Fallen Prince, Risen King - The Fallen Prince

Always Running

Five years ago, the greatest war that the empire has ever seen, came to an end. The capital burned as soldiers fled for their lives. The palace was the last stand for the emperor and his family. Prince Zhōng led his sister to the throne room, all around them men ran around frantically. The hallway that they were in shook from the blasts outside. "Father! We're here!" cried Prince Zhōng when they entered the throne room.

"Good, take these," said their father, handing them money and supplies.

"What's going on?" asked Princess Xing, seeing more men run around and the room shook as well.

"We might lose today, but we won't lose tomorrow." stated their father. "Zhōng keep each other safe. If you sense danger, run. Always continue to run, don't look back, not for me but only for your sister. You have the skills to escape, use them. I've marked a place for us to meet. When this is over, I'll find you there."

"You'll come soon, right?" asked Prince Zhōng. His father gave them a worried look, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be good.

"Remember your vows, and always run." ordered his father before handing him the last gift, the Ninja Sword. "Now go!"

Prince Zhōng took his sister and they ran out of the throne room and out of the palace. They looked back to see a bombing raid, striking where the throne room was in the palace. They were perhaps on their own from now on.

Zhōng never forgot what his father told him. For five years, he ran but running wasn't the only thing he was good at anymore. South of the capital lies a town named School Town, it was the only place where easy access to the capital could be passed. It received its name from the school there, it trained and taught people to become ninja rank soldiers.

At one of the bars in the city, a man stumbled out and fell face-first into the ground. He quickly got up and ran away, throwing things down to slow his chaser. The fact that no one escaped from him made the man desperate. He spotted twenty guards on patrol and ran to them as fast as he could. "Guards! He's right be-" the man began.

Suddenly, a boy appeared out of the alley and slit the man's throat with his two swords. As the man fell, the guards got a better picture of who he was. He carried two swords; one blue and silver and one black, dark gray, and purple. He had a knife and other gadgets around his belt with two sheathes for his swords. His eyes were dark blue filled with anger and determination. His dark blond hair flew with his movements. But what had the guards shaking in terror was the tattoo on his forehead.

"It's the Fallen Prince." exclaimed one of the guards.

"Get him," said another. Five of them activated their mechs and took to the skies while the rest charged at him.

The Fallen Prince smiled and turned around and ran. He jumped and flipped and spun around booths, cargo, and people. He turned around again to put on his cowl before disappearing into the alley. The guards chase after him into the alley. "Where did he go?" asked a guard, seeing no one was in there.

"He's on the roof, we got him." said another who was in the air. They were circling like vultures above him. One dive to grab him but as he drew close, the Fallen Prince jumped back down into the alley.

Two other mechs landed blocking the only exits out of the alley. "Now where did he go?" asked one of them. They noticed it too was empty but what they didn't notice was a window open just a crack closed silently.

Xing was working on a mech arm at her uncle's shop. The blacksmith was a well-known shop in the town, no others could compete against them. Uncle Tyron was working on forging a sword as she tightened the arm. "If you go too tight, you'll lose flexibility," said a familiar voice behind her. She turned around and saw a boy with a mess-up of dark blond hair and blue eyes. He carried no weapons and had a watch on his right arm. His clothes were suited for work in the blacksmith shop but his smile was something she never forgot, even though it wasn't as big as it used to be.