The Lost Lamb

There were four large dorms at the bottom of the tiny hill that is overshadowed by the statue landmark. The garden's path led the nobles to these dorms where they were assigned rooms based on their ranks. Borvo was the heir to a kingdom so he and Cirona were given rooms on the top floor, just below the level of the potential sleeping quarters of emperors and empresses.

Despite being a king and queen, Sun and Shuja were given the first-floor rooms along with the low nobles. Most of them were barons and few poor counts. The rooms were smaller than Sun's bedroom back at the castle. Although it was larger and comfier than the old cottage he used to live with his brothers.

Shuja dropped her bags and fell on the bed. "This is great." She said, "It's much better than the hammock."

"I don't know about that. I find the swaying hammock the best part of our journey. It makes you sleep like a baby being cradled by their mother."

"That motion just made me nauseous." She rolled on her belly and watched Sun put his things away. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you head to your room?"

"What do you mean? This is our room. We are sleeping together."

"What?" Shuja's face turned red. Despite being the Queen, they never shared the same bed. They reasoned that they had not yet officially announced it to their people, so it was best to wait until then. But the real reason was that Sun was too busy preparing for the exam and would often fall asleep in his office. Mari would come by and cover him with a blanket and sit by his side while Shuja would watch through the door.

Then she would run back to her room and hug her pillow. She wished she could spend more time with Sun after he came back, but work kept getting in their way. It got to the point that it started to get difficult to justify her feelings for him.

"What's wrong? Wait, don't tell me you're having second thoughts now?" Sun kicked his bags out of the way and jumped on the bed. Shuja crawled to the other side and hid as much of herself behind a stuffy pillow. "You always nag about how I practically confessed to you but never actually gone on a date or ever showed my feelings for you. Well, now that we're alone and no work getting in our way, I can show you just how much I care for you."

Shuja threw the pillow to his face. "I think we're moving a little too fast."

Sun laughed, "Well, we have the whole night. I'll take it real slow."

Sun continued teasing her that entire night. Their joyful embrace echoed through the halls. Their laughter drowned out the despair and anxiety the heir to be exam takers felt during their stay in their gloomy bedrooms. And while inside the dorm and its suffocating walls, the garden was teeming with vigor. All manners of plantlife grew from its soil, painting the island's landscape with a beautiful array of colors.

In the middle of the night, walking through the garden, were two lepers protected by their cloak. They walked at the same speed but were leagues away from each other. The first one, walking ahead of the other leper, walked with confidence. The garden was lit by the orange tinge of the lamp lanterns. Its warm orange glow gently caresses the leper as it walks by each lantern. The other leper, following far behind it, stalked in the shadows, hiding from the light. Not even the moon's vision could find him.

The lepers continued to walk till they reached the middle of the garden. The first leper reached to his leg and pulled out a purple feather that reflected the stars above the sky. He removed the hood covering his head, and the moonlight revealed its strangely flawless face to the world. It was Carnegie King, the former king of Everflow City and a former Golden Condottiero. "So this is what I am now." He said, "I was born a savage, became a warlord, then turned into a king, only to end as a leper. I should've just died in that camp.

A half-angel, half-demon paladin appeared above King floating in the air. He had feathered wings like an angel but had horns like a demon. His halo was dim, barely visible against the majesty of the sun, only able to shine properly under the dead of night. And his armor was pure as white. "You should be elated that the Pontiff showed mercy to your lowly life."

"My life is worth twice more than your Pontiff."

"How dare you?"

"What am I wrong? Don't you lot need me? So you can open that damn portal!" King turns to the other leper following him in the shadows, "Isn't that why I'm here, Mr.Pontiff?"

The leper's smile hid beneath his metal mask molded in the shape of an angel's face. His cowl covered nearly his entire face, obscuring his metal mask. "I only brought you here because of your inventions. Nothing else."

The paladin descended and kneeled in front of the Pontiff. King released his feather and it flew in the wind. "I doubt that. I heard from your most loyal servants about a plan to create a portal to the infinite sea. The reasons behind it, I don't know, but I know how to make the portal. You need a sacrifice."

"You're more clever than I first met you, but I truly only brought you here for the weapons you create. I need them for the war."

"War?"

"The war against those living in the infinite sea. The gods."

King muscles tensed, "That's fucking insane!"

"Watch your mouth!" The paladin yelled, "Or I will cut your tongue out."

"You're not wrong though, Skikikiki!" The Pontiff laughed. "I need a vessel, no a sacrifice. But I also need a conduit. Something that can actually be used to create a tunnel to the other side. And fortunately, I found what I'm looking for, and he's here."

"Sun?" King's eyes widened.

"That's his name? How ironic." The Pontiff wave his hand and mana appeared around him, "Like they always say in the church, the light will show me the way." The mana grew brighter.

"If you're going to kill, then I'll be the executioner!"

"No," The Pontiff said jokingly. His body slowly faded into the light, "Sun isn't the candidate, dummy. He is the light, the compass to my goal." And just like that, he vanished in the dark, leaving King in the middle of the garden confused.