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Chapter Four

"Woman! I want a glass of water!" Kai growled in frustration. The past few days have been hectic for him. No one was listening to him. The men and women in the building that was called "hospital" weren't paying him any attention.

When he first arrived, they stripped him of his royal garments and forced him into a drab robe. Then they pricked him with weapons and unfamiliar tools and even forced tiny daggers into his feet. They called them Stitches.

They continued asking him questions, questions he didn't want to answer. Then they threatened to make him stay until they found his parents, even after he had announced that he was royalty and that his father had passed away.

No one believed he was royalty.

Kai wanted nothing more than to bring Casey back to Elvanor and make everyone else here suffer for their actions against him.

Casey was the only thing keeping him from using his powers on the fools that held him hostage. Every day, she'd come to him and bring him a snack or talk with him. Every day, he'd look at her pendant and grow more curious about his Phoenix.

In his mind, she belonged to him. However, she was acting out and aggravating him whenever he would attempt to put her in her place. It was the first time a girl had stood up to him. But he was waiting for the day to take her and show her how tolerant he was of her behavior.

"Yo." That voice he anticipated rang in his ear. Kai looked at Casey and a faint smirk appeared on his lips.

"Hello, Phoenix." He hummed.

"Stop calling me that." She groaned. "I told you that I hate that name. Here, I brought you some yogurt. And Mom wanted me to give you these." She handed him a rose wrapped in plastic along with a small card attached to it.

"What is this?" He picked up the card with two fingers and smelled it for poisonous ink.

"A get well soon card." She smiled at him. "I made it for you."

"You made this?" Kai's eyes widened as he opened it. There was a drawing inside, one that he thought was well done. It was colored well and the lines were beautifully written.

"Yeah, I drew you!" She leaned in close and pointed at her illustration. "That's your hair and your funny clothes you wore when you got here." She flicked a strand of his long black hair playfully.

"Funny clothes?" He scoffed. "Those are royal garments."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever.." She sat on the side of his bed nonchalantly. "When are you gonna tell the doctors about your parents?"

"I already told them." Kai sighed. "They won't listen to me."

"Yeah, because you keep saying crazy stuff like," Casey took a deep breath and deepened her tone. "I come from a kingdom of Elvanor, my father was poisoned and I lost my position." She mocked him. Kai frowned at her.

"I do not sound like that!" He nudged her.

"Yes, you do." She hummed. "Seriously though, why won't you tell them the truth about your parents? Are you being..." She glanced at the door and leaned closer to his ear, before whispering. "Abused?"

"Abused?" He said out loud and she slapped her hands over his mouth.

"Shhhh! Don't say it out loud, just in case."

"My father passed away recently, and my mother died years ago." He turned away and pushed her hand away from his face. "It's the truth."

Casey continued to stare at him, searching for a lie in his eyes. But a sinking feeling in her heart is what made her realize he wasn't fibbing. She looked down at the sheets and sighed. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

Her condolences weren't acknowledged. Instead, Kai just gazed at her with heavy curiosity. He was wrapped up and distracted by her hair, which was all neatly tied down to her scalp. He had never seen this kind of style in Elvanor, so it intrigued him. "So... how did you end up at the beach?" Casey looked back up at him and pouted.

"I don't know. I remember running away and then going into a river. The water swept me away and the next thing I knew, I saw..." He turned to face her and gazed deeply into her eyes. "You." He finished softly.

"Why were you running?"

Kai slumped into the bed and pressed his lips tight. Instead of giving her an answer, he decided to keep quiet. This was one of those questions he felt like he didn't need to answer.

Casey poked him in the face and formed a small grin with her lips. "Now you have nothing to say, huh?"

"Stop it." He mumbled.

"You're so bossy." Casey rolled her eyes and went to grab her backpack.

"Are you going to leave?" Kai leaned forward anxiously. It had only been a few minutes so he wanted her to stay longer.

"No, I'm just going in the hallway to find a vending machine. I'm hungry." She took out her wallet and pulled out some cash, and Kai studied the money cautiously.

"What's that?"

"What?"

"The green paper in your hand."

"This? It's money." Casey replied in a snarky tone. "You've never seen money before?"

"I've never seen paper being used to trade goods. It's odd. In Elvanor, we use copper or silver pieces."

"Well here, we use paper." She smirked. "Do you want anything?"

"A cool glass of water." He nodded.

~

"It seems that the boy has run off toward the mystic forest, my lord." Arthur pointed in the opposite direction of the palace. On the outer skirts of the palace walls and city was a long narrow dirt path that led toward a line of trees.

Elvanorians knew well not to travel over to the dark side of Thi. The mystic forest was far past the boundary. "Find him." Lucian stared at the path with a distant expression.

"Me?" Arthur blinked in surprise.

"Who else?" Lucian narrowed his eyes and finally turned to glare at Arthur. "Do you think I am talking to the Parottle's? Perhaps you've questioned if I've gained communication with the animals? Of course, I'm talking to you." He spat viciously.

"B-But my lord, the mystic forest is outside of our boundaries—"

"Do you know what will happen if another member of the royal family is lost to their demise?"

"Uh..." Arthur muttered.

"The people of Elvanor will go mad. Our land can not be hit with another day of grief. They will think that I am the one who conspired against my brother and his son! And I will be overthrown. Then, who will rule and keep things running?"

"I—"

"Shut up!" Lucian hollered. The silence that followed baffled Arthur and he flinched. Two guards nearby jolted at Lucian's outburst. Lucian felt embarrassed and cleared his throat, before speaking in a calmer tone, with the same venom seeping out of his lips. "Find the boy. Bring him here, alive. It's an order."

"I understand, my lord."

"I want him alive, Arthur. Do not bother returning if the boy is dead. If you do, you will be executed for aiding in the murder of royal blood." Lucian clicked his tongue and stepped forward. "Am I clear? Or do your ears need to be washed in the river?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Very well." Lucian turned toward the palace and walked through the doors with no other words left to say to Arthur. Arthur sighed and frowned at the dirt path at his feet.

"You there!" Arthur pointed to one of the guards. "Bring me a Parrottle from the stables, and also bring me a loaf of bread for my journey."

The guard nodded and did as he was commanded. By the time sunset had arrived, the guard came back with a large bird strapped to reins and handed him over to Arthur.

Arthur set out in search of Kai with little hope in his heart. No one has made it out alive from the mystic forest before. His mind told him that he was insane for carrying out the task assigned, but there was a small warm feeling in his heart that kept bugging him.

Kai was probably alive and lost. With that thought in mind and heart, determination to find the young lord carried Arthur further down the path and past many trees. Halfway in the forest, the Parrottle he rode began squawking and trotting from side to side.

The bird knew something was wrong, and wouldn't step forward any longer. Arthur groaned and placed himself back onto the dirt swiftly. He glanced around, and to his left, he saw a light. Arthur quickly tied the reigns of the bird to a branch of a tree and walked toward the light.

The moon was out, which made it much easier for Arthur to see where exactly the beam was coming from. The soft sound of water hitting against rocks calmed him and crickets chirping put him at ease. There was a lake or a river nearby that was glowing a bright blue color.

Arthur walked right up to the river and brushed past the tall grass. He looked down into the water suspiciously. The light was coming from it. "This can't be..." Arthur gasped.

He hunched over and poked his finger inside. But his finger felt dry on the other side. He felt a cool breeze and snatched his hand out of the water immediately. "It is!" He huffed. "The lake that leads to the other world. I'll be darned. I can't believe I found it." Arthur tapped his chin.

"Perhaps Kai went through..." He squinted at the river. "If so, I must retrieve him immediately." Arthur stood back up and took off his sandals. He took a deep breath and raised one leg, before plummeting into the cold water.

~

A few days passed and an unusual gloom began to fill the sky. The dark clouds looked over the entire city, but Kai noticed that the people around him didn't mind it. He sat by the window watching the sky as it filled him with the feeling of despair.

The staff would not let him leave. He felt like he was being micromanaged by the workers. No matter how many times he told them that he didn't have any parents, they still refused to let him leave.

He overheard two nurses talking about calling them what seemed to be the authorities of this place. They were called the Police, and Kai knew nothing more than the fact that they would soon take him away and place him somewhere unfamiliar.

Kai knew that he had to flee before that happened, but his injured foot wasn't making his situation any better. Kai was able to walk more, but there was still stinging on the bottom of his foot where the heel was. So as of now, all he could manage was a hobble.

There was also his admiration for Casey. Kai wanted to escape, but he kept thinking of plans on how to take her with him. It seemed impossible and irresponsible. There was nowhere for them to stay, and he didn't know how he was to get back home with her.

There were no good options.

"What are you looking at?"

Kai jerked forward when he heard her soft voice whisper in his ear.

"Oh, did I scare you?" Casey giggled.

"Do you know that it is very rude to approach a Royal of Elvanor in silence?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "You have much to learn."

"I came in and called you, but you didn't answer." Casey shrugged and sat next to him. "Who are you to tell me that I have a lot to learn?" She scoffed at him.

"Once we wed you'll have to uphold the Elvanorian manners."

"Excuse me? Wed? Who said anything about a wedding?"

"You are going to marry me." He rolled his eyes and glanced back out the window. "It is our destiny."

"Ew, could you be any cornier?" Casey snorted. "You're so delusional. Marriage? Pfft! No way, and not to you."

"You don't have a choice."

"Of course I do!" Casey spat.

"When I was a boy—"

"You still are."

"My father taught me stories of our land. The dragons bestowed powerful abilities upon my ancestor named Thi. They also gifted him with a partner, a Phoenix woman. The two were a bonded pair, fit to rule and restore our Kingdom. This is a tradition passed on for many years, and now the time has come for me to find my Phoenix." He reached up to Casey's curly hair and brushed a strand out of her face. "That is you. The jewel hanging by your neck proves it."

Casey's face turned a dark shade of red and she felt her cheeks go hot. "Y-you..." She stammered. "I don't want to marry you. And even if I did, I still wouldn't. You make up amazing stories, but you're so weird and bossy. Your hair is so long and it makes you look like a girl. And you—"

Kai suddenly leaned toward her and Casey closed her mouth. Their noses almost touched, which made Casey's heart beat faster. She was so nervous that he was so close to her.

"Tell me, Phoenix," Kai smirked at her. "Why does your face look like the skin of a Lychee when I'm close to you?"

Casey didn't know how to respond. She wasn't sure what to do. Her parents always told her to stay away from boys and focus on school. Now She understood why.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"N-no." Casey shook her head slightly.

"If not fear, then maybe... you desire something. Something from me, perhaps?"

"I would love it if you'd get out of my bubble." Casey shifted herself away from him and stood. "How about this? When you grow tall, this high." She gestured about a foot and a half above her head. "I will marry you."

"You don't have a choice." Kai laughed.

"You can't force me to marry you if I don't want to. And what are you afraid of, shorty?" She teased him.

"Are you going to keep your word?" Kai sighed softly.

"Of course!" Casey smirked. To her, Kai's short and thin appearance made her confident. "I'm not a liar!"

"Then we must seal your promise." Kai stood next to her. "There is a tradition that we Elvanorians use to uphold our vows."

"We have one too. It's called a Pinky Promise." Casey extended her hand and pinky out towards him. "Remember, if you're not at least this tall when we're older, I won't marry you."

"Don't you worry," Kai simpered at her. "You should remember to wait for me when the time comes." Kai grabbed her hand and pulled her forward, before placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Casey pulled away immediately.

"Ew! I said to do the pinky promise! Why'd you kiss me?!"

"Elvanorian tradition." He shrugged.

"Young Master— I mean, Kai." A voice from the other side of the room caught their attention. "My lord."

"Arthur." Kai blinked at him in surprise. "How did you find me—"

"Kai, your uncle is waiting for you back at home." Arthur looked at the young girl and his master. Arthur was very confused and drenched in water from the rain. After going into the river, he found himself in another world. One that wasn't at all like Elvanor. He knew that this was far from their boundaries.

"You have an Uncle?" Casey gasped. "So you do have a guardian! Why didn't you say so earlier—" Arthur extended his hand before she could finish and mumbled out a soft command.

"Sleep."

Casey's eyelids closed, and her body flopped forward toward Kai. Kai caught onto her and propped her body against the hospital chair.

"Arthur!" He groaned. "I did not command you to—"

"We have to leave, now." Arthur stepped forward and frowned. "I am not sure where this place is, but it's not Elvanor. The river must have led us into another world. Your scent is how I found you."

"I can't leave." Kai hissed.

"Are you mad, boy? Why not?"

Kai reached for the gem on Casey's neck and showed it to Arthur. In return, Arthur took a step back and placed his palm against his forehead.

"That, can't be."

"She is a Phoenix."

"The books of Thi do not speak of a Phoenix from another world. It's impossible."

"It isn't." Kai sighed. "I have my suspicions about her, but I can't leave until I find answers about this place."

"But my lord, we can not stay. Elvanor will go mad once they find out that you are not there. You are of royal blood, so you must return."

"Then what should I do with her?" Kai nodded at Casey.

"Grab a lock of her hair, and place it here." He gestured toward his pocket. "For now, we must return, and I can come up with a serum of her scent. When you are ready, we can both come and bring her to Elvanor."