Scattered Fragments

Chapter Three~ The Boy Who Blew Up

The thought of the two girls he just shared a small dinner with an hour ago still lingered in his mind. It's been awhile since he'd bonded with someone other than the king. James shook his head, along with the thought, and shifted his focus to the meeting.He was already dozing off. How these men had the stamina for these kind of things, James would never know.

"-furthermore, I just want you men here to know that I called this meeting as a precaution. As you all know, Queen Gaiya and her kingdom are closest to the Onen Empire so she actively sends report to us whenever her scouts have valuable information to report."

The Onen Empire. The land covered in darkness. The land where monsters roam free and nightmares are born. The scar over James' heart started to irritate him.

"-Queen Gaiya sends word that the large port city across the sea hasn't been showing signs of residence in weeks. They believe the entire town has been abandoned."

The council room remained quiet.

"Although I will scold her at a later date for this, her ordering her men to dock at the port and venture the city did reveal some ... unusual things," The king took a steady breath before continuing. "The men noticed shops open for business with no one running them. Their fish markets vacant with fish lying on cutter boards, while the rest rotted in barrels."

A look of utter disgust painted Councilman Donegal's face from the other end of the table. James gave him an unsympathetic smile.

"Hold your stomach until after the meeting councilman," Trost said, "I'll be sure to put the maids on high alert about any fish they may be serving." Everyone in the room shares a laugh, as well as the guards. Donegal straightens himself in his seat and apologizes, but the king just waves it off.

"Pardon me saying this my king," one of the younger councilman begins. "But what does an abandoned Onen town have to do with the affairs of our kingdom? I thought the Onen were no longer the concern."

James couldn't help but agree with the councilman. If the Onen had abandoned a town in such a hurry, what business did any human have to go snooping around?

"You are absolutely right Maxwell. When I read this report I didn't think much of it until the final page." The king looked down at the report, "It says here, before the men returned to their boats to sail off after finding not one soul they heard a hymn playing in the air."

James' blood suddenly ran cold, his heart racing, and his eyes go wide. It only took James that one sentence to ignite a fire within him that opened up every wound he tried his whole life to close. The familiar pain began to rise in his chest. He stumbled back and caught himself on the armrest of the throne.

One, two...three, James began to count. The fires were raging again.

Maxwell shot the king a confused look. "A hymn?" he chuckled.

Eight...Nine...Ten. James no longer felt like he was in the throne room anymore, but in Domus, watching his people burn on the streets. People running away from the shadows.

"Yes I know it sounds rather silly to get worked up over a Hymn," the King replied.

Fourteen...Fifteen... His home burning to the core. His parents inside. Never a goodbye.

"Well I thought you called us here because of something serious," Maxwell continued.

Twenty...One... Tius Bastion...Titus Bastion.

"I assure you Councilman Maxwell it is," the king insisted.

Twenty... Titus Bastion!

Maxwell pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, "Then please enlighten us, because I don't know what this has to with anything your-"