When blue blood spills - Septiplier kingdoms

Toy swords

Queen Lucia smiled, looking out onto her children running around the grove. Thomas was trying to focus as King Francis taught him how to swing his little wooden sword. Mark, on the other hand, was swinging his little six year old arms around as he ran about the glade playing soldier with a stick he had found in the bush. Mark was dressed in the classical black and crimson colours of ShadowHall. He did look the part of a little prince, his fluffy black hair, shiny gold skin and pure red eyes matching his dublet and the crystal knife around his neck, ruby with an ebony handle.
'Mummy! Can into the forest?'
'No dear, you know it's dangerous out there.'
'Please? Pretty please? I won't go far, I promise!'
Lucia smiled at the little prince jumping up and down before finally giving in to his tugging on her sleeve.
'Fine, just don't go out of sight, ok?'
'YAY! I won't go to far, I promise!'
Mark ran out into the forest as fast as his little chubby legs could take him, ignoring his mother crying out for him to slow down. Mark could hear the guard coming after him. Mark ducked in a bush and let the guard pass him before setting out into the other direction. After walking for what seemed like forever he realised that he was lost. Mark started running with desperation before finding what looked like the ruins of an old marble hallway leading into the unknown of the forest. Mark slumped up against a broken marble pillar and started to cry, calling out for his mom. After a few seconds Mark heard a noise coming from the other side of the marble passage. He stood up and quickly wiped his eyes, grabbing his stick and raising it.

'Wh-who's there? I-I'm warning you, you better come out right now!'

Mark turned to try and find something out of the ordinary. His shiny black boots kicked through the fallen leaves as he took a few steps towards the passage. He gulped before drawing up the courage to walk further. It was dark but after a few steps a small clump of mushrooms at his feet began to glow a blue light. The further he went the more clumps lit up before he could see a pool surrounded by glowing crystals and mushrooms. He felt the stone carving next to it, feeling the old symbols under his hands. Ancient Tarien from when the two kingdoms had been one. Mark could remember his first lessons about the ancient history of his kingdom but hadn't really understood it until now. 'Hello?' Marks voice echoed. He turned to see a small boy around his age dressed in blue-green poke his head out from behind a rock.

Jack was swimming in a small pool, his mother weaving a fishing net in the shade whilst his father, the king, was trying to teach Jacks sister how to do an ancient HighWater dance. Jack was trying to water duel with two short sticks to replace the signature duel knives used by the warriors of HighWater but he kept falling back into the grass as he overbalanced in a way only a six year old can.

'Jack! Try and keep your clothes clean for goodness sakes.' The queen said as Jack fell back into some mud. He was wearing blue and green clothes and looked the part of a prince well, his shining brown hair, delicate pale skin, flushed cheeks and sapphire blue eyes were the classical formula for a royal and when he was born many thought he would forfill the prophecy: The one born under a crying star, the one whom was born to fit their kingdom, they are the prince to lead  his kingdom to the end of this war. Unfortunately, a prince was born in ShadowHall under the same crying star as Jack was and so claims erupted amongst the people for both sides, leading to a disbelief in the prophecy altogether. The king was outraged but the queen still believed that her son was more fitting for the role.

'Mum, can I go diving? Pleeeeease?'

'Well, that depends, where would you go?'

'The pool! It goes really deep!'

'Absolutely not! You know how I feel about you diving off to random places alone.'

'But muuuuum! I can control my mer-form, I swear!'

'And what if some animal finds you, or god forbid, a human?'

'I could fight them off, and I won't go far, I promise!'

The king nodded at him and the queen sighed, finally replying

'Fine, but don't go far, ok?'

'Okay!'

Jack then jumped into the pool, his gills flaring and his boots kicking as he dove down. The fins on his arms and legs helped him as he swam into the darkness. He soon found himself in a cave but realised that he was lost. His eyes looked, begging for light and his voice cried out to no avail. Finally he saw a strange pale blue light shining and he swam up, finding himself in some kind of ruin. He climbed out to hear someone crying. His own tears clouding his eyes he realised that this far out from home the person crying could be a human. Tripping over a statue with ancient engravings on it in the process, he rushed behind a rock.

''Wh-who's there? I'm warning you, you better come out right now!'

Jack tried not to breath as footsteps came closer. A voice sounding like it was similar in age to himself muttered to himself as he touched the carving. Jack popped his head out to see a child around his age standing there, touching the rock and looking around. Jack was confused. The boy had tanned skin and black hair with pure red eyes and he wore black and red. Jack didn't know anyone who looked anything like that. Those colours were the ones of ShadowHall and people from ShadowHall were monsters. The only thing was that the boy looked much more like Jack then the people from ShadowHall were meant to. He didn't have gills or fins, but he wasn't half wolf, he didn't have black eyes and sharp teeth, shaggy tail or dog ears. He just smelled like horse and dog and grass and smoke and meat pie and cinnamon and-

The boy was staring dead on at Jack. Jack just stood there before the boy in the red clothes said 'Hello'

'H-hi'

Mark was pleased the other boy didn't run away and saw this as an opportunity to make a new friend. He remembered his manners and held out his hand, noticing the boy was a bit... odd. Firstly he smelled of salt and fish and seemed nervous, secondly he had... fins? And gills? He couldn't be a HighWater dweller, he didn't have sharp teeth or a fish tail or pure green eyes but... something was up.

He then remembered his manners and said  in his bravest voice

'Hello! My name is Mark Edward Fischbach, who are you may I ask?'
The boy looked at him oddly before grinning, standing up straight, taking Marks hand in a shake and replying
'I'm Jack William McLoughlin, nice to meet ya!'
'Nice to meet you Jack! Wait... why do you have two sticks?'
'They're my weapons! I'm a warrior! Why d'ya have a big stick then?'
'It's my sword! A real knight has a sword!'
'No, a real knight has knives!'
'I know, let's settle this the gentlemanly way, lets duel!'
A few minutes later and many bruises later the two were on the floor, laughing. Mark heard the guard calling his name and said he had to go. Jack looked upset until he looked at the sun and realised that he had to go.
'Goodbye Jack!'
'See ya Mark, when will we meet again?'
'Here, next Sunday?'
'Ya have a deal!'
'See you later, friend!'
And the two parted ways, unknowing of the differences they suffered.