Royal Rebel 4 ~ The Return

Chapter 16: An Honest Prophecy

I traveled through the heat, my legs growing tired from having to go so long without a break. The town was in sight, and my only motivation was ending this whole mess. Hoping to be able to, at least. I just... didn't want to be too late. Maybe if I could confront them now, there would be a chance I could help.

The last thing I'd want is for something bad to happen to my mother when there was something I could have done to prevent it. I would gladly shoulder any burden, take on any amount of problems and go against any power just so my parents would both be okay. I just had to offer myself to them.

I reached down to my hip for my water canteen, but when I couldn't feel it, I looked. It wasn't there. After a bit of digging through my bag, I realized I must've left it at the stable in the canyon. Turning back wouldn't do much now, I would just have to wait until I got to the town. If I could hold on that long...

My mouth started to get dry, and I could hardly see as sand began blowing in my face. It only took me a moment to realize I was entering a sandstorm, and I took some steps back. But it didn't help.

I tried to walk through it, but I couldn't even tell if I was going in the right direction. I tripped over a rock and fell into the sand, looking around as I started to cough up dust.

A figure was walking towards me through the sand. A tall man, two swords on his hips and arms resting lazily at his sides. But with a blink, he was suddenly gone. I was probably gettimg those heat hallucinations. Great.

My mind got hazy, and I couldn't think straight for a few moments before I felt myself pass out.

~~~~

"Mmm..." I groaned as I started to regain consciousness, and I slowly opened my eyes, a blurry sight of two red feet near my knees. "Wha... what...?" My eyes led me up the body of a man, and when I finally reached his face, the blurriness only allowed me to see some of his features.

"Sauron." I heard another voice, and the man turned around, revealing another man, cloaked in dark blue robes with silver adornments standing in the doorway. "Is she awake?"

"I think so," The tall man in front of me said, and the one in robes walked to a desk off to the side and set down some purplish orb thing. "I'll go find mother while the princess wakes up." He left the room, leaving me the mysterious orb man.

"Princess Idalia, it is truly a pleasure to see you again." He said as he turned to me, and my vision started to settle again, allowing me to get a good look at his pale face and golden eyes, dark circles surrounding them. "Nearly eleven years it's been now."

"W-Who are you...? And where am I...?" I managed to say, coughing a bit as I remembered how dry my throat was.

"Who I am is not important at the moment, and where you are, my dear, is a safe place." He started doing something at his desk, mixing liquids and pouring things into each other, and I could only watch while I tried to figure out what was happening. And what I was doing just before this.

"Elric." A tall woman with short, grey hair walked in, that other man right behind her. Her light red eyes moved to me, and they went slightly wide. "Oh my goodness, you actually did it. I was so sure Sauron was messing with me."

"As a matter of fact mother, I was the one who-"

"Yes, I managed to rescue the princess." Elric interrupted, shooting a glare at Sauron, who scoffed and rolled his eyes. "The poor thing was about to die in the desert without water. Sauron, go get her a drink." Sauron left again, and Esther kneeled down in front of me, examining me as if I was some kind of strange creature.

"What were you doing out in the desert without your parents, Idalia, hm?" She asked, and I stammered with my words a bit before remembering. My parents. I was trying to get to the desert to talk to them about...