Kai li Syna

After school, students were free to roam around the academy grounds. Whether they would go to the library to study, or to the training grounds to polish their skills, or attend extra classes inside and/or outside the academy, or return to the dorms, or just hang around the school grounds, it was the students’ discretion.

My friends and I were gathered in our usual spot; a pavilion at the edge of the southern pocket forest. The pocket forest was one of the training grounds for students but it was also one of the hang out places of a few since the place had shade and was cool. It was also our usual study area, especially with the exams coming up.

The last one to arrive was Kai and we were very surprised when he came dragging Peter with him.

“What is he doing here?” asked Charles and pointed to the prince who was obviously dragged out of his will by his cousin.

“Senior Charles, I think my cousin has to know about this.”

“Very well.”

“Take a seat then.” I said and offered the empty seats around the table.

Unfortunately, Vyfal, who had been sleeping on the table woke up and began snarling at Peter.

“Luna, you better get that rodent in control. I won’t hesitate killing it if needed.” Peter warned.

“Can you stop calling her rodent? She’s not a rodent. She’s Vyfal, my familiar.” I retorted. “And you wonder why people don’t like you.”

“What are you talking about? People like me.”

“Because you’re a prince.” I growled. “Strip that off and you’re nothing but a foul tempered brat who throws tantrums every time things don’t go his way.”

He only glared at me, speechless at my words.

“Okay then!” Kai inserted. “Let’s get this started. And Vyfal, please stop snarling at my cousin.”

“Kyu!” <”I hate wolves.”>

“I know but please be patient. He won’t eat you or kill you, okay? I promise.”

“Kyu…” <”If you say so.”> Vyfal walked to my direction and curled on the spot of the table in front of me.

I was taken aback. For the past month, Vyfal really grew on Kai, and our friends had noticed it. She was my familiar but she was quite close to the white-haired teen.

“I brought food!” Bernard exclaimed changing the awkward atmosphere. He rubbed his red earring and food materialized in front of us.

Bernard’s earring was a spatial storage item. He crafted the earring using strong materials while I casted spatial magic on it so it could have an inventory function. It was also one of the few higher-class spatial storage items since it could store food without spoiling it. For now, we were testing how many things it could hold, but so far we had not reached the limit yet.

“So, are you going to start talking?” I questioned.

“Okay, what is this about?” asked Thomas.

“Remember the assassin who entered my room last night? That assassin was after him.” I answered.

“”What?!””

“Wait, how did the assassin get to your room?” asked Charles.

“Well…”

All eyes landed on Kai.

“I was on my way back to the dorms from the training grounds when the assassin popped out of nowhere. I had to run. Unfortunately, the girls’ dormitory was the nearest residential building to where I was and there was an open balcony door on the seventh floor I could use to hide.” Kai said.

“So you jumped to the open balcony door which happened to be Luna’s room?” asked Andrea.

“Yes. Luna discovered me but the assassin followed me inside. She defeated the assassin for me. She let me get away before reporting.”

“So, what did the assassin want from you?” I asked.

“Well…” I heard him swallow. “You are all aware I have the Fox’s Curse, right?”

“Oh yeah, what’s the deal with that?” I asked again.

“It’s a curse with advantages and disadvantages.” he answered. “One of its most prominent features is the unusual white hair, as you can see.”

“You don’t have a tail right?” asked Charles.

“No senior, I don’t. Anyway, the curse gives me the ability to nullify any forms of external magic.” every one of us gasped. “Unfortunately, it includes healing magic and support magic. Once I get injured, it also heals at a turtle-paced rate. I’m also allergic to grains like wheat, rice, oats, and other kinds of grains, just like how a fox cannot eat them.”

I only nodded my head. Regular foxes couldn’t eat grains and if one did accidentally eat some, it could cause all sorts of problem.

“Okay, so the Fox’s Curse lets you get some sort of fox attributes.” Bernard said. “What’s up with the assassin?”

“That…” Kai eyed his cousin, then me and lastly our friends. “Apart from those features, my blood can heal all sorts of illnesses and is a very good recovery potion. Also, the blood from my heart can preserve a corpse as long as it is fed to it every full moon. And my heart itself… my heart is…”

“A fox’s heart once taken from the body will turn into crystal and is a good catalyst in summoning powerful spirits.” Charles continued. “I read it from one of my grandfather’s books.”

“So, yeah.”

“So the assassin was after you because of that?” I asked.

Kai sighed and nodded his head. I could see his expression turn to worry. My mind shifted to a certain subject I learned back in the fox clan. The hearts of the members of our fox clan could turn to powerful crystals once taken from their bodies.

-But why do Kai has such a body?

“Then, whoever sent that guy wants you for those extraordinary abilities?” Andrea’s question brought me back to reality. Her eyes were sparkling in a suspicious manner. “Kai, can I have a sample of your blood?”

“Hey Andrea Ijinia! Are you going to study his blood? Kai, give me some as well!” exclaimed Charles.

I only shook my head.

-Kids from the alchemy department I tell you.

“You two stop it. Don’t you see Kai is being troubled because of that?” Thomas said which made the two alchemy students shut up. “So Kai, any idea who would want your… err… well, want you?”

“I don’t know.” Kai sighed again.

“It all started last year.” Peter inserted. Even though he was quite the rude jerk, I could see the worry in his eyes for his cousin. “We were outside the city when an assassin attacked us. Luckily, one of our bodyguards managed to save us. Before dying, he said something along the lines of… what was it again?”

“He said, ‘We finally found it, the fox’s heart.’” Kai supplied.

“Yeah, that.” Peter sighed. “Ever since then assassins had been popping out to get him.”

“But three months ago, Prince Kai got kidnapped.” Andrea voiced out.

I looked at her with an expression that asked if she was serious.

“Oh yeah, there was that incident.” Charles seconded. “Azte was on lockdown because of that.”

“Right, there was that as well.” Kai laughed nervously, rubbing the nape of his neck. “I was saved by Zach.”

“”Zach?”” Thomas and I asked at the same time.

“Zach? As in Zach Rymrdus?” asked Charles. “His Royal Highness Sebastian’s personal knight?”

Kai nodded. I heard Peter click his tongue.

-Maybe he doesn’t like Seb? That’s impossible. That goofy honorary big brother of mine is liked by everyone.

“Zach saved you?” I asked.

“You know him?” Bernard asked as well.

“Oh, uhm… He and the crown prince grew up in Celestine Territory under the care of the archduchess.” I immediately explained. “I used to go with him and his group during my hunts when I was younger.”

“So you know him.” Kai smiled. “Zach saved me when I got kidnapped. Anyway, ever since then many had been trying to capture me. Uncle, I mean the emperor thought it would be a good idea if I study in the Imperial Academy. You know, blend in, with extra eyes watching me.”

“Except an assassin got through last night, he tried to hide in my room and I knocked the assassin down.” I said sarcastically. Kai’s expression immediately changed into a guilty one which made ‘me’ guilty. “I mean, if you didn’t happen to come to my room, you would’ve died?”

“Yeah. And I thank you for that.” Kai answered with a smile.

“Well, I guess we can take turns in keeping an eye on you.” Thomas said nonchalantly.

“Pardon?” Kai questioned, obviously taken aback.

“If the academy is not that safe for you, your friends will help protect you.” I said. “This gathering of friends is made of the few powerful and talented students in our year. I already apprehended one assassin, sending more will make no difference.”

Kai looked at us with a stupefied expression. It was something I recognized as a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

“Why would you… why would you do that?”

“Dude, we’re your friends!” Bernard said with a big smile on his face.

Vyfal suddenly flew towards Kai’s face and started purring. She was rubbing her head on his face.

“Kyu! Kyu!” <”Once Luna makes up her mind, she will really stick by it.”> she said.

“R-really?” he questioned.

“Really. Friends stick together.” Andrea said with a gleeful smile. “And we’re ‘your’ friends, Kai.”

“T-thank you.”

We all started to panic when tears streamed down his face. Kai was crying, but there was a smile on his face.

***

The sun was setting and I was on my way to the training grounds when Peter approached me. He did not say anything at first and just walked in the same pace as me. It went on for like three minutes before I got really annoyed with the silence. He obviously wanted to say something but he was not doing it!

“Prince… no, Peter, what do you want?” I asked.

“I just want to say… I just want to say thank you.” I gave him a suspicious look, wondering of the Peter with me really was the Peter I knew. “For everything you’re doing and will be doing for Kai. Ever since he arrived from Syna Kingdom five years ago, he had always been a little distant. It took me six months before I was able to stay in the same room as him without him running away. And it took me a year to actually hold a normal conversation with him.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah. He might’ve been a little open for the last few years, but you’re the first friend he ever made outside the palace. And I sincerely thank you for protecting him last night.”

“’We’,” I motioned to the both of us. “Are all going to keep an eye on him. As his cousin, you’re the nearest one to him, so you have to be more careful and watchful.”

“I’m only trying to give you my gratitude, okay? You don’t have to remind me about protecting my cousin.”

“Really? It didn’t seem like it.” I giggled.

“Gah, you’re still annoying. By the way, that pet of yours-“

“Vyfal?”

“Yeah, it crashes on Kai’s bed sometimes, so keep an extra eye on it, okay?”

-Peter's not so bad after all.

“Sure…”

I only gave the prince a smirk and we continued walking to our destination.