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"It looks like a nice spot you picked out.""You don't look much like a king.""Oh please, I am a prince of Zerk. The people of this planet know who I am, and what that means. And I think you should take the chance of knowing too. You might not have any friends in Zerk anymore, but if someone ever finds you here it won't just be me. You will lose your life, or worse.""What do you mean by worse?""If you tell them about me, if they learn I kidnapped and imprisoned one of their citizens, they will kill me on sight, or more likely they'll try and execute him because no one else would dare touch him. They are afraid, and rightfully so, of my father. His reign over Zerk has been long but never ended. He has been cruel and harsh, always looking for some excuse to put down an uprising, or to crush those who challenge his authority. But if you come here and show your face openly, they will realize it. Your father will find out who brought this trouble upon us. It doesn't matter how high your position in society is, how noble and brave you are—they will judge you harshly. The only way to stop it now would be for you to leave. If we are discovered here, then our days as princes of Zerk are numbered. That is why I told you, I want you to go where the others can't find you. You will get away, free of all responsibility, if you leave here today.""But my father is still king here! How could I leave without facing him?""He is already dead. I killed him last year. Don't worry about him, there are other kingdoms out there, far from here.""That makes no sense, the king is dead, then who rules here now?""The new king," the prince said. "His name is Azerio. We call him Prince Azerio. You see, when King Zerk first came to the solar system, many of the human species were dying off one by one. Then one day, the first human to enter a star system met a group of alien beings. He became friends with them, and soon they joined together to form a group called the Star Alliance. They wanted to help mankind, and eventually gave up the power they had previously held for themselves, handing it over to the human race. They helped build up a civilization here on Earth, and soon became known to the galaxy as the Star Lords.""Why did you choose Azerio? He is not very attractive.""Yes he is. There aren't many other men who have the personality, and the charisma that Azerio has. Besides, he has no real reason to hate humans anymore, after we showed him compassion and helped him rebuild the empire he was forced to rule.""So he wants to make peace again?""He does not. What he does want is to rule.""Then why did he let you rule instead of him?""Because I am a lot smarter than him, which means that he is smarter too.""So what are you saying?""I am telling you, my friend, that you must leave immediately before anyone else finds out we are here, or we will both be doomed. Azerio wants you gone. If you stay, you might become the next king.""How do you know what Azerio wants? Maybe this is a trick, maybe you are just playing a game with me!""I'm being completely serious, Hugo," the young prince said. "Trust me. Just trust me on this."After another pause, Hugo sighed. "Ok. I will follow you, but only if you promise not to kill me. And if you are lying to me—well I guess there is nothing you can do about it…""Of course not!" the prince replied, grinning broadly.Huguel stared into space for a few minutes more. Then he turned to stare at the prince again. "What if I change my mind?""Then I will kill you, and you won't change your mind.""Alright! Let's go!" The prince grabbed hold of Hugo's hand, and pulled him through the bushes. After half an hour of walking, they finally stopped. They were standing in front of a tall building. On closer inspection, Hugo recognized it as the palace of the king of Zerk, although it looked a little different since it had been built recently and wasn't fully finished yet.The prince knocked on the door twice and waited impatiently. When the king answered, he immediately began explaining, "Sorry to bother you sir, but my name is Prince Hugo, and this is my friend. My name's Darío—do you remember me?"Azerio frowned and thought about it. "Wait….yes, you two are the boys who took the princess back home!"Darío smiled. "Yep.""Well what is it you need?" Azerio asked, crossing his arms. "Didn't the princess say she was going to meet us at the docks at midnight tonight?""She did, but we haven't gotten back yet. She decided not to show up," Darío explained. "We had to go back to get her.""Oh."Azerio seemed surprised. "Well, come on inside! I was wondering when I would see you both again!" Darío glanced worriedly at Hugo as Azerio led them through a series of hallways and rooms. Hugo noticed that his eyes darted toward the guards every few seconds, watching them as though waiting for them to attack."Hey, wait, Azerio," Darío said suddenly. "What are you doing with these guys? Why don't you go ahead without me and let me deal with them for a little while?""Are you crazy?" Azerio exclaimed. "Of course I can't let them go. They may be royal soldiers, but they're also assassins! You've got the advantage, if you give me a moment or two.""But they could get me in trouble too!""Not if I handle them right. Come on, I can't fight them alone."Azerio grabbed Darío's arm, pulling him behind the wall and hiding him from view. "Listen Darío, they're good fighters, even if they do have weapons. They probably don't know that the princess is my friend. They are probably just scared of me or something. Just stay hidden until I get you safely out of here ok?"Darío nodded his agreement, and watched anxiously as the guard walked by the room where they hid behind the wall. As soon as he passed Azerio reached out and pushed the door open slowly and poked his head out to look left and right. He whispered "Go!" and waved Darío towards the stairs and to safety as soon as Darío slipped through the opening in the door and disappeared."Thank god that didn't work," Azerio muttered under his breath, as he closed the door quietly behind him. He started running along the hallway leading up to the throne room, but paused outside the doorway before entering. He listened carefully to hear whether anyone was in the room, but heard only silence. He opened the door silently and peeked through the crack to check whether everything was clear inside. Finding it safe, he crept into the room.

Prince Azerio had always felt comfortable around Azerio. He trusted him. Azerio treated Darío like an equal. The two worked well together, and Darío knew Azerio wouldn't hesitate to defend his honor even against someone whose blood was on his hands. Darío was also smart. He had managed to escape from the palace unnoticed once, he figured he could do it again. So, as much as he hated to do it, Darío made up his mind that he had to go and talk to Azerio. He hoped that once he explained to him why he needed to escape, Azerio would understand that they couldn't stay. He went down to Azerio's bedroom and climbed inside the window. It wasn't the tallest one, but it was still pretty high for an adult man. Climbing up was easier than climbing down. Once he landed on top, he leaned forward and swung himself over to sit on the windowsill. He took a deep breath, and then began to climb.After several moments, he finally broke away from the window ledge and dropped onto the ground below. Azerio was sitting at the table with his head buried in his arms, trying to hide. Darío was terrified, but he knew that now he had to speak with Azerio. He sat down opposite him and cleared his throat. Azerio looked up at Darío with red eyes. He didn't say anything; all he did was gesture for him to continue."I have to ask you something," Darío finally said."Please tell me that you are joking."Azerio sighed in relief."No."Darío continued to explain, and told Azerio that his mother, and their parents were trapped and that he had to save them. Azerio listened to Darío. After Darío finished talking, Azerio said, "You have made a wise choice, my friend."Darío didn't say a word. But he smiled. Azerio stood up and said, "Now, let us get going.""Where?" Darío asked. "To our castle.""That's impossible!" Azerio said. "They have all changed positions."They walked to the edge of the cliff and jumped off.Darío fell to his death.He woke up to his brother shaking him."Wake up Darío, we have to leave now!!"He looked at his brother, shocked. Azerio looked sadder than usual. The prince was confused; he remembered Azerio saying that he loved his family so much, and how he was so excited about the fact that he would be reunited with them later today. Now, his brother wanted to throw him away."What...what's going on?"Darío asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes."Father has decided to keep the truth about the princess. He sent you to live with the Dusques, because he said that you would be safer in other kingdoms, but the rest of the world is looking for you, and you will never return. I am sorry Darío, but I'm afraid we're heading to our father, and you will have no choice but to return."With those words said, Azerio walked away.Darío didn't want to believe his brother was doing this to him, but he knew that he couldn't fight him on this. His own father would never allow it, and neither would his mother.So, as tears rolled down his cheeks, Darío decided he would have to go back and face Azerio's wrath alone.He stood up.As soon as he was upright, he collapsed to the ground.His heart shattered. He stared blankly at the sky, which had turned an eerie purple color with the moonlight.He didn't think he could take any more pain."Come on, wake up," Azerio said angrily. "We're leaving.""Don't go away. Please, please don't go away."Darío pleaded with Azerio."There are others that we have to warn," Azerio argued. "If they can survive out there, I know you can.""I won't leave you Azerio. I promise."Darío cried."It's too dangerous to stay here. We'll come back another time, ok?" Azerio reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.Darío looked back into the dark night, watching the lights of the town glimmer and twinkle from across the river."I love you, brother.""I love you too, Azerio.""Remember, there isn't a moment that goes by that I miss you.""Ok."Azerio pulled Darío into an embrace, and gave him a gentle push.Then, he ran back across the water, and disappeared from sight. Darío laid flat on his stomach, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He wished that he hadn' t been such an idiot."Don't worry," he whispered. "Soon, things will get better. Everything is going to be ok..."The wind gently blew across the forest, bringing the smell of earth and life with it.It reminded Darío of when his grandmother used to sing to him while she cleaned and cooked dinner. She always hummed a song softly, as she tended to her garden, singing a melody that reminded him of the sound of waves rolling on the beach, or birds chirping happily.The sound of rushing water filled his ears.He wondered where his grandparents were right now. Wherever they were, he hoped that they were happy and free.Darío lay back on the grass, feeling the cool breeze gently touch his skin, as though telling him that he would soon see his beloved grandparents again."How could Azerio do this to us? How could he make me go back into the palace to fight for my own life?"Tears streamed down Darío's face.He was completely numb.All the pain that he'd ever felt over the years was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He knew how much Azerio cared for him, and how worried he must be about him. But he didn't know if Azerio cared about him enough to risk their lives.He didn't know what to think.He lay there, crying into the ground."Why did this have to happen?""We're going to get through this. Somehow,"Azerio thought.Azerio glanced at him and saw him lying there.He walked closer to him.He kneeled beside him and placed a comforting arm around his shoulders. "It's not true. We've escaped before. We've done it before. You are stronger than you know, I know you can-"Suddenly, the world around them exploded. There was a deafening roar, and then the whole world was bathed in bright orange flames.They had been struck with some kind of fire bomb.Azerio scrambled to his feet, pulling Darío up with him. They tried to run, but the forest was too chaotic and filled with smoke. Azerio grabbed his cloak tightly, as if to use it as a shield to protect them from getting hit by the explosion. Darío clung to Azerio's sleeve tightly. He closed his eyes and prayed silently.Azerio was so focused on getting away that he didn't notice that he was starting to lose his balance. His foot caught on a stone and he stumbled forward, hitting the ground hard. His vision blurred with tears.He opened his eyes again just in time to watch a rock fly towards him. He ducked, covering his head with his forearm. It missed by inches.He heard footsteps coming towards him, quickly approaching. When he looked up, it seemed like there were hundreds of soldiers chasing them. He recognized some of their uniforms.Azerio grabbed Darío's hand and dragged him away from the battle.

Chapter 12

"Run! We've got to run, we haven't got a lot of time,"Azerio yelled at Darío."What about you?" Darío asked, panic evident in his voice."I can hold them off for a little longer, go! Run!" He shouted, pushing Darío in front of him. "Are you mad?!"Darío protested. He looked back and saw Azerio standing in the middle of the battlefield, holding out his sword to fend off two attackers who came after him."Get out of here!", Azerio screamed at him."But—"Darío tried to protest. A soldier tackled him from behind. He heard a scream and struggled underneath the soldier's weight, attempting to free himself. Another soldier threw a bomb in Azerio's direction. He ducked and covered his head with his arms."Go, go, go!" Azerio screamed at him.He managed to stand up, only to feel something land on top of him, pinning him down.Azerio reached for his sword, but a man appeared out of nowhere, and took it away from him, causing it to fall several meters away. He raised his sword high, preparing to strike."No!" Aizaric screamed.Aizaric rushed towards him, slashing with his sword.When Aizaric landed a blow, the man backed away from him, surprised."No! Stop!"Azerio yelled. But before he could move, a man wearing a black uniform suddenly appeared and tackled Azerio to the ground.Azerio kicked and punched, trying to escape.When his fist met the stranger's jaw, the man stumbled backwards.Azerio was able to catch his breath, and looked up.Darío had run off a few paces.He was surrounded by a dozen soldiers, and one of them held Azerio's sword in his hands.Darío watched with horror as the man raised his sword above his head, about to kill Azerio."No!" He screamed again, running toward Azerio.Just as the blade descended, the stranger dropped his sword, and Azerio kicked him in the stomach.He doubled over, clutching his ribs with both hands. Azerio pushed him aside and ran to pick up the sword that had fallen.Once Azerio was back at his side, Darío took his hand, helping him stand."You shouldn't have saved me,"Azerio told him. "This wasn't your place to do it!"Darío nodded his head.He knew what it was like to be forced to save someone.He'd watched Azerio do it many times before. And although he hated that Azerio had had to resort to such measures to help him, he knew it was necessary.After all, that's what family was, right?Protecting each other's lives."I have to find your grandmother. I have to tell her that you're safe. She can help us," Azerio said, looking around for her."Let's wait until morning. We should rest. You need to be awake if you're going to find her."Darío nodded. They headed towards a nearby hut."I'll bring some clothes, and food. Come inside, we'll sleep in the barn.""Alright,"Darío replied, following him inside."Do you want to try to get some rest? I'll keep watch."Azerio nodded his head.Darío went to retrieve the clothes and provisions, before returning to the bedroom. The hut wasn't very big, maybe half of the size of the cottage where his parents lived.The bed was made, with fresh blankets on it, and clean sheets neatly folded beside the pillow.The hut was furnished nicely, with two large wooden chests sitting near the corner of the room, which contained the few clothing items that he had managed to steal during the chaos.There were even two chairs sitting outside of the hut, positioned close to one another in front of the fireplace."Come to bed," Aizarico said, beckoning for Darío to join him in the large warm bed. "Please don't stay awake."Darío climbed onto the bed and curled up next to him. Azerio wrapped his arm around him."If there's anything you need, let me know."Azerio smiled and kissed him on the forehead, making Darío blush. He knew exactly what Darío needed---a kiss and someone to love him, but he also knew that he couldn't ask him for something like that, not now.Not now when everything was so dangerous---not when Darío still believed that they weren't allowed to get married.Maybe he could talk Darío into it later.After the sun rose, Darío awoke, stretching lazily. He sat up and looked at Azerio. He was sleeping peacefully.A smile formed on his lips as he stared at him. He stood and started to walk towards the door of the hut.As soon as Darío stepped outside, he stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn't expected the sight before him to cause him so much pain---the village was burning down, and thousands of villagers and soldiers were fighting each other everywhere they saw each other.There was no way that they were going to make it without killing or injuring others.But he knew there had to be more people who were still alive who could help them.There was an old woman who was carrying a small baby in her arms, staggering through the crowds.A young girl was sobbing loudly. As Darío continued walking, she turned to look at him. Her brown, sad eyes filled with sorrow filled his heart.He wanted to reach out to her, to comfort her, but there were so many soldiers surrounding him that he feared he wouldn't be able to do so.So instead, he averted his gaze as quickly as possible and kept moving forward. He noticed that there were many injured men lying unconscious in the street."Help!" One of them called out to him, clutching his chest, struggling to breathe. A soldier kicked him on the side of the leg and shouted, "Stop talking! Just die already!"