The Serenader

Chapter 1

Atlas' POV
The Navy was my home.

For the first time in my life, I knew my place. No longer was I just the heir, waiting for something to happen to my father - the king - so the weight of the crown could sit upon my shoulders. Nor did I feel I lacked the sense of Illusion anymore. Illusion, the empathic ability present in my family and a few others, had skipped over me. My siblings, my parents, and their parents before them all had the ability to read others' emotions, a gift I did not receive.

However, that doesn't matter much anymore. As a General in the Navy, I was given the opportunity to work alongside hundreds of people from all walks of life; not just my family full of Illusionists.

Since I last saw Ionia - the region where I was raised - with my own eyes, it's been almost three years. That time has slipped by like sand through my fingers. Since my father has Illusion, I figured he understood my reluctance to return home and that I had no need to. Harmonia, my country, is so vast, it takes a very, very long time to patrol every side of all seven regions, but that is a necessary job. I learned that Unity couldn't possibly last if we didn't force it to, just by human nature. I was happy to devote my time to the betterment of my kingdom, and a life spent at sea was the life for me. I had only been to three of the other regions besides my home in Ionia, but the sights in Locria, Phrygia, and Doria will always stay with me. It was a goal of mine one day to visit the three other regions, if only to say that I've seen them all.

The images of those mountains and valleys, lakes and rivers, deserts and forests, all flashed through my head as I stared out the window of my Captain's Quarters. I watched the waves of the beautiful Nuance Sea crash along the hull of the ship as it bobbed lazily on Locrian waters.

Upstairs, boots shuffled along the deck as my crew prepared to depart Locria, the island a day's sail away from the mainland. There was still much to do if we hoped to arrive at Doria tomorrow as scheduled. We had to ready the anchor, make sure we're properly stocked with food, and oh, check that loose board on the hull...

My thoughts were interrupted by a series of rhythmic knocks on my door.

"General Atlas?" A familiar voice called. "Permission to enter?"

I didn't reply, but the door creaked open anyway. I didn't mind, as the door would have been locked if I was purposely keeping anyone out.

Echo, a fellow soldier and close friend of mine, walks in. They're holding an envelope in one hand and, given they're my crew Bugler, a cornet in the other.

"This was just given to me," Echo said, holding out the envelope. "Said it was crucial it got to you."

"Given to you? By whom?"

"Another regiment," Echo replied, absentmindedly opening and closing valves on their cornet. "Their ship just docked."

I took the envelope, and when I got a better look at it, I bit back a wave of panic. The letter, stamped with crimson ink, bore the royal crest - a symbol I knew all too well. Reluctantly, I came to the realization that a letter stamped with my family's coat of arms could only mean one thing: this letter came from my father, and not just for a simple hello. We were both much too busy for that. No, this had to be something important for it to be sent to me this way.

"What's happened?"

Echo's voice reeled me back into the situation. I had almost forgotten they're one of the handful of talented Illusionists on board - they must have picked up on my nerves.

I sighed, tearing the letter open. "Nothing... yet."

I ran my eyes across the page. It was brief and formal; maybe eight sentences, typical of the King. But as I figured, it brought big news - news I didn't necessarily like, for many reasons.

"What? What's it say?" Echo asked.

"Nothing worthy of concern," I said unconvincingly. My father had sent word that the head of every region was to meet at the castle in a few days. "Just a Region Meeting."

"That's all?" Echo looked unconvinced, a mixture of worry and annoyance in those gleaming blue eyes.

Realizing, as I always did, that lying was pointless to someone who knew what I was feeling, I added, "That, and my father wants me there for it. Apparently I'm to leave with an escort when we get to Doria." Echo started to respond, but I cut them off. "Can I trust you to keep a watchful eye in my absence?"

"I-'' Echo hesitated, a hint of confusion crossing their face. For a moment, I worried I'd made a mistake. Then, they continued. "It's an honor, General. Thank you."

Echo paused for a moment to shake the hand I held out.

"But may I ask," they added, "Why me?"

"Well, you're the closest thing I have to a Second in Command," I replied. "You're of Noble lineage, so I know you're used to shouldering responsibility."

I remembered that Echo's aunt, Lady Sommers, is the Lydian monarch. Though Lydia and the other regions of Harmonia bow down to my father, I could be certain Echo knew how to handle a crew of a few hundred soldiers.

"-and above that," I continued, "I trust you. I know you'll succeed."

Echo knew I was sincere. Seeing as we're both in our early twenties, we had grown up around the same time, even though we had never known each other until the Navy. We had been brought up similarly in the regions we called home, homes we both left for the greater-good; one of which I would return to in just a few short days.

Now that my duties had been taken care of, going home became a bit less intimidating. Out on the deck, the chill of winter-turned-spring air stung my face as a cold gale blew in from the west. The nostalgic smell of saltwater pricked my nose and throat as I inhaled deeply.

I'll be back soon, I promised myself.

I resumed the stiff, diligent posture of a commanding officer as Echo settled to my right, the proper place for my Second. Echo raised their cornet and held out a long, steady note, signaling Attention. Almost instantly, every crewmate stopped what they were doing and began to form a line on the deck. After some time, a couple hundred eyes, neatly in a row, looked toward me at once.

"I will be leaving," I announced in the most authoritative voice I could muster. Nobody moved, just as any half-trained crew should have, but I noticed Echo and a few other soldiers shift their weight ever so slightly. The Illusionists of the bunch must have felt the atmosphere change.

"Temporarily," I amended. Another wave of emotion rippled through the crowd, though I couldn't tell firsthand. "There is no need for concern. Due to my fa-" I remembered this was a formal speech halfway through that sentence. "Pardon, due to King Cyrus' request, I will have to step away to attend a Region Meeting. I leave Echo Sommers in my absence. They will do just as good a job as I, and treat them just as you would me. If all goes according to the schedule, I will rejoin you at the conclusion of the gathering as we prepare to depart Doria, in about two weeks time. That is all."

I turned to Echo. "Your job starts now."

Echo nodded, taking a step forward and calling, "Fall out!"

My crew disbanded to continue their various tasks, and I knew with certainty that I had designated the right person for the job. I walked across the deck to the gunwale, gazing out across the Locrian side of the Nuance Sea.

This little island felt so different from the mainland, I realized. Even though all that was visible ahead of me was endless waters, I didn't believe the deception. Somewhere out there was the rest of Harmonia, home to the other six regions. By the day after tomorrow, we would reach the Dorian docks, and I would be one step closer to my home.