"Brother!!!" A familiar little centaur boy yells while sprinting towards Mike.
"Horu!" Prince Kioshi smiles, twirling around to embrace his younger brother.
"HORU!" Tair sighs, already stepping out of a bush with his two other siblings.
"Hello!" Soku politely waves at a few men smiling cheerfully before quickly running past everyone to hug him as well.
The little ones are all snug and cuddled up while the two twins stood there extremely awkward.
"Brother, why are you at this camp?" Shine frowns, his horn not flickering.
Suddenly Mike realises their situation, eyes narrowing without much hostility.
"What are you two doing here?" He quickly questions.
They both instantly turn guilty, their travels took so long due to their brother's constant location change that they ended up back here.
Slowly shadows quietly surround them, ominously swallowing the camp. Stepping out was none other than the camp leader, yet he didn't speak.
He simply steps aside, observing from his crowd of onlooks who were practically itching for a fight.
"We thought we could follow you to where they took you! But then you're…" Tair whines with frustration.
"Oh.. I'm not sure if I am allowed to keep you guys around." Prince Kioshi scratches his head, seemingly lost in thought.
"By who? Where are you staying now?" Shine approaches while taking Soku into his arms.
"I'm not allowed to say! I'll have to ask for permission first." Mike's smile is filled with innocence.
"So we can come if you ask?" Horu tilts his little head.
"If he says yes." His big brother confirms confidently.
"Kioshi! You don't have to ask for anyone's permission nor do you have to listen to anyone!" Shine snaps, letting out a loud huff.
"Not by these bandits, nor by their captain." Tair adds, his wings unfurling lightly.
Those passive aggressive words caused the black clouds to loom closer, unnoticed by all but one.
"Well that's good, because he will be listening to me." A voice spoke.
Everyone began scanning their surroundings when suddenly a large dragon burst out of the ravine, creating powerful gusts of wind that almost blew the younger ones away if they hadn't held onto their big brothers.
Coming out was a scrawny looking man atop a giant black beast.
All eyes are on them.
"YOU'RE BACK!" Prince Kioshi beams, scambling to get back on his feet.
"What was that about not having to listen to anyone?" Kemal raises his eyebrow, visibly frustrated.
"They just don't know about you yet!" Mike's enthusiastic smile took everyone aback, witnessing him solely focused on his best friend who's sliding off of an enormous dragon, confidently landing in front of him.
His shadows quickly retreat, the dragon moving to land over their ravine, efficiently blocking a large chunk of its entrance.
"Who the hell are you?!" Shine frowns at their new conversation partner.
"Who's this Rhino?" Kemal asks while solely focused on Mike.
"He's my brother… " He sheepishly confesses.
"All of them?" The smaller man wonders out loud while looking at a little centaur who clung onto Mike's leg.
"Yes! Aren't they super cute!" Prince Kioshi picks up Horu, showing him off to his friend, almost trophy-like.
The other man almost gags, only nodding in response.
"We're going. Let's go." Kemal extends his hand but quickly catches his hesitation.
"Can we take them with us?"
Everyone falls silent, Kemal's hand drops with clear intent. Although Mike doesn't back down, no, he approaches quietly with his eyes turning doe, hands clasping together with a big smile.
He didn't respond, reaching out for a strand of hair to flick away only to come out empty handed. His frustration grew, this pest is really trying to have some kids on his ship.
"Please! Consider it! They're my siblings!"
"No they're not." Kemal quickly dismisses which makes Shine dig at the ground with his boot.
"Yes we are." He carefully drops Soku, attempting to reach out towards his brother only for him to turn his head and give him an odd look, silencing him instantly.
"I don't talk to those people." Kemal crosses his arms, making his stance clear.
"Okay but you're talking to me. And I'm not them, so you should say yes to keep having me." His offer was confusing to most, but nonsensical to who it is offered to.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Mike confirms confidently.
Atlas's eyes narrow, suspicion rising, shadows closing in.
"I can always leave you to die with these shadows, I got a dragon you know."
"No you can't!"
"Wait what." Tair looks around, finally noticing what has been surrounding them.
"Atlas!" Mike whines, causing all of them to retreat but not vanish.
"Wow, what a name." Kemal comments off handedly, not even paying attention to who it was targeted towards.
"Please!" Mike begs once more, this time earning him a different look from Kemal, a deeper scowl than before.
"Really!?" He cheers up, watching his friend's jaw clench.
"Fine." Kemal submits while averting his gaze.
Mike almost threw himself on his smaller friend who was too quick to dodge away, causing the other to tumble.
"Okay! What about him?" Mike points at Atlas despite his compromised position.
Everyone was taken aback, since they had been paying close attention to their unnatural behaviour.
"Why a grey face?" Kemal's eyes barely move, taking a short glance at him.
Someone almost managed to snap amongst the crowd after that blatant insult only to be silenced by another.
"If he ever wants to come with me, you know?" Mike whispers gleefully.
That won't work again.
Dang it…
"He can follow you I guess, but he's not allowed in our home. Anyone else you're brave enough to allow near me?" Kemal glares while kicking his friend's legs impatiently.
"No one! No one!" Mike whines while rolling around.
No one has ever seen Prince Kioshi act so freely before.
"Brother?" Tair spoke while approaching.
Kemal instantly retreats, blatantly displaying his disgusted expression.
As if spoken to, he folds his wings behind his back, turning them invisible to anyone looking at him from the front.
Seeming to have caught on, Mike quickly gets up and waves his free hand at him.
"Don't focus on his eyes! They're always like that, what's wrong?"
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tair whispers, refusing to unfurl his wings.
"Yes. There is no one else I'd trust more than him." His voice cracks as he explains, carrying hints of vulnerability.
Suddenly everyone's eyes land on Kemal who is practically surrounded by dark and gloomy clouds.
Everything in his vicinity screams for distance, just looking at him was enough to hear the words 'leave me alone' without him uttering a word.
Negativity surrounded this man like an ability, his authoritative stance did not help, it was obvious that everything and anyone else was beneath him even if proven otherwise.
Despite all that…
"I'm ready to go!" Mike laughs now that he is back on his feet.
Kemal's eyes soften, fully focusing on his friend who is innocently smiling despite everything that happened. He is glowing, they both are.
His eyes snap back towards seemingly nothing, returning to their hateful state that he arrived with.
"Let's go, is that okay?" He asks his dragon before jumping on without waiting for an answer.
Mike hurries to Kemal who quietly helps him get on as well.
Tair transforms instantly, waiting for Soku to climb on him as well.
Shine, who has been silent, simply transforms as well, using his magic to hold Horu and follow close by.
As if we don't know our brother at all…
Katil took off first, followed by a pegasus and jumping unicorn who both wore a solemn look.
Atlas observes the vanishing royals, slowly turning towards his right hand man.
"He even asked for permission if you can come! Maybe he isn't as cold hearted as we thought." The man laughs while some sigh.
"He's so complicated." One mutters.
"Maybe the problem is his little 'boss'." Someone else spoke while sheathing in their sword.
Little boss.
"Whenever I think I've figured him out he does something else…" Atlas mumbles as his fists clench.
"Figured that he's a lonely prince? Isn't that what they call a guess?"
His eyes suddenly widen with a dangerous glare.
"Hahaha… Sorry sorry…" He nervously steps aside.
—
With a loud gasp Mikel jolts awake only to find himself in a luxurious bedroom covered in soft cushions.
What the hell…
Suddenly a loud clink startles him out of it. Around his ankle was a tight cuff keeping him from moving too far off of his bed.
Oh what the hell!
He traces it back to its source, finding it tightly secured around a wooden beam the size of an elephant's leg.
This is a bit too intimate to my liking…
The stinging of his hand suddenly led his attention elsewhere. Once he relaxes his fist and unfurls his hand a pair of deadly green eyes glaring back at him.
Kemal...
He pries out the little earring deeply dug into his flesh, wiping its fresh blood off on one of the many sheets.
Once finished he traces his right ear, poking and rubbing around to find any ear holes the previous owner could have.
Despite not succeeding in finding any he decides to put it on nonetheless, since his memory was still a mess.
His ear began bleeding, thin metals stapling through his sensitive flesh, piercing fresh ear holes to hold itself.
Mikel panics, quickly moving to take it off, each pull was followed by waves of sharp pain that left him almost numb.
Quickly he abandons the idea, his muscles growing less tense until all he could feel was its cold metal freezing his bloody ear.
Damn it…
Sudden knocking could be heard at the door. Without Mikel saying anything it unlocks with a deep click, revealing a see through deer peeling its head through the thin gap. Ghost-like features coming off as ethereal to him.
Carefully it pushed through, body squeezing past while carefully approaching with soft uneven steps and puffs.
Once close enough to his bed the horned animal shook its head before moving to lick Mikel's arm, eyes glowing contently.
"You're a cute one.." He hums, holding out his bloody hand without realising.
Its soft tongue began lapping at his wound causing it to both fade and heal simultaneously, leaving no trace of any former bruising.
Creepy.. Why does it look like their floor is made of pillows?
Its body slowly morphs into an odd looking bird, flapping around only to land on Mikel's finger.
Awesome?
He carefully rubs its little twitching head when suddenly another knock interrupts their moment.
"Arlon?" A deep shaky voice calls out softly.
A man with hair reaching down to earth peeked past the door, his silver eyes boring into his captive.
As if snapping out of it, his eyes change into a beautiful shade of blue.
"It's me…" He clarifies.
"Don't be scared."
A loud click suddenly uncuffed his leg chains, successfully freeing him for now.
"I'm not.."
Who?
Mikel's sharp mind catches on quickly. In front of him was a man as powerful as a fire beast, cowering behind the safety of a wooden door.
"I changed. Just like you requested me to." His voice sank low, approaching him slowly with thin elegant robes clinging onto his not too muscular frame.
"Stay back." Mikel commands.
Just like demanded he stops on his track, not too close but certainly not far enough.
Where is he!?
"Arlon…"
"What."
He didn't go on, turning everything uncomfortably silent. Mikel pretends to look around the room, mind racing with unanswered calls.
His hand carefully releases whatever he was holding before getting up and circling past him, walking towards the only exit only to watch it slam shut with a violent bang.
Shit.