairs to the throne room, where Byron sat with a smile on his face, the guard protecting him from any forces attempting to assassinate him. He smiled when the door opened and he leaned on the side of the throne.

"Would you take a peek at who arrived? What's up, my lovely little sister? Have you come to rule with me for the first time?"

"Brother! You must put an end to this! You've been running this country like it's a game to you! You've pushed others to their breaking point, forcing some of them to commit suicide! Please, stop this at once!"

"Of course, she arrived babbling about some hopeless nonsense. Do you have any idea who I am, sis? I am royalty, the ruler of this country, and I have complete authority to command and compel people to do whatever I choose! They're a bunch of helpless skeletons that don't even have enough brains to survive. The only way to teach them some manners and how to obey their king is to put them through the trials."

"No, you're mistaken! It's pure heinousness and murder! You've been sending people into the wilderness, putting their lives at risk and letting them perish one by one! Only a few individuals survived, and you don't even grant them any freedom after all the torment. You just enslave them or make them labor as if they were pets!"

"Yes, of course. In comparison to me, the monarch of this entire territory, they're like pets. What's the big deal about them having to go through a trial? It's just a fun game to watch to see if they make it or not. It's only fair for those who refuse to follow my orders."

"No! People are simply that: people! They are meant to be free, not subjected to the orders of a despicable "king" such as yourself! How can you call yourself a king when you're committing all of these atrocities against these poor people? It is disgraceful for royalty to behave in this manner! You're going to make the international government kill you!"

"Have you forgotten who I am, Ireene? I'm their prized "Sea Noble," and I serve them for all the justice they seek for the globe. They won't be able to do anything unless I resign as a "Sea Noble" myself. I'm essentially the ruler of the entire world. For as long as I am titled as the "Sea Noble," I am a safe human who cannot be imprisoned by the world government, whether I put individuals through gruesome trials or put them in jail. That said, I'm a wonderful example of a member of the royal family who has complete control over his actions, and not even the admirals of the sea can stop me. It's just the way I see things."

"You can't be serious? At least stop with these trials!"

"The trials, oh yeah. One of my primary motivations for ruling this country. When I think about them, I can't help but wonder who will be the next victim. Oh, I believe I've discovered a beauty. What are your thoughts, Ireene? Are you prepared to face the trial in a year's time? You don't have a choice, so prepare yourself. I might still need you for the next year."

As Byron rose up, stepped by her, and crouched before her, he absolutely startled Ireene and scared her down to her knees. He patted the top of her head and took the bottom of her chin between his hands.

"Don't be scared. You might only end up being eaten by the living things. Make sure you bring some delicious water for me to enjoy. You may even make it out alive, but who cares? It's also understandable that death occurs. After all, you're a useless scumbag who can't even defend her own father..."

He walked away with those final remarks, pushing Ireene into a horrific future trial that could result in her life being cut short. ~

"I've been wandering for two days now and have yet to arrive at Shautara Island. I just want people to be free, for these trials to be over, and for my brother to leave this nation once and for all. They're in pain, they're struggling, and they're barely surviving, and all I can do is stand there and hope for the best. It makes me feel uneasy just thinking about it. When I say these things out loud, I can't help but cry..."

With everyone astonished and upset, feeling the pain that Ireene had to go through, they were frozen solid and saw how this had to end at some point.

"Oh, Ireene..."

"I'm useless! I can't even protect my own people! If I don't do something about it now, this nightmare will never end!"

She dropped to her knees as she cried with hear tears vaporizing in the hot sand, with Nina holding her hands on her mouth from shock.

Tim, however, stood in the back with his eyes shadowed as he held his hood over the top of his head and breathed in and out. He began to walk toward Ireene within silence while the wind furiously blew around his body, forcing the sand the typhoon around his body while his clothes rippled in the air. His eyes covered by the shadow as he stepped next to Ireene's knelt body.

"Don't worry..."

Ireene was taken aback as she heard Tim's deep and solemn voice finally reach her ear. When she heard the intimidation in his voice, she felt horrified and paralyzed.

"Byron, whoever he is. Whatever he's thinking, I'm not going to let it go on. People should not live in this dreadful epoch. All that matters is freedom. I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen again. I'll beat his ass. Whatever it takes, I'll do it, and I'm not going to let this servitude continue. I swear on my life."

"No! You can't! If you fight him, you'll die!"

"Don't care... I'm going to do it, no matter how powerful this guy is. I can't let these innocent people work under such cruelty, whether I live or die. Everyone, pay attention because I've given you orders. No matter what, as your captain, you'll pay attention to what I say. We're going to put an end to the slavery and trials right away, no matter what it takes."

They exchanged smiles and nods as they sat down next to each other, Tim still wearing his hood.

"Bring us to the Golden Wasakona, that's all you have to do. I'll take care of everything, Ireene..."

Ireene's eyes shivered in surprise as she was frozen in place, waiting for someone to aid this country, and she eventually wiped away her tears.

"Thank you... I can't thank you enough."

As he faced ahead, Tim's gloomy eyes beneath the hood eventually raised. The eyes of a frightening, vicious, and warrior appeared, shining in a chilly blue tint.

"This is where it ends..."