Inner Demons

Chapter 13: Wings of Misfortune -Jay's POV-

The cold night breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding my cabin as I made my way in from a long day of training. I may not be participating in this year's tournament by choice, but I still have room for growth; my creature manipulation is imperfect, and my control over water needs serious work before it can be viable in a fight. I removed my shirt and threw it on my dresser before crawling into bed. My body is sore from my workout today; I felt I could almost pass out instantly when my head hit the silky pillow. As I lay there drifting off to sleep, I heard a tapping on my window, followed by a water creature passing through the wooded frame before taking shape on the foot of my bed. The beast took the form of a bird with a plume of vibrant blues and an aquamarine underbelly, a Hydropheonix, A bird-like creature native to my homeland and capable of traversing dimensional planes at will. Within the bird's razor-sharp talons was a letter delicately delivered to where it needed to be. I grabbed the letter from the creature, careful not to damage it. With the Hydropheonix's job done, it soaked itself into the wood around it. The letter was sealed with a blue wax letter, "M," in fancy calligraphy, the symbol of the royal family of Meridia. I removed the seal, took out the letter, and read.

Dear Jay,

There has been much panic in the kingdom. Lately, we have been under assault by an unknown enemy. I have had to evacuate our citizens to the Kingdom of Flames. I know you and your fellow warriors would be more than able to stop them, so get your ass down here and help us, little brother. Sorry about my language, bro, but you know I can only stand sounding regal for a couple of minutes at a time. I would fight off these invaders, but Tyde has been strict about my protection during this time; it is his job, so I can't fault him. Hopefully, this message gets to you in time.

Love, Queen Oceana Of Meridia

I hopped out of bed and threw on my shirt before running out the door, forgetting my shoes in the process. The grass felt cold on my feet, but it was the least of my worries. If Oce was reaching out to me, then that means she truly needs help; she never asks others for help unless forced to. I'll have to thank Tyde for that when I see Him, but for now, I need to worry about getting a team and mission to meridia set up and approved by Draco.

I ran to his cabin and pounded on his door. I sat there waiting before it finally opened. "Oh hey, Jay, what's up?" Draco said as he stood in the doorway. He seemed to realize how worried I was more than even me.

"I've received a message from my sister in Meridia; some unknown force is attacking the kingdom," I said, attempting to keep my composure."Understood, Mission approved. Brief the Warriors that aren't participating in tomorrow's tournament tonight and prepare to set out shortly after the tournament concludes." Draco said, "Thank you, Draco," I said, feeling slightly less worried now that I knew I could do something about the situation. Despite preferring to leave sooner, I can only go with a strong team. "I'm also going to be sending Conner with you," Draco said, gesturing to an unconscious Conner lying on an ugly brown couch. "It will be his first assignment and a great learning experience for him." "What happened to him," I asked, wondering why he looked roughed up. "We just overdid it with the training, is all," Draco responded with a half-smile. "Go ahead and rest up; you'll set out for Meridia after the tournament."