~Zayne~



'Sir you called? I thought I was supposed to be training in the fields now?"

Rowan walked into my room. His breathing was a bit heavy.



'Rowan the sword is gone. Someone stole it!!"

I said my voice tinged with urgency and distress.


I needed Rowan to understand the urgency of the matter.


'What? Oh no, this is really bad bro! So, what are we gonna do?"

Rowan asked.

'Gather your search team to spread out and search every room in the castle."

I ordered Rowan, my voice now stern.


'Okay sir!!" Rowan said as he turned to leave my room.


I retreated my steps back to my couch, taking a short rest to think.


The timing was very bad!!

The day before my big fight, someone decided to steal my sword.


It's like he wants me to get killed by Vakda, so he decides to steal my sword.

Only few people also know about the sword. Rowan, Emily and…

Luther!!!

It's Luther! He stole it, so that Vadka's chances of killing me would be great. And that he could become the next king of this kingdom.

What a little bastard!


I need to tell Rowan, right now!


In a huge haste, I stormed out of my room and hurried to the conference hall.

I suspected Rowan might arrange the meeting there.

After all, he knows well enough that such gatherings are meant to be discrete.


I arrived at the hall and stood by the door. Rowan was addressing a small group of people.

Smaller than the number of search teams I'm accustomed to.


'Zayne? What are you doing here?" Rowan asked as he sited me from where he stood to speak, his voice loud enough to reach my ears.



'Hey, come over!" I yelled out to Rowan. He left the people for a bit and decided to join me outside.


'Sir. We might have an issue in searching the whole castle.

Most of their members didn't turn up." Rowan said, explaining the small number of people at the hall.


'There won't be any need for that.

I know who stole the sword… Luther!" I said to Rowan's annoyance.


'Of course it's him. That bastard should be in jail.

Why haven't you gone to him yet!!"

Rowan said, his voice raised in anger.


'Luther is very tricky Rowan, you should know that.

He is smart enough not to hide the sword in his room.

Do you know anyone Luther associates well enough with?"

I asked Rowan, he then took a moment to think about it.


'Yes. Thorn.. they are always together. And as of recently, I see him with Reta and Crystal and St..

You know what, that's all bro!"

Rowan said out a few names. But I couldn't help but feel that wasn't just all.


'Are you sure these are all of them?" I asked Rowan again to be sure.


'Yes!" his answer was more firm and sure. So I took his word for it.


'So, that's all. Then, I'll need you to group your search team into four.

Three of the team search the rooms of his three friends, and then the last one comes with me to Luther's room.

Is it clear?"


'Yes sir!" Rowan answered firmly before walking back into the hall.


After some minutes, Rowan grouped his team into four, consisting of five members.


But before they set out, I decided to give them a short speech.


'Okay, I want to clarify to you guys what we are looking for!

You will be searching for the sword of ages, it's very easy to find.

But I need all of you to search every corner of every room, leaving no stones unturned.

Rowan will supervise, but I'll escort the team going to Luther's room.

Is that OK?"

I passed out strict instructions. My voice rang on all corners of the large hall.


'Yes sir!!" they all yelled out simultaneously.


And so, they all set out to their various locations.


Together with the team, I walked through the passage to Luther's room.


And with great energy, they barged through his door, making a loud noise.


Luther laid peacefully on his couch, unfazed and not startled in the slightest.

It was as though he was even expecting us.


'Okay, Luther speak!!" I approached Luther to speak while the team went ahead to search around his room.


'You know why I'm here. You know what I'm looking for and I know you have it.

So make this easy for us and tell me where it is."

I spoke, my voice tinged anger. I clenched my teeth very tightly.


'I don't know what you are looking for. And whatever it is, I don't have it!"

Luther said with a certain confidence. His acting skills, we're very nice.

He would have managed to fool another person who didn't know the type of person he is.

But not me!


'I promise you Luther, if I find the sword, here or in any of your other friends' rooms, then I swear you will rot in jail!"

I threatened Luther.

He managed to hide it well enough, but I spotted him flinching once I mentioned his other friends.


Could it possibly be in any of them? Wherever it is, I was sure it wasn't in his room.


I left his room after I finished speaking with Luther.

It was no use staying, the only reason I wanted to come here was to speak to Luther. To see if I could talk a clue out of his mouth.


I dropped by Reta, Crystal and Thorn's room to check on any updates.

But there was none?

And each of them seemed calm about the search, just like Luther.


I had a little feeling that Luther has another close companion that I'm not aware of.

But I decided to leave it.


It was getting dark already. The sun was almost gone, and shadows began to loom at every corner of the castle.

I decided to return back to my room and wait for the results of the search.

But the doubts lingering in my heart, we're greater than the belief that we might find the sword.


And in that moment, a heavy yet painful dose of reality dawned on me.

What if I don't find the sword? I go up against the most powerful being in the universe, in a death match.

When I thought everything was falling back in a place?

A few hours ago, I could have willingly walked into that fight with Vadka, not caring if I died or not.

But now I have something more to live for, but Luther just snatched that away from.


But just then, a loud yet familiar knock snapped me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

It's Rowan!!


I gently walked to the door and opened it for Rowan.

Time to know my fate.


'Well the search team has finished up in all the rooms."

Rowan avoided the main information I needed to hear.

'And?"


'They didn't find anything!" Rowan's words spelt doom for me.

It was the result I probably expected, but the piercing words were still fresh to my heart.


'Okay…I need to think for a while." I said, as Rowan excused himself and left.


'I need to see Maya, now!"


'I have at least an hour before I go into beast mode."

I said, taking a quick glance at my wall clock.


I grabbed my car keys, carefully kept them in the drawer beside my bed and left my room at once.


The walk to the garage took barely two minutes.

I got in my car, ignited the engine I drove off, and went to the cemetery.


In the car, the drive was about fifteen minutes. So in a short while, I was already at the cemetery.


Over the years, since she passed I've come down here several times, but more compulsory, the night before something big.


Be it, a war, a marriage or whatever, I make sure I'm here the night before.


So I walked through the graveyard, maneuvering through headstones till I was in front of Maya's.

Her name is boldly written on it.

I sat on the bare floor beside the stone, as I mostly do.


'Well, Maya, it's nice to see you too. Hope you missed me?


I'm sure you remember, but the last time I was here, I told you I will be fighting Vadka in a few days.

And now, it's tomorrow."


'But for a miracle, I might be joining you there soon.

I'll tell Rowan to place my headstone next to yours."

I chuckled lightly.


'Just when I thought I had hope for a new life. When I had something to live for. Emily, my kingdom and everything.

Luther snatches it away from me in a flash!"I said to the erring silence.

My voice tinged with regret.


'Tomorrow, not only will I die. But Vadka, takes Emily and Steph as slaves.

Luther, that evil psychopath will be king for my kingdom.

I'm about to cause



~Steph~


I sat quietly on Luther's couch together with me, Thorn, Crystal and Reta.

We were all patiently waiting for Luther's arrival.

And speak of the devil..

'Hello guys, thanks for coming on short notice, but we don't have much time!" Luther stormed into the room and began ranting out.


'You may not know, but Zayne put Emily I'm the hospital. And she was unconscious until a few…!"


'What?" I cut off Luther's speech.

I couldn't believe my ears. Zayne put Emily in the hospital?

How dare he?


'Yes Steph. I've been trying to tell you. Zayne hates humans.

That's why he killed your mom and almost killed Emily.

But for now we have turned our attention back to my plan."

Luther continued speaking. But I struggled to even listen.

I couldn't believe Zayne could do something like this.

I thought he genuinely loved and cared for Emily.


'Okay, Rowan will be at Zayne's door any minute to give him the news.

And out of joy, Zayne will dash out and leave his door open.

That's when we strike and steal the sword." Luther concluded with the plan.


And then, he and Thorn peeped through a hole on his door in the direction of Zayne's room.

They were waiting for Rowan's arrival.


I sat on a wooden chair in a corner of his room. I was just thinking to myself, struggling to wrap my head round what Zayne just did.


Despite his issues, Luther was right about something.

Zayne hates us, people like him don't care about us and never will.


'He's here!!" Luther yelled, his voice laced with excitement.

The plan was in full motion.


Rowan was speaking to Zayne, breaking the news.

And after a few seconds, Zayne stormed out of his room.

Leaving his door opened, just as planned.


Thorn and Luther went out and snuck into his room.

The wall back and forth to the clinic is about half an hour.

So they had enough time.


After a few minutes, they returned back to his room…and with the sword.


'Okay, now what?" Reta asked a valid question.

Once Zayne finds his sword missing, he'll send out search teams to look for it.


'Well, Steph will keep it in her room, for now. Zayne doesn't know much of our alliance." after a short while to think.

I finally agreed to it.

I'm willing to take this risk, as long as Zayne gets what's coming for him.

We hurried to my room before Zayne returned and I hid it, under my

Tucking it away for good.


And after that, I dropped by the hospital to see Emily.

Her innocent face, and her body laying down in that bed.

But seeing her condition, only infuriated the rage I have for Zayne.


And even as the night fell, and I was tucked away in my bed, the anger in my heart for him was still fresh.

I will do anything in my power to make sure he gets what he deserves.