Nine: Alain

It was evening when Latham woke up, his head was hurting much more than he cared to imagine.

He pushed himself to get up and go to the pool to take a bath. He dipped himself in the warm water and felt better.

Latham recalled his conversation with the Lord and shivered.

"When did I even say that I was in a relationship with the Lord? I only said that he saw potential in me and that's why he treats me like that," he complained.

"The way you said it gave off the impression that both of you were lovers. You should know that a prince should not just say things as such about a person of any gender. Society will always find a line to read between even when there is none," said Nuru.

"That is not true," he said defending himself.

"Then why is news going around that you are the Lord's lover?" Nuru implored him.

"What!" Latham screamed at the top of your voice. He couldn't believe what the fox said to him.

"The news has spread around the palace and now the whole kingdom if not the four lands is aware that you are the Lord's love," Nuru said calmly as though explaining it to a child.

"How can that happen it has only been a few hours since I said those things," Latham complained.

"Don't forget it is the Lord you spoke about, it was bound to happen. Anything that involves important figures doesn't take that much time to be known by people," he said.

Latham got ready and had his things packed and ready for the trip to the new school. Hopefully, life will become easier over there and he will be able to fit in.

Because so far it has been one disaster after another, he was even failing at being a boy which is what he has been since he was born. He wanted nothing more than to work hard and level up so that he can go to the heavens.

Even if he can't become a tier then he can at least ask the Emporer of the heavens to open a door for him that leads back home.

There was no way the Lord was going to help him after what he had done to his name. Latham packed his necessities and left things he didn't think she needed.

He received a heavenly ring from the Lord with a strict warning not to reveal its existence to anyone. With the way there the conversation went earlier, he didn't dare take his words lightly and hid the ring at the bottom of his belongings.

"If the ring goes missing the Lord won't spare you. Not even the Asedai's of this continent can afford such a ring. It has a lot of treasures that you can use to your advantage during your journey as an elemental practitioner."

"What do you suggest I do then ALL WISE TALKING FOX?" He asked sardonically.

"Wear it," Nuru said.

"Oh, sure because no one is going to see it when I wear it and model it around," Latham said sarcastically.

"I was not done talking, you could disguise it as an old ring," Nuru said with just as much mockery as Latham did.

"How do I do that," Latham asked excited like a little child who has been promised a candy.

"At your level, you can't but I can. Put it in and I will do the rest," Nuru said and Latham obeyed. He closed him and the ring became a ruby ring that neither looked new nor old. It looked so simple that she gazed in awe at the fox.

"What level are you in?" Latham inquired.

"I am a sacred rare silver fox," he said expecting him to know his rank but Latham still looked at him waiting for him to tell her. "You are smart, you will figure it out," the fox said and went back to sleep.

He didn't understand why the Lord chose Latham to work for him. The boy was completely oblivious to the world they lived in, it will be a miracle if he survived long enough to age another year. Nuru made a note, that he was going to have a long year ahead of him and that he was sure of.

Latham finished packing and had his dinner. As Nuru had said he was oblivious, he didn't even know that there was a party at her own home.

To say goodbye to the princes and princesses as they head out to school the next day.

He changed his robe and prepared to sleep. There was a knock at his window and he got up to check.

Latham opened the window and was met with yet another handsome young man. He didn't want to assume the man's age because people in this world seem to control their aging.

Not every young-looking man was young at all so he just assumed the man was young to not make their meeting weird.

"Want to go for a ride?" The man asked him and he knitted his eyebrows. Didn't people of this world have a watch, it was late and the man is asking her to go for a ride.

"I don't even know you," the male said trying to refuse the man politely.

"You have the chance to right now," the man said, with a sweet smile adorning his lips.

"What will we even ride?" he asked out of curiosity hoping the man would say something like a unicorn.

This world was full of crazy things that it really won't surprise him if there was a unicorn around.

"My sword, of course, I am an elemental of wind," the man said and Latham had no idea what he meant but he nodded his head as if in understanding.

He thought why not and let the young man help him get out through the window.

"What do we do now?" He asked and the young man took his hand and told him how to stand on his sword. The young man stood behind him.

The man maneuvered the wind around the sword and it lifted off to the sky. Latham bit back a scream of excitement and enjoyed the ride.

The cold breeze hit his face making him feel amazing. Life in this place was awesome as long as you have powers and know how to control them.

One day he too will become powerful and fly on his own, he vowed.

He put his hands out, it felt like he could fly. Latham felt all his worries being washed away by the wind.

"Hold on, I am going to land," the man said and Latham held him. He landed smoothly, it was near a lake that was different from the one Latham saw last time.

"Come with me I have to show you something," the man said and held his hand out for Latham to hold. Latham took his hand and followed him.

The man led him up a tall hill until the top and told him to look down. Many blinking lights looked like the night sky was on the ground. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"But who are you?" Latham asked enjoying the view down below.

"My name is Alain," he said and Latham nodded. He expected more reaction from him after hearing his name but it didn't happen. He had no idea who he was. "Do you know who I am now?" Alain asked.

"Not really, I just know your name. You will have to tell me more about you if you wish for me to know you," he said not looking away from the beauty down below.

"Can I also ask you a question?" Alain asked and Latham agreed. "What is your relationship with the Lord?" he asked and the male froze.

He remembered the Lord's words and trembled.

"Nothing, I don't have any relationship with him," Latham said to remain safe but just then lighting started forming right in the sky and headed towards her.

"You are the Lord's disciple refusing him bluntly is punishable by ten lightning strikes. And these are heavenly strikes they will shatter your soul across the world and you will never be whole again take your words back!" screamed Nuru in one breath.

"I take my words back," he screamed and the fox wished the ground would swallow him for having met such a dumb girl.

"I think what the voice meant was that you have to say you are the Lord's disciple," said Alain, holding back a laugh.

"I am the Lord's disciple!" He screamed louder than before. The thought of being shattered across the world terrified him. He was too young to die. The lighting died down slowly and disappeared.

"That was a close call," said Alain, relieved that Latham wasn't shattered by the heavenly lightning. Now that he saw it with his eyes, he believed the crown prince was related to the Lord.

Which made the boy a lot more interesting. He wanted to know about the funny prince.

"Yes, it was. Let's just focus on something else and not think about that please," he pleaded and the man agreed.