Chapter 4

“I remember you.”

“ARGH!!!” Raviex gasped as the wind was knocked out off him when he received a violent blow from behind. His head spun a little with giddiness.

Not giving any time for his opponent to recover, Soul Stealer continued with his attacks. He tried to bash him on the side but out of reflex, Raviex blocked him off using his sword. The next move made by Soul Stealer definitely caught the less experienced fighter in surprise. Four long iron malleable rods shot out from the back sides of Soul Stealer and entwined around White Dragon in a flick of an eye. Raviex struggled with the rods but they already caught a good grip on him and had tightened.

“Prepare yourself, Raviex Katelion!” crowed the winning fighter. Two more metallic rods which had sharp and pointed heads rose from the back of Soul Stealer as Crone said that. Terror drowned Raviex. His first instinct was to defend and dodge the attack. Damn it, if only he could!

“Devil’s Revenge!”

The two heads of the recently appeared rods struck deep into the body of White Dragon. Instantly, Raviex experienced such agonizing pain that he had never felt before. Volts of electricity burst through the whole Z-tech Crusader including the body of the pilot. As if it was not vicious enough, the unique move of Soul Stealer also crushed his enemy as the four rods tightened immensely around White Dragon while the electricity continued its role. Raviex could feel the space closing in. He screamed in agony but nothing escaped his throat.

The torture lasted for ten seconds. To him, the ten seconds were like forever. His body was numbed with pain. Raviex tried to raise his hand to continue his fight, instead, his fingers trembled. He winced at the excruciating pain as he gasped for air. Unable to keep his consciousness, he closed his eyes and fell onto the control panels.

“Raviex!” yelled Sir Damien as he helplessly watched the gleaming yellow light of life went out of White Dragon’s eyes and it soon began free-falling towards the Blessed Land.

“My child, Raviex…”

Raviex opened his eyes when he heard the voice. He found himself standing on a beach. The sand of the beach was warm beneath his feet. The golden-orange rays of the setting sun cast over on him. “Father?” he called out uncertainly, not daring to hope, yet wanting to believe his ears. He looked around slowly; he saw no one.

Unable to hold the disappointment of himself back any longer, he fell to his knees. Suddenly, he felt small, like a sinner before the Light. “Father, I have failed you. I have failed the Kingdom!” He smashed both fists on the sandy ground, bent over. He was furious at himself, that he could not even defend himself, what else to say the Kingdom.

“No, Raviex, you have not lost. This is only the beginning of a long and terrible war,” the same voice hovered around him, comforting him.

“The beginning… father? Is that you?” Raviex looked up, as if expecting to see the owner of the voice. He was puzzled ever the more. Was he hallucinating? Were desperation and desolation playing with him, just when he was feeling at complete lost?

“Yes, Raviex, the beginning; more are yet to come. That is why we have come to warn you,” the voice spoke, lingering in the air like whispers of breaths.

“What is it? Who are you?” asked Raviex, bewildered. This time, he was sure that it was not his father’s voice. It was a voice spoken simultaneously by a group of people yet in strange harmony.

“You must be strong. Do not give up, child! Save Katelion from the hands of evil. Descendant of the kingly lion, you are chosen.”

“What..? I don’t…understand.”

“Be still, do not be afraid, do not doubt. We will watch over you and fight along your side as you fight for the people of Katelion. Be brave and be strong... wear the courage of King Leo Katelion when he fought to restore peace on Senadon.”

Raviex gazed skywards as he felt his body lifted from the ground. A raw energy surged through him now, so warm and strong, giving him peace and valour. Was this the touch of the Light?

With a flash of a bright, peaceful light, Raviex was brought back to reality.

His eyes shot wide open. His breaths were fast and unsteady. He looked around wildly at the strange surroundings. He had awakened in a room decorated by only a cupboard, four chairs and a small, round table.

“You’ve finally decided to wake up,” a female voice sounded. He spotted a girl leaning on the doorframe of the room with her arms crossed; her dark auburn ponytail fell just below her shoulders. Her light green clothing boasted a slim and lean figure.

Unwilling to look weak especially to a girl, he attempted to get out of bed. He groaned as his whole body ached when he moved. Raviex gave up and let his body rest on the comfortable bed. The girl did not bother to even move an eye to check on his condition.

“You shouldn’t have moved. After the Devil’s Revenge, you are considered lucky you aren’t crippled. Your nervous system is badly damaged but my brother says you’ll make it fine,” she said flatly.

‘You could have told me earlier,’ complained Raviex silently. Then it hit him. Did she say Devil’s Revenge?

“Can you tell me what had happened after I passed out? How did I get here? Where’s White Dragon?” he blurted. Narrowing his eyes, he added, “And who are you?!”

“You ask too many questions,” the girl who seemed no elder than him stated in boredom, still not looking at him. “Firstly, be grateful that I chose to save you and bring you to this nursing room. Secondly, you do not need to know who I am, as I have no intention in keeping you here longer than I should. Lastly, you will only bring trouble to us, Prince Raviex Lexondré Katelion!” As if to show she really meant her few last words, she shot him an icy stare. Also, to emphasize her three statements, she counted them off her fingers.

The moment she spoke his name, Raviex’s eyes swept sharply at her direction. He struggled again, disregarding all the pain, into a sitting position. It took every ounce of his strength to just do that, causing him to gasp. He leaned his upper body against the wall and closed his eyes. Questions after questions formed in his mind, so many unanswered. The one thought stood out above all was that she knew his true identity! Not to mention his exact, full name. No one knew about that except the Royal Family members. Raviex concluded that it might be a bad sign— judging from the way she behaved. She did not strike him as friendly, not even close.

“How do you know so much?”

“Enough questions! You may be the Prince but I assure you, I will not tolerate you,” the girl snapped. Raviex gulped at her slashing remark. He had never met anyone in his entire life who dared raised his or her voice at him besides his parents and his mentor.

“Christine! I am shocked at your insolence towards Prince Raviex. Apologize to His Highness, now!” a man in his early twenties chided the girl. He was completely different from the girl who was called Christine. He entered the room; his intelligent-looking brown eyes gazed firmly at her. His short chestnut-brown hair was neatly in place. He wore a clean, white coat, giving him a professional appearance.

“Keith!”

“I told you to apologize,” repeated Keith patiently.

Christine narrowed her eyes on Raviex, disgusted at what she was going to do next. “Sorry,” she barely mumbled in an audible way. She stormed out from the room, leaving Keith and Raviex alone.

“Keith Falcon at your service, Your Highness, perhaps I should formally pronounce an apology on behalf of my ignorant sister, Christine Falcon, for her impoliteness,” said Keith while doing a bow to Raviex.

“For a girl with such a feminine name, she sure is nothing close to being feminine,” murmured Raviex, curious at the way how she made him sweat for no reason.

“Did you say something, Your Highness?” asked Keith, blinking.

“Nothing in particular, you have my assurance. Leave aside those formalities. This is not the Floating Land and I am in no position to receive apologies,” Raviex spoke wearily. “I believe your name is Keith?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then, Keith, you have my permission to call me by my name, Raviex. It’ll do.” He managed a weak smile.

“Very well, err… Raviex,” Keith felt a little awkward being so casual with a Royal Family member. “Please pardon dear Christine. She never appreciates it when others question her. She’s usually a pleasant person but she’s awfully protective over the tribe.”

Raviex nodded in acknowledgement. “Do you mind if I ask you to explain to me a few matters to clear off my doubts?”

“None at all, it would be an honour to assist you, Your…I mean, Raviex,” replied Keith quickly.

The young prince sighed, “I am grateful for your loyalty to me, Keith Falcon. By my words, I promise you a reward in the Floating Land. But now, I wish to know the fate of Katelion City after I passed out. Do not leave out anything. Let me comprehend everything you say.”

Four metallic rods whipped out from the back Soul Stealer and wrapped around White Dragon at the torso. The opponent struggled to free himself. Two more metallic rods with spear-liked heads appeared all of a sudden from behind Soul Stealer. Both struck deep into the Z-tech Crusader…

White Dragon fell from the sky all of a sudden. It hit hard on the ground and shook the earth. Wispy smoke rose from the fallen Z-tech Crusader. The fate of the pilot was unknown.

It was Eyphion who freed White Dragon from Soul Stealer. As Soul Stealer focused all his crystal energy on Devil’s Revenge to destroy White Dragon, Eyphion tackled him from behind. Soul Stealer whose hands were full at the moment could not return the blow. Also, draining his energy on the Z-tech Templar’s special move took time to restore power. He finally decided to finish off the more important target first before entertaining the other.

Sir Damien, fearing for the life of the Prince, slashed the iron rods off White Dragon. Being badly damaged, White Dragon’s turbo engines malfunctioned, causing it to crash…

The video ended. Keith stood up to retrieve the small disc from the disc drive.

“What you have just seen just now is a recording from the Fourth-Sight. The Mabluku Tribe was out on patrol when Valkyr Empire attacked the Floating Land. Christine used the Fourth-Sight to investigate further. It allowed her to watch clearly what was going on above. Through satellite signals, I was able to watch and record everything she saw,” explained Keith while he packed up the mini projector he had brought into Raviex’s nursing room.

“Naturally, Christine was the first one to have found you. You crash-landed just a few miles away from the Mabluku Territory. She informed me your location and I sent out men to help rescue you. It took quite some time before they could get to you. White Dragon was in a very bad condition. They weren’t able to get you out without cutting through the hatch of it. Christine knew you were the Prince and she also knew that Valkyr’s men would be hunting for you. That’s why Christine told our men to dispose off White Dragon, leaving no tracks behind. She didn’t want the Mabluku people to be in danger.

As for the Capital, after you crashed, miraculously, the Imperial Army arrived. No one expected the Imperial Army, not even Valkyrians. With the Imperial Army back with the Superior and Great Army, Katelion City was saved. The force field was generated, too. All ended well for the Floating Land. The Valkyrians were smart enough to escape pronto without taking any chances.

But there are two things which I don’t understand. Why did the Imperial Army arrive so much earlier than expected? If I guessed right, they had left for about twelve to fourteen hours for Grikshan City, the very north. They were estimated to arrive around noon the next day at least despite travelling their fastest. It was highly impossible they were able to dive in and join in while the battle was still raging. The other puzzle is why did the force field of the Floating Land disappear in the first place?”

Though his body was drained, Raviex’s mind was alert. Keith was right. There were missing puzzles everywhere. Suddenly, as if rewinding a video tape, Raviex replayed the scene when he was awakened by the shudder he felt in his sleep. The force field had disappeared in the middle of the night.

“Hold on, how is it that I’ve never heard of the Fourth-Sight?” asked Raviex out of the blue, knitting his eyebrows together.

“That’s because I invented it— a lovely invention in my opinion. See, I am a scientist and an inventor,” replied Keith proudly, wearing a delighted smile. Though so, Raviex just stared at him blankly. The claimed scientist sighed exasperatedly at his silent response. “My father might have been a legendary general of Kingdom Katelion, nonetheless, that doesn’t mean I have to be a warrior or some sort. I prefer to keep my sword in its sheath,” Keith continued rather indignantly.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean it that… “Raviex quickly apologized as he did not wish to offend anyone but it suddenly struck him about Keith’s slip regarding his family background. He looked directly at Keith, stopping himself from jumping into conclusions. If he was a member of an Honourable Family, why was he not living on the Floating Land? “Your father was a general? Was that how Christine knows that I am the Prince?” he spoke slowly.

Keith fidgeted at the question. He wasn’t sure he liked where the conversation was heading to. It was about his past— Christine’s past. Was it right to tell?

“Perhaps we could talk about that next time. You need your rest, Sire— I mean Raviex,” Keith excused himself, trying to avoid the topic. “A full rest for a day or two before getting out of bed would do. Your body needs some major healing.” With that, he left the room. Raviex wanted to know what he was holding back; however, out of respect for others’ privacy, he kept silent.

General Falcon…

II

“Tell me, Lazachus, why did the capture of the Floating Land fail?” His tone was quiet, too quiet, as if a still venomous snake waiting to strike.

Dark Valkyr’s chamber was never bright. Lazachus took a step forwards. The leader of the Valkyr Empire wasn’t the only one surprised by the sudden turn-up by the Imperial Army. It was a flawless plan. They should have long gone conquered the Capital before they arrived.

“There is no other explanation regarding the Imperial Army except that someone had informed them about our midnight attack during their journey to Grikshan City,” said Lazachus coolly. It was his only thought.

“’An informant… amongst my men?!” hissed Valkyr, his eyes burning.

The young general kept to himself. Something told him that there was an intruder but he did not mention it. He did not feel the need to do so. If there was an intruder, he must be incredibly strong and stealthy. Valkyr Empire’s Fortress was not one that could be infiltrated easily. Suddenly, his blood boiled with excitement at the thought of capturing someone as such.

Oh, what would it like to be killing the person…?

Valkyr’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Then, explain to me on the recovering of the force field. I believe I was assured that the force field would be turned off during our attack.”

Lazachus bowed his head. “One of the scientists in KACUSA must have figured out the key to the regeneration the force field.”

“What a coincidence…” drawled Dark Valkyr. “The Imperial Army’s appearance as well as the regeneration of the force field… smells like a traitor to me. Could it be that it was the same person who pulled off the two feats?”

Lazachus looked out from his serpent-like mask. “Not in my opinion, my Lord.”

“And why?”

“No reason, my Lord, just my opinion.”

“I have my confidence in you, Lazachus.” Valkyr stroke his long silver hair on his chest.

“Thank you and I must report to you that Prince Raviex… is gone.” He knew he had drawn a fresh interest from Valkyr with this information.

“Gone?”

He smiled sinisterly. “Prince Raviex’s Z-Gene crashed during the battle. Everyone’s busy looking for him now. I wonder what they will find. A dead corpse perhaps?” He added in his sick amusement.

“I want to see that dead corpse, Lazachus! I must see it with my own eyes. If there is no corpse, then we must assume he is still alive. Go! Take my men and search for him. Bring him to me, dead or alive!”

“Yes, my Lord!” Lazachus clicked his heels together and gave a deep bow. As he walked out of the chamber, his eyes gave a glint, like the eyes of the devil himself.

III

“Dad, did you find him?” Kairalina ran up to meet Sir Damien who just entered the mansion.

He shook his head exhaustedly. A search party was conducted by him to look for the Prince. For hours the search was on, only to come home fruitless.

“What if he…,” uttered the girl before she wept in her hands. Her father held her as she cried, thinking about Raviex’s fate.

“Don’t worry, we can’t be sure until we’ve found his Z-tech Crusader,” comforted Sir Damien, knowing how fragile his daughter was.

A soft beep sounded from a flat, oval machine which was called a GP (Graphic Phone), breaking the gloomy atmosphere. The knight went to the centre of the living room where the machine was placed on an elegantly designed glass table. He pressed a button which was blinking green. A 3D, live image of Erik’s head projected out above the machine.

“Good day, Sir Damien. Colonel Erik Wilgate reporting status from the Grand Conference Room,” greeted Erik formally as he was carrying out an official duty.

“I’m listening, Colonel Wilgate,” said Sir Damien, giving him a nod.

Erik took a deep breath and fired away with the report. He had been sent as Sir Damien’s representative and spokesman to entertain reporters from all over the world while he was with the search party. Just as the Valkyrians were within the safe range from the Floating Land, reporters flooded the city, requesting for answers.

Named by the late King Levon as the second in command over the Kingdom, they required to speak to Sir Damien. Most asked about the Prince’s well-being. Rumours had spread that Prince Raviex had crashed and was doomed to his death. There were not only reporters there, representatives of warlords from territories and cities demanded for the Prince.

“Sir Damien, frankly speaking, I don’t know if I can hold them off when they come back again tomorrow. I fear the greed of the human hearts would drive warlords to rebel against the Capital City like two years ago. Unless we can ensure that the Prince is alive and safe, the peace of the world would be at stake!” Erik ended dramatically.

The middle-aged knight supported himself by putting both palms on the glass table. He lowered his head, closed his eyes and sighed. It was not because he was shocked or surprise by Erik’s report; it was because of weariness both in physical and mental means. His mind now was full of nothing but the Prince. King Levon entrusted him with Raviex. How could he have failed him? How could he face the ancestors of the Katelion royal family when it was time for him to go?

“I’m sorry, Colonel Wilgate, until Prince Raviex is found, you will have to do your best to buy us some time,” said Sir Damien quietly after a short pause.

“Yes, sir!” answered Erik.

Meanwhile, Kairalina was looking out of the window to the faraway sky. She saw her reflection; a troubled face, worried for her beloved. An image of Raviex appeared in her mind as she touched the window.

Where are you, Raviex? Her heart called out in vain.

Raviex Katelion felt tense as he seated himself together with Keith and Christine around the table in his room for dinner. He had just made a full recovery after three days of rest and intense care. It would only be a courtesy to invite the guest for dinner; need not to say the pride of dining with the Prince, Keith had stated thus. ‘Right then, so, why am I not feeling all delighted?’ thought Raviex dryly. Claire, Keith’s wife, brought in their dinner and placed it on the table.

“Mmm… it sure smells nice, honey,” complimented Keith, sniffing while she took a seat beside her husband.

Claire smiled and nodded at Raviex. “I hope my cooking are up to your likings, Your Highness. These aren’t much but do enjoy them.”

“Oh, no, don’t worry; I’m already looking forwards to dinner after the dishes are laid before us. You are quite a cook, Lady Claire. Honestly, I am very grateful for your generosity and kindness,” expressed Raviex. “But please, do call me by my name.”

Keith chuckled and shook his head. “If you insist, Raviex, if you insist. No need to thank us. We were merely fulfilling our responsibilities as the people of Kingdom Katelion.”

“He should be grateful for everything we’re providing him,” interrupted Christine icily, slamming her mug on the table. The Prince’s gaze fell onto the ground guiltily. This little dinner was going to be ruined by his presence. She got up and went out of the room abruptly.

Keith and Claire looked at one another, prodding each other to approach Raviex. The twenty-four year old scientist sighed apologetically. “I’m greatly sorry about that. Perhaps I should tell you our story, for Christine’s sake. After listening, you will understand Christine’s cold character towards you.”