True Kings

Three months had passed since Hubrid began his education and the walls nearly shattered from frustration. Druchess decides that it's finally time to take him outside of the cove they stayed in and revealed to Hubrid the harsh reality of this world.

Hubrid had been taught logical things, the way things should be; Such as Math, Language Arts, History, and even small amounts of magic. Hubrid picked up on these subjects quickly but he had issues with Social Studies.

"Why did Magic-Users enslave us Strong-Holders?" Hubrid asked with conciseness.

His speech had improved greatly in the past weeks and he had more control over the large vocabulary given to him.

"Where is my family," Hubrid would ask repeatedly as Druchess would avoid his eyes, unable to tell him.

The young Hubrid did not only learn tangible subjects, he began to learn emotions such as happiness, sadness, and anger. These kinds of things were never allowed to happen on their farm. If they smiled they'd be whipped. If they cried they'd work overnight. If they got angry, they'd live with the cattle for days.

Autonomous drones are what they were unable to experience even the most simple pleasures of life. Hubrid had a connection with his family despite being unable to show it. It wasn't his biological family but, it was the family he'd known his entire life.

When he was unable to get his own food, they'd sneak small bits of the already tiny, stale, and moldy bread that they'd gotten as leftovers from Arupio. They were tight-knit despite being able to touch or talk to each other; They knew that they'd always have each others back.

"Druchess, please tell me what happened to them!" Hubrid cries out, drawing tears for the first time.

With a sigh, Druchess decides to give him a choice.

"Hubrid, if you want the truth I am not the man that'll be able to give it to you," Druchess says as he picks up his beard and walks out to the open ends of the cove he dwelled in.

"However, you'll be able to see it for yourself if you please. You will not like what you see if you go. I recommend you stay here and master not only my curriculum but your emotions as well," Druchess says to the weeping Hubrid as he picks his staff up as Hubrid leers at him.

"Come if you want to, I needed some more meat anyways, you could learn a lesson from this, Hubrid." He gestures to Hubrid to come as the two of them make their way out of the cave and hit a dead end.

Druchess rummages through his robe and a book that reads "Cook-Book," falls to the ground as he picks it back up and sticks it back in hurriedly as Hubrid stared in wait.

He digs through it again and pulls out a book that reads "Hidden exits and Entrances,"

"This is the spot," Druchess drops his beard to the ground that'd gradually shrunk over time and used his staff to pierce the wall. It fell as if it were fragile glass and opened up the world. Fresh air, sunlight, and purple grass took over the landscape.

"Stay close to me and don't stray off…." Druchess says as he looks behind him only to see Hubrid already gone.

Hubrid had run as soon as he saw sunlight. He stared at the sky in awe and amazement as he realized it was completely clear, no clouds, no floating castles, and no animals. It was the first time Hubrid had experienced freedom. As he continued to venture out he saw something in the distance.

Little huts sat on the horizons, Hubrid had been told about Strong-Holders that had been able to escape from the farm and live freely. Hubrid dashed towards it as quickly as he could and as he neared it the buildings began to look more shabby.

His running slowed as he began walking slowly to explore the terrain. The huts looked brand new as if they were just built. Hubrid began to notice that the area was completely still.

Not even wind could be heard as he continued walking. The only sounds were the footsteps of Hubrid as he carried on exploring.

He peeks inside of one of the houses and begins to scour the room.

Druchess sighs and drops his beard to the ground once again in order to grab a book out of his robe that reads "Tracker," The book glows as he opens it to its first page and the first line of the book reads, "To find who you desire, Give away a piece of yourself."

Druchess lets out a long sigh as he grabs a pair of scissors from his robe and cuts off a small piece of his hair and feeds it into the book.

"Go north," The book read to Druchess as he began running in the direction the compass inside of his book pointed.

Hubrid looked slowly into the house as he tripped on the unequal ground barely catching himself in time. He finds his balance and looks down at the ground to see what made him nearly fall and he finds a book. The cover of the book reads "True Kings," Hubrid picks it up and begins to read.

"History has been wiped away if you have found this book. I'll tell you the truth of this wretched existence before I too am gone-." The book reads, Hubrid is distracted in the middle of his reading by a distant voice.

"Hubrid! Hubrid! Are you there!" Druchess shouts as he sees the broken-down buildings.

"Go- To find who you desire, Give away a piece of yourself." The book reads.

"Screw that! Druchess shouts as he sticks it away into his robe as he continues moving toward the abandoned housing.

Hubrid ignores his calls and continues to read the book.

"Magic-Users are not the rulers of this world, they are not even strong, their strength comes from only one thing, Sacrifice."

"Hubrid! I know you're in one of these buildings!" Druchess says as he looks for him desperately.

"I'm here!" Hubrid shouts as Druchess begins to walk into the village.

"What took you so long to respond?" Hubrid shouts as he nears the house Hubrid is in.

"Sorry! I found a book!" Hubrid shouts back as Druchess is already behind him.

"Oh, sorry," Hubrid says as Druchess had his ears covered.

"What book is that?" Druchess questions as he looks at the book in nonplus.

"The cover says True Kings," Hubrid tells Druchess as he grows even more confused.

"There's nothing on the cover… hand me that book Hubrid," Druchess says as he reaches his hand out.

Hubrid hands him the book and Druchess begins to flip page after page scouring the book for information.

"It's empty," Druchess says in confusion as he drops the book to the ground.

Hubrid quickly picks it back up as he looks at Druchess with even more confusion then he had at the beginning of his education.

"The first page talked about how magic users gained their powers and-." Hubrid says but is cut off by Druchess's laughter.

"Young souls have such a vivid imagination, I'll keep the book for you and you can write a journal in it if you want," Druchess says with a smile as he slips the book into his robe only for it to fall out.

"Hm?" Druchess says as he looks at the book on the ground.

He tries to stick the book inside again only for it to get spat out with voracity as it hits the wall of the hut and tips over the building.

The book begins steaming as it sits on the ground undamaged as the hut collapses and the two of them run out.

Druchess looks at Hubrid with seriousness ridden on his face.

"What did you say the cover of the book was again?" He says as he stares at the book in nonplus.

"True Kings," Hubrid says in confusion as he rubs his head.

Druchess rummages through his robe once again and pulls out a book named "Book Of Books," Inside of the book was the title of every book that's ever touched the shelves of The Library of Eruna.

Page after page was flipped through as the serious expression on Druchess's face slowly transformed into frustration as his beard visibly shrunk with each page he flipped.

"Hubrid, try touching the book with the magic I taught you," Druchess says while he slowly caresses his beard and puts the book away.

Hubrid's right hand begins to glow with yellow light as he touches the book. It opens with intense speed and flips to its backside. On the back of the book is an engravement that only Hubrid can see.

"Flip the final page when war is what you're ready to wage, -Omaegius," the engraving reads as Hubrid picks it up.

"Did the book do anything?" Druchess asks with enthusiasm.

"It flipped to its backside, that's all," Hubrid says as he picks up the book and brings it to Druchess.

"Well, you can keep it since the book looks to be immune to magic," Druchess says with disappointment as he begins to leave the village.

"Alright Hubrid, prepare yourself for what's to come," Druchess says as he continues walking from the same direction he'd entered from.