Shattered Kings

•~2~•

Sean stared from his seat at Mark who was walking to the chair opposite of him. Mark's hair was calm, a natural black, but Sean knew too well the color change that could occur - and the elemental change.

"Hello, Mark." Sean lifted his glass up, expecting Mark to do the same. Mark glared at him, the tips of his hair already setting alight. Sean drew his glass back, taking a sip of the cool drink, ice cold water. Mark had a glass of ice tea, and Sean could make out how Mark's presence was already causing bubbles to burst up at the surface.

"Why did you call me here?" Mark inquired cooly, his hands clasped together on the table. Sean set his glass down, avoiding the Pyronian King's gaze.

"It seems as if the gaps between our world and the human world are . . . fracturing," Sean stated cautiously.

"Fracturing?!" Mark boomed, slamming his fists on the table. The Artican guards posed their spears, the tips facing Mark. Sean raised his hand, a signal for the guards to stand down. They did as they were told.

"This is not something to loose our heads over. A picture of myself was found by a woman named Signe, and a woman named Amy found your picture. Luckily I was able to cloak the pictures fairly decently, but our eyes were still visible. My apologies," Sean recited.

Mark muttered something, the bubbles in his drink popping at a faster speed. "Well, are they suspicious?"

"Amy isn't. I don't believe she realizes what is going on. The other one, however, has taken an obsession to drawing our photos over and over again. I think she knows something is up," Sean replied. With a flick of Sean's wrist, he put the bubbles in Mark's drink to rest, cooling down Mark's tea.

"They must be eliminated. I will be sure to send my guards out on a patrol to secure the photos and destroy this 'fracture.' Thank you for informing me," Mark stated, rising from his chair. Sean's blue eyes widened, and he rose from his chair with a snap.

"No! This will not end in murder. Not everything has to be resolved with bloodshed," Sean bellowed.

Mark's patience had been broken. His hair set fire, flames shooting towards the ceiling. His brown eyes tore into Sean's soul.

"What do you expect me to do?! Do you remember what your ignorance costed us last time?!" Mark roared. Sean turned away, guilt flowing through him.

"That was not my fault," Sean said coldly.

"Oh," Mark laughed, "it was. Those girls will be killed. There will be no relapse of last time. Just try and stop me."

Sean stepped foreword, his eyes pleading. Behind that cruel exterior, Sean could make out his old friend. "Please, Mark. What happened to the man I used to know? You used to be so kind and patient. You used your powers for good, to protect the humans."

Mark whipped his hand out, a bolt of fire leaping towards Sean. Sean's arm rose up, creating an ice shield. The bolt cracked against Sean's shield, disintegrating into nothing. Guards ran towards Mark, shouting orders to each other.

"Protect King Sean!"

"We all grow up one day," was Mark's answer, before he disappeared in a flame. Sean was surrounded by guards, men and woman dedicated to protecting their gracious and wise leader. He pushed his way out of the circle, his head snapping back and forth, fruitlessly looking for Mark, even though Sean knew for a fact Mark would be gone.

"Kristen, Jared, take our best guards with you and find these women," Jack ordered, holding up pictures of Signe and Amy. "Protect them with your lives, and bring them to me. I think they have more importance than merely stumbling across a couple photos."

"Yes, King Sean," they replied, calling other soldiers to go to the human realm with them. Sean felt dizzy, knowing a war could spark from him taking such a stance. The Pyronians were known for having little patience, and his protection of humans, a mere two no less, would not be taken lightly. It was thought of as a betrayal.

Sean shook his head, steadying himself on the table. A guard checked in on him, and Sean waved him off. He opened his eyes, no longer dizzy, swooping around and walking out the doors, guards following him in perfect unison.

Betrayal? So be it. Those girls had a destiny to fulfill.

And Sean wanted his friend back.

A/N: I'm in class, and I did a thing. These chapters will probably be fairly short. Mostly longer than this, but still short. I'll go back later and edit them to make them longer. Love you guys!