As faint as the vibrations were, Amiire could still feel them within the Earth. His eyes squinted open to find he was in his castle's garden. Nothing else was in sight. Not the storm, not the lot, not even Mekhi. Though he could sense a familiar energy near by.
"Amiire, are you alright?" Vince asked as he scrambled to Amiire's side, pulling the prince into his lap.
"Vince?....What happened?"
"I used the magic from your family's castle to enact a dimensional portal. It was the only way I could pull you all back into Markvere without having to know your location, but only you came through. Where are the others? Where's Mekhi?"
Vince's eyes widened once he saw tears stream down Amiire's pale complexion. He jumped into Vince's arms, desperate to grasp onto some source of life.
"I-I.....I went after Mekhi. I should have stayed with them, I could have-I could have saved them but..... Vince I can't feel Jasp. I can't feel him anymore, I can't feel Zyair.... Mekhi he....he...."
Vince squeezed the prince as he sobbed, his breath shaking. He could feel Mekhi's energy and it was stronger than it had ever been. Without wanting to admit it, he already knew what happened. And that Gavlen had won.
"You need to go back home, Amiire. You'll be safe there. I have to find Mekhi before the Blood Stars do."
"No!" Amiire snapped as he pulled away. "Take me with you, I can get through to him."
"You think the storm he manifested was strong? What do you think he can do in a world full of magic? He has the power to erase all life from Markvere and he can't control it. You will die if you get anywhere near him."
"But he can control it, I saw him. We just need to wake him up."
"Amiire!" The king bellowed, calling for him.
Before Vince had the chance to run, the king's guards were already surrounding them. Amiire took note of Vince's protective stance, for the spell he enacted must had weakened him severely. He could not fight them all alone.
The king marched into the forest once he saw Vince. Thick, spiked vines rising behind him and aimed at the man.
"I knew you would show your face eventually. Where's your army now, Harlyn?!" The king shouted as multiple vines came raining down.
Vince could not dodge them all and avoid the arrows his guards had pointed at him. Instead, Vince stood still, his gaze locked on the king as he accepted his long overdue fate. At least until all the arrows and vines froze in their spot, inches away from Vince.
He glanced down at Amiire who's arms were outstretched towards them. He stood protectively in front of Vince, his gaze now fixated on his father before dropping the arrows and making the vines wither to dust. The king stared at his son in disbelief.
"Son?"
"Run, Vince."
"Amiire.....don't."
"Save Mekhi. He is the only one who matters."
Glancing between Amiire and his father, the last thing he wanted was to lose another child. However, he knew he would lose a lot more than that if Mekhi's magic consumed Markvere. With that, he darted out of the garden, leaving Amiire to stand against his own army as they worked to aim at Vince once more.
"Don't even think about it!" Amiire snapped as his soldiers froze.
The king stared at his son with wide eyes. They only took commands from the Wilderon king as well as their energy. Amiire's spark connected with theirs in an instant, forcing them to obey him. He then looked back at his father who was now terrified.
