Shadows of Atlas

13- Eon

"You called Lord Braxtone?," Yoma asked as she entered Lucious's room in the castle. "Yes, it seems we have located the three missing Chaos Stars," Lucious said. "Where are they?," Yoma asked while hiding her need to find them. "They are at the Coran base in the middle of the Saccalania Forest. We've finally located their base after months of recon," he answered. "Should we launch a full scale attack?," Yoma asked. "No, we need those Corans alive. They might have clues that can lead to the prince or they might even have him as a hostage, who knows what those terrorists are up to," Lucious replied. "Interesting, then I'll tell the other Apostles and together we shall capture the Coran base," she said as she left the room and passed Yael at the door.

"Father, do they really have clues that may lead to him?," Yael asked suspiciously. "No son, I just said that to give them a little incentive to attack them. Those pests are close to discovering what we did to the prince and that is if they didn't already figure it out," Lucious told his son. "In that case we should mount an assault on their base and erradicate them!," Yael replied. "You still have much to learn child. Even if they find out that we took care of the prince, no one would believe them. I mean, they are anarchists after all," Lucious said with a chuckle until he noticed the door move a bit. He checked the door and spotted a child run away through the corridor. "Guards! Don't let that child escape!," he yelled. "What happened father?," Yael asked. "That child overheard our conversation. He can blurt something out to the king and we do not want that, do we?," Lucious explained.

The child ran as fast as he could. He saw guards left and right trying to capture him, but he miraculously escaped everytime. Now he was tired and at the end of his rope, guards were swarming the castle courtyard looking for him. He hid in an alcove next to the statue of a dragon, but was discovered right away. "Think you can escape?," a guard said as he was about to touch the child, when suddenly he heard a menacing roar. "What's that?," one guard asked in terror. On a rooftop of one of the castle's towers stood the Odd Eyed Phantom and shot a laser from the opening that functioned as the mouth of the mask. It's sheer power cleared most of the courtyard from the guards and it swooped down and took the child away to a temple that stood nearby.
As he escaped with the child, Lucious Braxtone watched everything from his room. "So you're back, even without a body you continue to be a pest. But no matter, for it all shall end soon," he said with a smile.

A young woman prayed to the statue of that same dragon that was found in the courtyard. She was aware of the Phantom's presence and stood up to look at it. As she looked at the Phantom, she saw the child it was holding. "So, you came back to save him?," she asked. The Phantom just stood there looking at her. "I see, well he can't stay here. The guards will soon search in here and if they find him, they will kill him," she said in a serious tone. "Then I'll stay with him!," the child who was acting unconscious said. "Oh so you were just pretending? My, you really are the prince's godson," she said.

"Vin taught me many tricks, but now that he is not here I have been so lonely," the boy said sadly. "Come now child, there is no need for tears," the woman said as she hugged him. "Now that I know about the bad man and what he did to Vin, I can't go back to mommy and daddy, can't I?," he asked. "No, you can't. I'm sorry," she said sadly. "You know, at first I was scared 'cause I heard that the Phantom was scary, but he is very nice! He saved me from the bad people!," the boy said. "Tell me child, what is your name?," she asked. "My name is Fabian and I'm eight years old! And you pretty miss?," he introduced himself. "I am Giselle, the Priestess of Chaos," Giselle said as she introduced herself.

"Your name is pretty! You know, for a while I thought Vin was the one carrying me instead of the Phantom!," Fabian said and shocked Giselle. "Interesting, is your connection to Elvin that powerful?" Giselle asked. "What's a connection?," he asked. "Right, you're only eight. Forget what I said then," she said as she looked at the Phantom. "You should take care of him, he seems to make what's left of your humanity express itself," Giselle spoke to the Phantom. It stood there staring at her as if trying to tell her something.

"He says that the world is a very dangerous place for me," Fabian said, shocking the priestess even more. "How did you know that?," she asked in disbelief. "I dunno, I just hear him in my mind," he replied. "Then you should go with him, you're the only one who can translate what he is thinking and maybe even control his rage," Giselle said. "Okay! So Mr. Phantom, where do you want to go?," he asked and the Phantom pointed to the woods. "You are a very brave boy," Giselle said as she aproached the ears of the Phantom's mask. "Do not reveal your burden to him. You know that it will endanger everything," she whispered and proceeded to walk back towards the statue when she heard Fabian say something.

"Eon...," he says all of a sudden. "What did you say?," she asked in confusion. "He said his name is Eon and that he will protect me from anybody who dares try to hurt me," Fabian said as he got on the Phantom and the two went off towards the woods.