THE THIRD MAGE

All around, the people were in high spirits. The return of the Crown Prince gave them hope – hope that will enable them to rise up and fight once again.

Aria cried too, and hugged the Crown Prince just like how a mother hugs her son after having been separated.

After much of the reunion, the no-mage council, the royal family and the knights all congregated for the planning of the move.

"So, Crown Prince Amon," Head Councilor Dranx addressed the returning Crown Prince after he was given clean clothes to change into. "You know about Squeaky?"

"Yes. I thought of his name before. I didn"t know Denaire has him yet. By the way, where is she?"

Everyone"s faces were downcast, refusing to look and answer the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, seeing everybody"s reaction, was rather confused.

"Why? What"s wrong?"

Aria was the one who looked up and explained it to the Crown Prince. "It was the time when we were rescued to stay here. She was left, along with many others because the transportation required two groups. But, they were attacked."

"Is she -?" Crown Prince Amon couldn"t dare to continue what he was thinking. He couldn"t dare say it.

"She was taken hostage along with the others. Did you hear what Denaire said from the communication ball?" Dranx clarified it to the Crown Prince. "She said that Exosha"s going to attack here. And that we do not need to worry. They are at the enemy"s base; they have higher chances of crippling them. We only have to trust them that they won"t get caught. And what is left for us to do is survive, and give them the aid they need."

Amon calmed down his nerves. He knew that Denaire is strong and that she would survive this. He closed his eyes and willed his heart to be strong and pray for the love of his life.

When he opened his eyes, everyone saw that fire of determination. Everyone saw the King in him. He said with conviction, "So let us plan this then."

***

Crown Prince Amon lay on his cot in the island. Ah, he was feeling so good in laying on something much softer than the sand or his makeshift bamboo bed. This was a relief. He really thought that he couldn"t get back to his people anymore and that he would grow old in that G.o.d-forsaken island.

The door on his hut suddenly opened without a sound, but Amon could hear it as his hearing was sharpened in the island. "Who"s there?"

"It"s me, brother." And then Samarra came bounding to him and hugged him.

"I missed you brother Amon. I so missed you."

Amon hugged his sister back. "I missed you too sister. I really thought I would never see you again."

They hugged for a bit, savoring the feeling of hugging your own sibling.

Samarra broke the hug and looked at her brother intently. "Don"t worry brother. Denaire has been so much powerful. She will survive this and reunite with us again."

Amon smiled. "Of course, I believe she will come back to us."

"Yes. Just like how she believed that you"d come back to us too."

"She did?"

"Uh-huh. General Luther and all the others really thought you were gone forever. But it was Denaire who changed everyone"s mind."

Amon smiled, feeling proud that his Denaire was a strong woman indeed. "But sometimes, I feel afraid for her. I"m scared of what might the Exoshans would do to her."

Samarra held her brother"s hand. "I know. I am too. But I"ll pray to every G.o.d in the heavens to just keep her safe and give her heart strength to endure."

Amon held his sister"s hand tightly, silently praying to the G.o.ds to listen to him. They were silent for a moment, sitting there praying to whoever G.o.d that would listen.

"Brother Amon?" Samarra asked hesitantly.

Amon looked inquiringly at his sister.

"Why didn"t you join the festivities outside? After all, it"s the celebration of your arrival."

Amon sighed. "I don"t know Samarra. I just - . But I really am grateful that you are celebrating it. I just, I don"t, and I"m just not used to this noise yet. I have been living in a far-off island alone, silence was my only companion. It"s just too much."

"I"m sorry brother."

"No no baby. No need to be sorry. I am really thankful of this. But, it"s that, you know. I don"t know how to adjust yet to this many sound."

Samarra then looked at his brother confusedly. "You say you were living in a far-off island? Where could that be? And how did you arrive there? The battle didn"t happen near the seas."

"Okay Samarra. First of all, I don"t know why I ended up in that island. It was just, when I woke up, I found myself alone in an island surrounded by black water."

"You were in the middle of the Black Sea?" Samarra exclaimed.

Amon quickly covered his sister"s mouth. "Ssssshhhh, be quiet about it. I don"t want anyone to know about it yet until I know how I ended up there."

"Wow. Wow. I don"t know what to say brother. You are the first ever person to go to the Black Sea and come back to the mainland alive. Wow. I have never been so proud of you."

"What? You were never proud of me?"

Amon began tickling his sister, who laughed so hard her eyes were getting teary.

"Brother, stop. Stop it. Hahahaha."

When he stopped, they were both laughing and gasping for air. "That was the first I have ever laughed so hard since I went there."

"Really? But how did you come back here brother?"

Amon smiled. "Denaire saved me. She saved me from that h.e.l.l. And I will save her if it"s the last thing I would do."