Kings and Commoners

The Ingot Isles. Finally, they had reached their destination. The first island, the one they stood on now, was the smallest. On the far side was the second, much bigger than the glorified pebble they were facing, but it paled in comparison to the central third. What caught the eye for the second island was the CloudSplitter mountain looming over. Once a mine, now utterly devoid of human life yet teeming with dangers. Their final island was once home to one of Aria Oakhart’s friends and shipmates, Aspen Greenhand. He was beloved by nature, and he flourished in it. The island was said to be imbued with his ancient magic, so any who tried to take it would struggle immensely.

They left their ships and crews on the small docks nearby and gathered at the cave’s entrance.

“Begin.” Oswyn beckoned, and immediately, the four dove into the depths. Tara picked at her nails, enough to grow red and sore. But Kamau comforted her, standing by her side and watching, knowing his student would not falter.

The swim itself was a short one. They dove further and further down until they saw an opening further into the cave. Aurelio surfaced, soon followed by Coryn and Arian. Robin was struggling; the only time he had ever needed to swim was when he was caught stealing and thrown into the river… though that was more drowning than swimming. Of course, he knew he needed to learn; the voyage was across the sea, and they were competing on islands, so he knew it was necessary. But his brothers took to water as if they were born in it, while he barely made it to the surface. But he did, breaching through, spluttering and splashing, gasping for air.

Arian chuckled. “Feel free to drown; would make this a little easier.”

When he regained his composure, he could see their current space. The cave had been naturally eroded over aeons, but the original tunnel had been dug upwards. It left an air pocket in this chamber, though that air wouldn’t last forever. Strangely enough, it was illuminated by a forgotten moss. It formed only on the Ingot Isles and was bioluminescent, glowing a bright blue.

Ahead of them was a row of tunnels. Around ten, but four had eroded and collapsed. And while Robin was trying not to die, Aurelio had already picked one, disappearing into the darkness. Arian stuck around long enough to laugh at Robin, but after his snide comment, he too picked a path and left his younger brothers to decide. Coryn waited beside his chosen tunnel, wringing out the water from his silks. He had picked the third from the right, and the four blocked passages were mostly found on the left side. But he knew he didn’t want to follow Arian or Aurelio; he would be second should they find anything, and a fight was not enticing.

“Which ones did they take?” He asked Coryn, who was now emptying the seawater from his boots.

“Hm? Aurelio took the middle, and Arian went through the second.” He replied. It was clear that Coryn would take the last, leaving a tunnel between them. Should the chosen tunnel be blocked off, they could break through or backtrack to one of the others and continue. It was smart for them, but it left Robin with a choice. He still feared that he shared the cave with a murderer. They wouldn’t do it with others around. It would make more sense to pretend he was lost in the tunnels, fallen to an ancient trap. Avoiding tunnels connected to Arian, Aurelio, and even Coryn was best. But that only left the last tunnel. Chances are… he wouldn’t find what they were looking for.

While he was deliberating which to choose, Coryn headed further on; not wanting to be left behind, Robin made his mind up and picked the last tunnel. Yet, when all had chosen, none noticed that those tunnels’ entrances would crash away, blocking their escape forever.

*-*-*

Though he heard the sound and shake of falling rock, he assumed it was one of the other Princes finding a dead end and making a new entrance to a different channel. So he soldiered on, keeping vigilant. Oswyn alluded to the tunnels holding a creature inside, though what it was exactly was not of the Chancellor’s knowledge, nor was its temperament. It couldn’t be a monster, he told himself. We don’t even have weapons…

Yet, he could only fear what awaited him.

Aurelio had reached the end of his chosen tunnel and found it channelled into a large open area. Water still covered the ground around ankle level but flowed further in. Once again, it was illuminated by the moss from before, but it was much dimmer.

He reached into his pocket and took hold of four small stones etched with ancient glyphs. He held them firmly in his closed fist and focused silently. When he opened his fist again, the stones had been imbued with mana, granting them light. He launched them into four spots, shining brightly and revealing what was once hidden by the darkness. What he found was baffling to him. The water was infinitely deeper in the centre of this chamber, yet when he peered into it, it was like he was looking down on himself. He saw the same pool above, floating and reflecting his form.

Instantly, he gathered another handful of the stones and launched them at the pool below him. Each one splashed to the bottom, and the drops of water began to float to the ceiling. It didn’t make any sense. Aurelio had been taught the arcane arts, but something of this scale required a massive reservoir of mana; there had to be something else here…

“Show yourself.” He demanded.

Silence remained; only the flow of water broke through. So he clicked his tongue and examined the pool beneath him, seeing if it was endless, trying to find logic in the impossible. The ripples on the surface began to calm as he looked increasingly confused… but the calm revealed what was hidden: a tendril of clear water reached up from the surface and connected to the ceiling. He turned as quickly as he could but was unprepared for what was coming…

“Welcome, Prince Aurelio Skye.”

The waters lost their balance and imploded down into the chamber as a wave, crashing into Aurelio. Arian, Coryn, and Robin would all experience the same wave.

*-*-*

“Welcome, Prince Robin Skye.” The voice was calm, ethereal. Yet Robin saw only darkness.

“Where am I?” He asked. “How do you know my name?”

“I know all. A fire king dies, and his children fight for his crown. They come for the sword.”

“I, I was hit by a wave, we’re underwater… am I dead?” He asked, realising that the chamber he had reached was now filled with the waters of the sea. Yet, he was not drowning, felt no fear or pain, and could breathe easily.

“Fear not, Robin Skye, you still reside in the land of the living. You are merely sleeping, like the others.” It responded.

“Others? The other three?” All four had assumed that there was only one correct path forward. They misjudged the trial, believing it was to simply locate the sword, but they were severely mistaken. Each of the tunnels led to chambers, all connected to this spirit, and it spoke to each of them simultaneously as if it was split into four.

“You need not fear me, Prince. I have no means to harm you, nor do I need to.” It explained.

“But… what about the trial?” Robin asked, confusion writ on his face.

“The trials for succession were once called the Trials of Kings. When the legendary sword Grannus did not accept the fourth King, Alden gathered any with Skye blood, even bastards, and brought them here.”

“The fourth King wasn’t just given the crown… he won it here?”. The story had always been that the council could not find a worthy wielder of Grannus and, as such, chose to spite it, but… there was no mention of the Ingot Isles.

“Azura, Stormcaller and Glimmer were once one sword, Grannus’ twin. While the King’s blade brought chaos and fire, the second brought calm and balance. But the blade was shattered during the Gold and Red, never to be complete again. The Hero sought out the greatest swordsmith of his time and had him reform the blade into three magical blades. Though they can never be reformed as one, they together are a symbol of royalty.” It explained. It still didn’t sit right with Robin, however.

“You’re lying. If someone went through this before, why are the swords still lost? Why didn’t the winner take them back to Ignis?”

“The swords were never found.”

“Then how did he win?!” He asked impatiently.

“He killed the others.”

Words as a dagger to the chest, a silent, unexpected bullet scorching the air and bursting through skin and sinew. The young Prince had not the words to speak, simply speechless.

“They remain here, waiting for the true King. That is the trial of Kings.” It continued. “To be chosen by Azura, you will answer its question. That is your trial.”

The spirit called to each of the heirs. Aurelio, Arian, Coryn, Robin. Each facing the spirit alone.

“A question? That’s it? That’s our big trial?” Arian mocked.

“Ask what you will, spirit.” Aurelio responded.

“What makes a King?” It asked.

Robin’s brow raised as he was unsure what it really meant. “A King? Makes them? What, like, an election? Trials like this?”

“No.” It responded. “A King is one with many qualities, but there stand three that are the most powerful. What are these qualities, young heirs?”

All four answered the same. “Knowledge”. A King must understand his kingdom and how to rule. A King without knowledge makes stupid, rash decisions, and in the end, they bring their own rule to a fiery end.

Once more, they answered together, “Power”. A King without a strong arm can still be mighty. A single man can only have a single man’s strength. But he that controls more, controls a nation, is a king with true power. Without it, he would be ground to dust by his enemies.

Both these qualities were agreed upon, but the last was different.

“A Free spirit”, Coryn’s final reply.

“Fear” was Arian’s.

…

But Robin closed his eyes before answering, seeing those most important to him, and they gave him power. “All those people died because of a crown. And every King since has been the exact same; they’ll do anything to keep it, but when they have it, they do nothing with it. They bask in their self-importance and ignore the people who rely on them and suffer. Aurelio, Arian, Coryn… they’ll all be the same. A true King protects them all; he stands at the front and gives his life to help his people survive… A true King needs to be Fair.” Robin answered, filled with confidence.

It was silent as it heard the last responses. “Is that your answer? Prince Robin Skye?”

“It is.”

“Very well.” As suddenly as it had appeared, the spirit dissolved into the waters, and Robin was alone again.

Is it over? He asked. He wouldn’t have to wait long for the answer as the ground beneath him began to quake, and the darkness was killed by the sunlight flooding through the cracking ceiling. In a millisecond that felt like a minute, the island exploded.

Robin felt rock and rubble cover him, holding him down into the water, but he was pulled from the wreckage quickly. The sun burned his eyes, and when they adjusted, he saw that Kamau had reached into the waters and fished him to safety.

“Kamau?” He asked weakly.

“Prince! Are you hurt?”

He had been jettisoned out by the waters and felt rock scrape his skin, but remarkably, he had no injuries. “I’m good… what happened?” He asked. Though, he did not need an answer.

Coryn and Arian were in similar situations. Okul held Coryn over his shoulder as he coughed up seawater, and Arian held onto his ribs with a grimace across his face.

But…

“Where’s Aurelio?” Robin asked.

Kamau looked back at him and pointed further into the bay.

The calm waters were now a torrent, a maelstrom around a dry rock with a man at the centre. Golden hair fluttered in the wind.

But his eyes were completely blue, and steam came from his mouth. And in his hand…

Curved and long, clear steel, almost like glass. It was greenish blue, the colour of sea foam…

The trial of Azura was complete. And the blade accepted Aurelio Skye.