Saving Apt

Prologue

Alarms blared through the room as King George paced back and forth. His face scrunched together and sweat dripped down his forehead as he shook rapidly while he tried to grasp what was happening. If you compared his demeanor to that of a month ago, you would have thought that he had aged ten years.

"Port screen, silence," the queen said as she walked towards her husband trying to calm him. "It's okay, Apt will get through this. It will take more than just this virus that the humans created to destroy us!"

"How can you be so sure! Every second that these humans are here, is another second that millions of Aptians are dying from either this virus or the effect it is having on the economy! I don't want our son living in a world ruled by those demons!" George yelled as he pointed at the little child in the carriage by the silver door. "Nowhere is safe anymore!"

"There is always The Sage," the queen whispered as she lifted up her tiny son who had started to cry. "Port screen, contact Miss Cynthia tell her to come to the palace at once."

"No, Faith!" the king said.

"We must! If we don't, he will surely die; then there will be no heir. I think the humans will try to kill us as fast as possible, so there will be no one to claim the throne of Apt. If they are successful they will take Apt and run it to the ground! He needs to be safe while we do our best to stop this war!" Faith said as she tried to calm the restless child.

A knock came from behind the giant, silver door.

"Come in," grumbled the king as a young, small lady walked in. She had her dark corkscrew hair in a tight bun away from her dark face that had a large scar from her forehead down to her neck.

"Your Majesties, you sent for me." she whispered with a bow.

"Yes, we have discovered some terrible news, and we have decided that the palace is no longer safe, so you are being tasked to take the prince to The Sage," Faith said as she handed the baby to Cynthia, ignoring the glare from her husband and the pit in her heart.

"Take care of him, please." the queen said, her voice filled with sadness. "Treat him as your own son."

"I will your Highness, when shall I be leaving?" She asked with wide eyes.

"Now."

"What! But I am not prepared and my family, I can't leave now!" she replied.

"Many Aptians will be going to The Sage, your family will most likely be among them and everything you will ever need will be there," the queen said as she glanced sadly at her only son, he would never know her. "And it hardly matters if they are there or not; your priority lies with the royal family."

"But-"

"Do as she says." The king bellowed.

"How would I even get there?"

"Port screen, map of the palace's underground tunnels." George said as the entire map of the tunnels appeared on the wall screens

"You already know most of the tunnels, but you have to go through this one," He said as he pointed at the restricted zone that goes the farthest from the palace, "After you get out of the tunnel, to the right will be a sign saying 'go back' press the letter 'o' and a tunnel will appear that will lead you to The Sage."

The castle started to shake and yelling started to come from the palace garden. Smoke started to rise and the voices grew louder.

"You must leave now Cynthia!"

"But your Highness-"

"Just go!" yelled the king

She ran. She didn't look back when the fire was all she could see, she didn't look back when she was in the tunnels, she didn't even look back when she heard the bloodcurdling scream of the queen. She just ran.