The morning sun began to appear on the horizon, illuminating the coast, the port, the houses, and marking the beginning of a new day in the lives of the people of Fisherman's Rest.
After the work Prince Callen had done, public opinion returned to normal. There were no deaths of innocents, and the Tarzovian captain's plan could not be carried out.
As the sun began to rise, it also illuminated a small group of three people approaching on a horse.
"Are we there yet?" Zara asked slowly.
"Yes, Zara. We finally arrived," Derek replied while yawning.
"Praise be to the Goddess."
"All thanks to this horse. Good thing we got lucky finding it," Alice said.
Zara remembered how, a few hours after fleeing the village, they found a group of soldiers. Alice thought they wouldn't mind if one horse went missing and stole it.
"I wouldn't say finding it, but I won't complain either," Zara sighed.
As they drew closer to the village, the young princess tried to remember the things she had read in "Chronicles of Fargus." To her surprise, the village was quite a bit larger than the book described. She assumed it was due to the passage of years.
At this rate, in several more years it could become a city, the girl thought.
"Zara, you should cover your hair somehow, so you don't draw so much attention," Derek whispered to her as they drew closer to the village.
"Nonsense. These clothes work wonders when it comes to going unnoticed," she said, pointing to the slave garments she had improved for more comfort.
In a few minutes, the group finally arrived at the village. Except for some guards, since it was early, there weren't too many people outside—in fact, most houses were just beginning to open.
Zara couldn't help but cover her nose with one hand due to the smell of salt mixed with the smell of fish, thinking that the book hadn't described the smell as being so strong. Though Alice and Derek didn't seem as affected.
"Shad—" Zara stopped herself. "Alice, don't you two smell that?"
"You almost called me 'Shadow' again," the woman laughed.
"Yes, I'm still not used to the name change," the princess sighed in response.
"To answer your question, yes, we smell it, but it's nothing out of this world," this time it was Derek who responded.
"Does that mean you've been in places that smell worse than this?" Zara said, her mouth agape.
This time neither of them responded, but for Zara, that was the most sincere confirmation she could get at that moment.
"We won't need this horse anymore. Come on, get down," Alice ordered.
The two young ones obeyed and got off the horse.
"What will you do with it?"
"I'll sell it. We're short on funds, and I'm sure a trip to Tarzovia won't be cheap." Upon saying that, Alice made the horse begin to gallop, moving away through the streets that were slowly filling with people.
Now Zara and Derek were left alone with only one question in mind: "What do we do now?"
"Want to go for a walk?" Derek was the first to speak.
"I suppose." Both began walking without any apparent direction.
That Alice, she didn't even say where we should meet up later, Zara thought.
"So, how are you?" Derek asked.
Zara remained silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to answer.
"Fine? I suppose," she said, tilting her head.
"No, I don't mean your health," Derek turned to look at her. "I mean about your brother."
Zara felt a chill run down her entire spine.
"I know you and he didn't part under the best circumstances, and I realize that's changed you," Derek continued.
The princess narrowed her eyes while lowering her head.
"I appreciate your concern, but it's nothing. I'll get over it." She tried to offer a smile, though it was impossible for her.
Derek noticed the princess wasn't very comfortable with the conversation.
"Well, changing the subject, what's that book you read so much about?" the young man said, trying to cheer Zara up a bit more.
"Chronicles of Fargus?" she said, raising an eyebrow, then sighed. "It narrates the adventures of Fargus, a traveler who journeyed across the entire continent."
"Sounds interesting."
"It is, though I thought it wouldn't be," Zara confessed with a sigh.
"Who gave it to you?"
The princess remained silent for a few seconds.
"Bad question. Ignore that."
"No, no, it's fine," Zara sighed. "It was my sister who gave it to me."
This time it was both of them who fell silent.
"You miss them—your siblings," Derek said.
"What do you think, genius?"
"That you don't, after all you have my wonderful company," he responded in a joking tone, drawing a smile from Zara.
"Idiot. It's almost hard to believe you were about to die three days ago," Zara reproached him between laughs.
"That's nothing."
The young ones kept talking as they walked. Without realizing it, they ended up approaching the port.
"Whoa, look at that ship. It looks like it was a pirate ship," Derek said, looking at the vessel full of soldiers.
"It's full of guards. Something bad must have happened," Zara added.
"I told you they wouldn't find anything, little prince."
Zara caught a conversation not far from them, a little ahead. With people passing by, she hadn't noticed the two figures observing the ship beyond them. A woman wearing pants and a large leather jacket, also wearing a hat with a feather. Beside her...
"Zara?"
The girl grabbed Derek by the arm and pulled him with her to take cover.
"What's wrong?"
"My brother. My brother Callen is rigth there in front," Zara responded, watching him from a corner.
Derek frowned as he remembered what almost happened to his sister the last time they saw the prince.
"Lin, don't you feel like someone's watching us?" the prince asked.
Zara stopped watching instantly, while both young ones began to sweat more and breathe raggedly.
They knew it. If the prince saw or found them, it would be the end of the adventure. Until now they had always managed to escape, but every time they found him, they only tempted fate.
"Someone watching us? My friend, you're the prince—everyone watches you!" Zara heard Lin respond.
"That's true, but..."
"Don't overthink it. We should go interrogate Viss or that Tarzovian."
Tarzovian? Zara thought, turning to look at Derek, who returned her gaze, shaking his head and shrugging.
"Maybe you're right," the prince sighed.
It seemed they were leaving the place. Derek could breathe normally again, but Zara still felt a knot in her throat.
When would be the next time she would see her brother? That question repeated in her head constantly. She knew they hadn't parted on good terms the last time, but she didn't know if she would see him again after this.
She found herself hesitating—hesitating about whether she should continue with Alice and Derek, hesitating about whether she should just surrender here and now. She had come far, seen many more things than she ever dreamed of seeing, had fulfilled her dream, at least in large part.
But there was also another doubt growing inside her. With every second, with every step she took to move away from the palace and her family, she drew closer to her enemies. She didn't know what the Tarzovians wanted from her, and as she drew closer to Alice's goal, the more she thought she should separate from them.
"Hey, Zara, no!" Zara felt Derek's grip on her shoulder.
By the time she came out of her thoughts, she had already poked her head out from her hiding spot, looking at her brother again. But something was different this time—her brother was looking back at her. She had been detected.
"Zara!" Her brother's shout was what fully woke her.
The prince ran toward them at full speed. For a moment, Zara felt relief. Was she unconsciously seeking this outcome?
She had no time to think about it more when she felt Derek's grip. The princess stifled a scream when the young man lifted her and dodged an attempt by Callen to grab them.
It's useless! Derek isn't faster than Callen! she thought, closing her eyes.
"Stop right there, hey!" She could hear her brother's shouts fading.
Fading?
"What!?"
Upon opening her eyes, she found that Derek was propelling himself through the streets at high speed, launching flames from his feet to propel himself. This gave him incredible mobility to flee from Callen.
"Hey, watch where you touch!" Zara shouted, blushing, at Derek.
"It's not the moment to worry about that!" the mage responded.
"It always is!"
Looking back, she realized Callen was still following them. It was clear—he was her brother, after all. She knew they wouldn't lose him so easily.
Derek propelled himself over a house, giving Zara a momentary panoramic view of everything around her, mainly the sea stretching to the horizon.
Upon landing, the mage continued the escape through a less traveled street, but was surprised. What appeared to be a water bubble collided with one of his feet, extinguishing the flame with which he was propelling himself.
As a result, he couldn't maintain his balance and ended up crashing against the wall of one of the houses, stifling a scream along with Zara when they fell to the ground.
"Good, now the prince owes me one," said the pirate, emerging from some shadows.
"And who are you?" Zara asked, trying to recompose herself.
"Lin, at your service," the pirate began to say, toying with a coin. "I'm afraid your brother has fallen prey to my charms," she added with a joking touch.
"Don't say those things to my sister, you idiot." Callen arrived at her side to hit her on the head.
Derek quickly stood up upon seeing him arrive, but Callen's scimitar reached his neck faster than he could react.
"Wait, Callen, don't hurt him!" Zara urged from the ground.
Callen glanced at her sideways, his face softening a little.
"Please."
The prince hesitated, but in the end he withdrew his sword, even sheathing it. This last gesture surprised the two young ones.
"What a touching reunion," Lin said, caressing the spot where Callen had hit her.
"Callen, I..." Zara began to speak.
"I'm sorry," Callen interrupted her. "I'm sorry for everything I said last time."
The princess was surprised. She didn't expect to receive those words from her brother.
"No, don't apologize! It should be me who does!" the princess said.
Lin dragged Derek to the side, moving him away from there.
"No, you're still like a child. I understand that maybe we were too hard on you, keeping you in the palace all that time. You had the right to be angry."
Zara wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.
"I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I let myself be carried away by anger, by worry, and by the feeling of helplessness I felt at not having been able to save you in the palace or the city."
The prince sighed, frowned, and clenched his fists even tighter.
"I was frustrated and I threw all of that at you. It was a mistake—a giant one. I know this apology isn't enough, but I want you to know that I regret it and that I mean it from the heart."
Zara threw herself at him, hugging him tightly, taking him by surprise.
"Zara!?"
"Just hug me, you idiot, you fool, you bad brother!" Her tone broke as she spoke, revealing that she had started to cry.
Callen hugged her back, while his sister buried her head in his shoulder.
"It seems they made up," Derek pointed out.
"Yes, it seems so," Lin said.
The woman had dragged him a little farther back to give the siblings space—something that had turned out well, as far as they could see.
"I didn't expect it to be like this, honestly," Derek continued.
"And what did you expect?"
"I don't know, but I was sure he'd cut my head off."
Lin patted him on the shoulder.
"Sometimes he gives that impression. I understand," the woman said with a sigh. "Though I must say, you're brave for kidnapping a princess."
"That was my sister's job."
"But you're still her accomplice. You must have done something."
"Helped a little during the escape. I also defeated an imperial mage," Derek said with pride.
The woman whistled in awe, applauding.
Isn't she my enemy? She's acting too friendly—almost more than Zara when we met in the city, the young man thought, sighing.
Derek turned to look at the siblings. Zara had already stopped crying; now, on the contrary, she was smiling from ear to ear. She looked radiant, so happy. He knew that deep down, the princess longed to reunite with her brother.
But this also meant they would separate here. Callen would take Zara, and with luck, he wouldn't kill him in the process. He was happy—happy that Zara was safe, though he didn't understand why. If they didn't achieve their goal, it would mean they would die, but even so, in that moment, he could only feel relief.
"Hey, you, the mage, come here," Callen said to Derek.
Derek walked over, and Zara went to accompany Lin.
"Will it do any good to beg for mercy?" Derek asked nervously.
"What are you talking about, idiot? I'm not going to hurt you."
Derek raised both eyebrows.
"You're not?"
"It's not that I don't want to—I should clarify—so listen and don't talk."
Derek nodded slowly.
"I won't take Zara with me."
"Really!?" The mage's eyes lit up.
"Shut up and listen," the prince began to say. "I know your goal isn't anything good, and I'm taking an immense risk here, but I also know you've treated my sister quite well."
Callen stepped closer to Derek, and the latter swallowed nervously.
"You don't treat her like a prisoner. A prisoner doesn't risk herself to save her captor the way she did," Callen sighed. "You treat her like one of you—a companion, a friend."
The prince stepped even closer, close enough that now only Derek could hear him speak.
"Tell me, mage, what do you plan to do with my sister?"
Derek stared at him for a few seconds, bewildered.
"I wouldn't know what to answer."
"Are you messing with me?"
"No, no, I'm serious!" Derek raised his hands forward. "Our lady didn't give us any explanation. She only told us we had to deliver her intact."
Callen took a few seconds to respond, analyzing the young mage's posture.
"Then tell me, who sent you?"
The mage once again stopped before speaking.
"I can't tell you."
Callen nodded thoughtfully.
"That's all. Lin, we're leaving."
"Already?" the woman asked. "But we've only been here a few minutes."
"More than enough."
The two withdrew from there. Before doing so, Callen hugged Zara again. He assured her that this would only be temporary and that they would meet again soon.
"That was... strange," Derek said with a sigh.
"You can say that again. I didn't expect that stance from my brother," the princess added, also sighing.
"Are you better?"
"Better than ever. Let's go find your sister."
She began to move away with long strides—it seemed her mood had improved greatly. Without thinking too much, Derek followed his path.
"Are you sure about letting them go like that?" Lin asked Callen.
Both hadn't moved too far away, so they could clearly see the moment Derek and Zara left.
"Yes, I've thought it over. I won't gain anything by taking Zara now."
"I don't think your father will like this too much."
"I already rebelled by coming here on my own. I don't think a little more rebellion will make much difference," the prince assured.
"So, what's the new plan?" the woman asked, crossing her arms.
"Let them go and follow them closely. I don't know who's behind this, but it's certain they know something about Zara that I don't."
The prince began to move away in the opposite direction from them.
"We'll let them go, let them fulfill their mission, and we'll tear this enemy out by the root."