“Prince…My Prince, this servant will take punishment for being impertinent but the woods are dangerous, we must return back.” A young dumpling of seven seasons raised his head and looked at the humongous golden falcons that seemed to cover the dark cerulean skies with their feathers flapping furiously, a smile graced his lips before moving further ahead.

“My prince...”

“This one has not brought you to complain, stay silent or this prince would feed you to the beast of skies.” Disciple Varom took pride in being the youngest apprentice of Her highness Saintess Helixis and had thought that using her son it would be easier to gain her highness’ trust but this said young prince did not had him in his eye and the moment he tried to get closer to him, Prince Azarios accepted him as his people without any questions.

Other disciples were green with envy while the youngest disciple was merry since he thought that finally he had an edge over others but soon he came to realize that this Prince of Holy Saintess, the sole heir to the throne of Grevian was anything but naïve. Neither he got any information to who was the father of this child was nor was favored but instead made to go on extremely difficult tasks such as right now.

Three days ago Saintess Helixis announced that she and her son would leave for Gaerin since a child is born to the Nobel seventh Prince- Prince Vzeus and she must bless the princess soon for she must already be a month old. God forbids Varom’s tongue and flow of thoughts but he felt that this mother and son duo were evil wizards instead of being the holy priests.

On one end the mother was unfathomable and mysterious such that no one could predict her movements while the other end of the rope was tied to such a child who in the age of playing with toys enjoyed manipulating and sword playing.

Azarios on knowing that his first expedition outside the kingdom was because of the birth of a princess had made up his mind to gift such a treasure that would be incomparable with any other on behalf of his mother, for Prince Azarios and Her highness Helixis were two people with deep connections of heart, what mother said, the son followed and what son did, the mother was behind him in the shadows.

He felt that his imperial mother was especially radiant about going to this blessing ceremony so he prepared as such that no one could surpass the onyx haired woman when it came to displaying their status by gifts. Since the occasion was the birth of a Gaerin princess it must have all royal from across the continents and his mother must be the noblest of all in all terms.

But who was taking the burn of this prince’s exaggerated desires?

Of course it was his subordinate, disciple Varom.

“What is to lie, tell mother that you must collect those precious herbs from the rock caves of the western sea but are incompetent in comparison with this prince so this prince offered to come with you. Of course the true purpose is to hunt a falcon for his beak but in process this one shall collect some of those herbs so it is not entirely a lie.”

After saying those dangerous words that made Varom’s leg tremble the prince had left the chambers and what followed was to be dragged to the cliffs of the unconquerable western sea in the next two days, that were known for gigantic animals that ate human flesh. What Varom was afraid of was about his own safety more than Azarios.

Just like the insane Prince his mother, the Saintess too had replied then.

“What worthless herbs? it is to say that my sole son wants to hunt the beasts but choose to lie to me blatantly. Ask that one to come to this Helixis himself if he wishes to take my permission and you, prepare some medicines for yourself for this one’s son will come back but I cannot decipher for you.”

After that the next day they took off on horseback to where they were at this moment, green moss covering rusty rocks made it slippery, the slope was steep and a wrong step may lead to doom, trees bearing poisonous fruits that looked juicy and nectarous were known to have killed many and as if all this was not enough to make the western sea unconquerable then the carnivores animals that were even larger than trees made up for it.

Azarios did not cared for the man who followed behind him and commanded him to stop following him and hide in a shade when he saw a nest made in between the shade of rocks. Made from the trunk of the trees it had a single baby falcon that was two times the height of a grown human while its mother was nowhere to be seen.

It was said that the beak of the baby falcons were most treasurable since it was not hard for carving and making pearls out of them but since the people pursuing it usually were killed thus it became a thing to be seen once in several centuries.

The beast that was seemed to be sleeping with its body relaxed and eyes closed suddenly rose up as if feeling the danger that was prevailing. A shill voice indicating that he had seen the human boy accompanied by an attack from the ferocious claws made Azarios stumble back.

For Varom who saw the scene from behind the tree it looked as if the Prince was not making alive today.

***

What was kindness?

Was it a virtue that one bestowed when weak and fragile or was it mercy bestowed by the most powerful?

It took an hour for claws of a beast and dagger possessed by a human to clash but the result was something that no one had ever imagined, the beast’s baby laid with blood on its feather that were ripped at places in the battle all hopeless with its eyes closed and awaiting death while the human child having his back slashed by the lethal talons that drew scarlet blood panted while his dagger was pressed against the falcon’s neck.

Disciple Varom gritted his teeth in frustration, after such a bloody yet glorious victory why was this prince not inserting the dagger in the beast’s heart. Has he suddenly gone foolish?

“You...” The dumpling with sparkling onyx eyes that were now lighter, appearing more golden looked at the beast and whispered.

“You dare accept defeat in front of this prince.” It was known since the ancient times that falcons were loyal yet dark creatures that never accepted defeat, they had an intelligence on par with human and could sense emotions and feelings thus when Azarios said those words the beast opened its eyes watching the human child with interest, since it was of ten seasons itself never a human with such courage ever disrupted his sleep.

Prince Azarios kept the dagger aside and slumped against the feathers of the falcon, lying against it with his back touching the warmth of the scales. It was this moment that he gave the falcon to attack and maybe kill him from behind yet when the bird itself rested its head of the ground and the silence prevailed.

“One day you will rule this sea and far beyond it, so do not die on this one. This prince wished to simply obtain the beak of a dead falcon and had no intention to kill an innocent creature yet your shrewdness signified the power I had burning in my heart so this one decided to test.

Beyond this nest is the body of a dead falcon that seemed to have lost its life only some days ago thus I will take its beak and go now. You, do not go near it since it will soon attract all those serpents and predators.

You might be their king one day but right now they are stronger, so hide here and increase your strength for now, this one has had enough of you so I shall take my leave.”

Looking at the angry beast it seemed that it was scolding Azarios thousand times in its heart as if saying-”What King?! You fought with this one disrupting my sleep and food because you wished to pass your time and test me! I have never met such an infuriating human in my life, demon! No, angel who is infuriating but is kind…but you ripped my feathers! Insolent human! Let me become the King then I shall search you and eat you first! No not eat…can’t even kill this foolish and dangerous human! You wait till I grow up.”

The boy got up dusting his ink robe as if it was simply a chat with a friend.

“Stop thinking and looking at this prince like a fool, when you grow up we will see who is stronger.” The baby falcon seemed to have lost its strength of competing with Azarios as it grunted and moved away sitting in its nest, showing Azarios its back.

While the entire fiasco was taking place disciple Varom was feeling undecipherable in his heart.

So this mad royal thought of having a battle with a carnivores creature simply because it was interesting… following Azarios thinking he might control the prince?

This boy was a devil!

“Varom throw the entire bag of herbs you collected on your way here, this foolish bird might need it to sleep on it and heal its wounds.” The baby falcon whined before going again to sleep.

It was a female falcon thus at last resorted to whines.

***

AZARIOS: “Now that I see, you resemble that baby falcon Lilith…just that you are softer, no much more softer that it was and so little, maybe that was why I could not bring myself to leave it wounded.”

LILITH: *Fuming upon called little* “Since you ripped its feathers while fighting, would you do the same to me too if we fight and then at last give this one some ointment?”

AZARIOS: *feeling guilty and shaken* “Seros, take the entire army and go search for that female falcon of my childhood and upon meeting build it a beast castle, give it food daily and appoint some servants for it, take imperial physician with you to check for its health… take money from my treasury.”

LILITH: “…Its a beast.”

AZARIOS: “But it resembles you.”