Prince of the Sun

Chapter 7

Thankfully the journey was not as long as Jace had expected, thankfully because the werewolves were so much more powerful and adaptable. Yet it was still a pain. His every movement was under direct scrutiny of his Father. Those blue eyes were never looking directly at them but he could feel his Father's attention on him as an ever present force. It was suffocating.

And it was hours.

Hours of perfect posture and politeness.

Jace could not be more relieved when the carriage stopped near to the Myth Hunter's base. Though they were in active danger it meant a certain level of freedom for him.

The door of the carriage opened and darkness along with the frigid arctic air blew in. Jace noticed the Werewolves shiver a little. While Jace himself felt the cold it didn't shake him so much as the core of burning hot power within him would never be affected by external temperatures the way that other myths would.

The moon reflected off the snow illuminating in a little but the soft light of his own eyes helped to light the way. The blue hue to it highlighted the snow perfectly.

Gaufrid and Cassianus launched into discussions as they walked around the area, the core of werewolves closely surrounding them.

Jace hung back and to his pleasant surprise so did Momoka.

"Why didn't you take any guards with you?" Momoka asked him.

Jace smiled with humour, not wanting to offend the Werewolf with his laughter. "Gaufrid is with us, I don't think there is much the Myth Hunters could do in a direct fight against him."

"Oh." The expression on her face indicated she clearly didn't understand.

"Walk with me," Jace said, leading the way.

He had never been to this area of their territory before, so he was blindly leading the way. Though still she followed. The crunchy snow sparkled like diamonds around them and both of their breath fogged the air, carried away on harsh wind eager to steal away any warmth from the living.

"On a battlefield a royal Phoenix is a bomb. We are an explosion of so much power that we overwhelm just about everything. Bringing a regular Phoenix out here would be putting their life in danger over defending ours which do not need defending."

Momoka didn't seem to be overly scared by what Jace had told her. Most would have begun to regard him very differently after learning that but she just accepted it. "Why are the Myth Hunters such a pain to you then?"

"We can't be everywhere at once and we must defend our people," Jace said.

Momoka was quiet for a moment, seeming to understand the answer on a deeper level. Perhaps she had some kind of experience with it. "Do you think they will attack your palace with all of the royals within it?"

Jace looked a little surprised. "I certainly hope not. They would have to be really foolish or have some kind of demonic plan to even try."

Momoka shivered, not from the cold but the thought of the plan cooked up by the Myth Hunters that would allow them to tackle the Phoenix palace.

Jace let out a huff of laughter. "This is exactly the conversation that we are supposed to be having."

Momoka looked back over her shoulder at her Alphas. "We are responsible future leaders."

"Surely Miss Momoka has something else to ask though?" Jace said, a curious, playful tinge to his formal voice.

Momoka blushed a little. She did have so many questions for him and yet she didn't want to offend him. Yet she needed something.

"H-have you ever fought a demon before?" she managed to get out, and was instantly embarrassed by her own question.

"Oh I errr..." Even Jace was a little flustered.

She spoke over the top of him, "It was just that I heard that royal Phoenix usually fight demons whereas regular Phoenix are known for fighting vampires."

She quickly cupped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe how rude she was being to the Prince. She expected him to be furious. Yet when she looked up at his glowing face she only found amusement. The twist of a smile growing on his lips.

"I haven't actually. Gaufrid has a special force that deals with demons. Though recently in the mythical world it's the Myth Hunters that have been the focus. Maybe historically I would have by this age but as it stands I've had little to do with demons. I know in theory what to do if I were to fight one but in reality I have no experience."

"Oh that's interesting, I've just never seen one before I was curious what they were like."

"Let's hope it stays that way."

Demons born of negative energy were a plague to mortals and myths alike. In their unorganised chaotic state they were far less of a catastrophic threat they way that Myth Hunters were. Jace knew not even the Myth Hunters had focused on wiping them out as they had with Vampires.

"I love my land don't get me wrong but sometimes it just feels a little lonely, I feel so isolated from the rest of the mythical world," Momoka mused. Looking deep into the darkness on the horizon and the galaxies of stars that winked back at her, through the darkness.

Jace was a little taken aback by this sudden admission from Momoka. It spoke to him so very deeply too. Perhaps she had just hit the exact feeling and reasoning as to why he was so interested in her.

Though he had been able to travel the world meeting the important and powerful mythical creatures he still felt as she did when he was back home. He also understood that Momoka likely wasn't able to travel as he did.

"If you ever get the chance you should go out there and see what is beyond this frozen world," Jace said, quietly.

She smiled a little, yet it was a sad kind of smile. "I am the future of my pack. I have a duty to protect its land. I have only until I become the Alpha to explore elsewhere before I will so rarely be able to leave it."

Jace could feel the weight of responsibility crushing Momoka. A feeling he knew too well.

"We have to indulge in the freedoms we are afforded while we still can."

And Jace shared the small sad smile with Momoka.