Empires: The Next Generation [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 9

Autumns PoV

"We're gonna die we're so gonna die." Ocean mumbled while she was fidgeting with her hair, "We're all gonna die."

"Can you please shut up I'm trying to think." Sun snapped without even looking up, "Can't we just sail back?" Autumn called over her shoulder as she looked over the ocean.

Ocean shook her head, "We won't make it in time with this stupid boat."

"But you can make it! Why are you staying here?!" Autumn asked, "I'm not leaving you guys here." Ocean stubbornly said as she continued fidgeting with her hair.

Sun only shook her head in disbelief, "We won't be able to make it to the Ocean Empire in time, that also counts for Mezelea, does any of you know which direction the Cod Empire is?

Ocean shook her head.

"I know but it's even further away than the Ocean Empire." Autumn sighed.

Sun's eyes suddenly widened, "We can go to Mythland! That shouldn't be too far away from here!"

"Are you crazy?! We are so not going there!" Ocean shouted.

"Can't we give it a try?" Autumn said while sitting down, "They won't even let us in!" Ocean protested.

"They will if they know who I am, my father has an alliance with the king of Mythland."

Ocean threw her hands in the air, "Am I the only one here with a single brain cell?! They will kill us!"

———

"I can't believe we're actually sailing right towards our doom." Ocean grumbled.

Sun rolled her eyes, "We're almost there!"

———

Twenty minutes later they finally reached the harbor of Mythland, where they were greeted by a guard who looked at them from head to toe before walking over, "identification?"

Both Ocean and Autumn didn't know what to say, they hadn't expected they had to show an identification to enter the empire, for them it sounded...unnecessary.

Sun calmly took out a small piece of paper out of her pocket, she was used to this, if you wanted to enter Mythland or the Lost Empire you had to prove you were a citizen of one of these empires or that you didn't belong to any of the empires, if you where a citizen of any of the other empires and you were caught you would almost certainly end up in jail.

The guard accepted the identification, his eyes immediately widening when he read the name, "Y-Your h-highness." He said as he bowed his head, "W-what can I d-do for you?"

Sun smiled, "we're here to speak to the crown prince."

"O-of course, and y-your companions?" The guard asked as he gave Autumn and Ocean a skeptical look, Ocean already opened her mouth to react but Sun quickly interrupted, "Friends of mine from the Lost Empire."

The guard nodded, "This way p-please."

Autumn raised an eyebrow as they followed the guard, "Why not just say who we really are?" She whispered, "Unless you want to end up in jail that is a very bad idea." Sun whispered back.

They continued walking through the empire, it was built in a medieval style, with huge wheat fields covering the lands, Mythland had far more citizens than the Ocean Empire; children were running around while merchants were loudly praising their goods from behind their market stalls. From time to time Autumn would even see a group of soldiers marching through the streets.

Finally, they reached a big building in the center of the kingdom, the guard opened the door and continued walking until they finally reached a big throne room, at the end of the room was a big throne located, on it sat a boy around Autumns age that she had seen in Crystal Cliffs Academy.

The boy had dark brown hair and brown eyes, he wore a typical Mythland rope that Autumn had seen on pretty much every citizen that they had passed on their way here, the boy looked like he had cried, but even if he had he didn't show it, or at least he tried.

Except for the crown prince, the guard, and the three girls the throne room was completely empty.

The boy nodded at the guard who immediately left before looking back at his guests.

"Yes?"
"Achan?" Sun carefully asked the brunette.
"Correct. Who are you?"
"Sun, future queen of the Lost Empire."

The brunette seemed to relax a little bit, "What do you want?"

"We need a horse and carriage to get to Mezelea, we don't have any money-"

"Why do you need to get to Mezelea?" Achan interrupted her.

"That is our business." Ocean said, sounding a bit irritated.

The brunette, however, didn't seem intimidated by Ocean. "I can't help you to get there."

"Yes. You can." Ocean said.

Achan sighed, "Fine, I don't want to help you to get there."
"And why not?" Ocean was close to shouting at this point, forming her hands into fists.
"That wicked empire turned their back on us just like all to others." Achan calmly answered.
"I wonder why!" Ocean shouted at him.

"Ocean." Autumn muttered, "Let Sun handle this."

Achan raised an eyebrow, "Ocean? Doesn't sound like a name from the Lost Empire, does it? You're from the Ocean Empire aren't you?" Achan said, making it sound like that was bad, which, in his eyes, probably was.

"As I said, I can't help you."

"You're just like your father you know! I was glad to hear that he was gone! Hoping that the new king would make better decisions! But apparently, that was false hope!" Ocean shouted at him.

The expression of the brunette immediately darkened, this whole time he had done a great job at remaining calm, but now the brunette jumped up, as Autumn saw tears forming in his eyes. "Get. Out. Now."

"Make me!"
"GUARDS!" The brunette roared as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Four guards stormed in, while they gently guided Sun to the exit, still showing their respects to the princess, they roughly grabbed the arms of Ocean and Autumn, pushing them out of the room.

Autumn glanced over her shoulder, just in time to see Achan silently burst out in tears, hiding his face in his hands, and she couldn't help feeling sorry for him, she didn't know what she would do if her fathers went missing.

———

When they were led out of the empire there was actually a carriage waiting for them, "Get in." The guard that had accompanied them out of the kingdom said before climbing on the front of the carriage and signaling the horse to start moving, making Ocean have to run after the carriage in order to jump in it.

They had been sitting inside the carriage for around an hour or two when Ocean noticed something, "Wait...this is not the way to Mezelea."

Me who doesn't know what Mythland looks like and is just making up half of the description. 🥲

Thanks for reading!! I've found some time to write in the car so now we finally have a chapter that is long enough to be accepted by society! Yay!

See you in the next chapter!