Xander vol.1 Transmutation (2 page)

“
You’re lucky Lilith isn’t
here,” she whined at Sven.

Sven raised his hands
higher, resisting a laugh.

“
Oh
please
, no. Not the angel-smitten
demon.
Spare me
,”
Sven jested.

“
Hello, Sera,” Xander
greeted. “Sorry about …err, your hair?”

“
And
wings
!” she pressed, having them span out
dramatically, showcasing several of the feathers that had been
disrupted.

“
And wings,” Xander added
apologetically. “Is something wrong?”

Sera sighed, letting her
wings fold against her back, and her hands to her sides.

“
Your father wants to
speak with you. Asked me to come get you.”

Xander raised a brow
questioningly. He glanced at Sven, who returned his glance, also
curious.

“
After training?” Sven
inquired.

“
Now,” Sera cleared. “It’s
about Saphora.”

Xander’s other brow shot
up.

“
Saphora
,” he repeated. “What about
her? Have they found her dead?”

“
Alive,” Sera corrected.
“She’s returned.”

“
Returned?” both Xander
and Sven said in unison. Sera smiled, nodding with obvious
joy.

“
Yes. Your father wants to
speak to you about going to Kiran to see her.”

“
When?” Xander followed
up.

“
That’s what he’s going to
talk to you about.”

“
Don’t you already know?
Or are already able to tell me?”

“
That’s not the point,”
Sera frowned. “Do not keep the king waiting.”

Xander sighed, looking
over at Sven as Loni made her way to his side, now on two legs.
They gave each other a knowing grin, as their match was cut
short.

“
Ah, well. I guess it
can’t be helped. Next time, old man,” Xander toyed as he turned to
walk with Loni out of the arena.

Sven scoffed, not
bothering to answer as he rolled his eyes. Coming back down, they
met the still glaring crisp blue ones of Sera. They stared each
other down for a moment, before Sven flashed one of his devious
smiles.

Chapter 2

Pushing open the door to
his father’s private armory, he nodded to the guard that had
escorted him, signaling to him that he was free to go. The door was
pulled shut behind him, and Xander ventured further towards his
father, Edmon. The king of the Oisian kingdom.

He was sitting in one of
the few stone windowsills in the room, watching one of his swords
shine in the light of the sun as he turned it slowly in his hand.
Hearing the door close, he sighed, setting the sword back into its
sheath and setting it down on the floor, leaning it against the
wall.

“
Oh,” Xander called with
somewhat of a chuckle. “Don’t stop on my account.” Edmon looked up
at his son as he straightened his posture to lean back against the
windowsill. “You know you look like a maddened blacksmith when you
do that,” Xander warned.

Edmon scoffed a
chuckle.

“
Perhaps I am,” he
countered.

“
If you are, I’d be
grateful not to know,” Xander sighed, making Edmon laugh. “So
what’s this about Saphora? She’s not only alive, but on Athena? Did
you summon me to reveal the joke?” Edmon subtly shook his
head.

“
It is not a joke. She is
alive and well. And on Athena.”

“
Since when?”

“
Since the day before
last.”

“
Why didn’t we know
sooner?”

“
Vida didn’t want to
overwhelm the girl – and for good reason.”

“
Good reason?”

“
She’d been on another
planet this whole time. A planet called Earth. She lost her memory
during the landing, and is still recovering it. She wanted to see
how she’d handle simply being home, before bringing in another
royal family.”

Xander grimaced at the
mention of Saphora not remembering who he was – and quite possibly
who she was in its entirety.

“
She doesn’t remember me,”
he stated more than asked.

“
I can’t say for certain,”
Edmon grumbled. “Nor can I for the rest of us.”

Xander’s head shook
slightly at what that meant. He could be made to marry a stranger.
Before Saphora’s departure, the kingdoms had agreed on their
courtship, thus conjoining the two kingdoms. But hearing that
Saphora no longer knew him … it was jarring. He had been wary of
their marriage if she were to ever return
with
her memory. But
without?

“
Then …” Xander started.
Edmon glanced back at his son, his eyes having wandered. Xander
frowned. “Father, you can’t possibly still expect –“

“
Oh,” Edmon interrupted.
“No. Your mother has already made sure of that. That would surely
end in disaster.”

Xander let out a sigh of
relief, his shoulders slumping. They almost immediately perked up
with his follow up conclusion.

“
So, I am once again a
bachelor!” he exclaimed. Edmon rolled his eyes. “Or rather, I am
now, seeing as though I technically never was.”

“
Slightly more accurate.
Though I wouldn’t get too attached to the idea,” Edmon advised with
a smirk. “Your mother is already making alternative plans. She has
been for some time.”

Xander’s shoulders slumped
again, his eyes nailing themselves to the ceiling. His father
laughed, slapping his hand against his shoulder, grasping it and
shaking him.

“
She’s arranged for you to
meet some of her choices. Should be fun.”

“
Don’t mock me, father.
And why is it that I cannot choose for myself?” Xander
demanded.

“
You
are
choosing,” Edmon argued. “From
her selections,” he laughed. Xander groaned, frowning as he
shrugged off his father’s hand from his shoulder.

“
And if I
refuse?”

Edmon scoffed, crossing
his arms as well as his ankles.

“
You’ll have to deal with
your mother. And without me.”

Again, Xander groaned,
turning away from his father in annoyance.

“
Don’t worry. She’s also
told me she would consider women you present to her,” Edmon
offered. Xander shifted his body to look back at him skeptically.
Edmon grinned. “Though I can almost assure it was said to settle
any rage you may have towards her.”

“
Wonderful
,” Xander sighed, running a
tensed hand through his maroon hair, which was clinging in strands
from his vigorous training. “How generous of her.”

“
You can’t necessarily
blame her, you know,” came Edmon.

“
Can’t I?”

“
With the option of
Saphora gone, time has become of the essence.”

“
Time?” Xander scoffed.
“I’ve just barely become of marrying age. Have you forgotten our
lifespan, father? Or rather, has mother?”

Edmon chuckled.

“
It is natural for a
mother to wish companionship for her children.”

“
I suppose,” mumbled
Xander. “But enough of my future. What of Saphora’s?”

“
She is still to take the
thrown.”

“
With no king by her
side?” Xander said with brows raised in what almost looked like
shock. Edmon gave a subtle shrug of his shoulders.

“
I cannot say. Though Vida
did not object to breaking the agreement, she did not say anything
of her plans for Saphora’s courtship,” Edmon sighed. “Though, given
her history, I would think Vida would be inclined to letting
Saphora decide for herself.”

“
How just of
her.”

“
Mm, that is not to say
that she will approve of whatever choice Saphora makes.”

“
And she’d still allow her
to make that decision?”

“
Do you think the king and
queen before her approved of
her
decision?” Edmon reminded, referring to Dolphus.
Xander fell silent in realization, giving only a slight noise of
response. “I could only expect her to have some empathy when it
comes to something like that.”

Xander gave a slight
nod.

“
I suppose,” Xander
nodded. “And what of the war? Is she still expected to fight in
it?”

“
Fight in it,” Edmon
scoffed with distaste. “They’re still expecting her to
carry
it. Though they’d
never have the gall to admit it.”

“
Carry
it
?” Xander repeated in disbelief. “You
can’t be serious. She’s gone her entire life without training. And
they’re expecting her to carry the
war
?”

“
I don’t know,” Edmon
groaned, waving his hand dismissively. “They consider her an asset.
But I know their citizens are still dependent on her unseen
abilities.”

“
And their military?”
Xander went on.

“
If they are, they are
foolish.”

“
I would think they should
know better. Will she receive any training at all? Is there even
time?”

“
I’m told Vida has already
had her begin training.”

“
With?”

“
Dakota.”

“
Hm,” Xander nodded.
“She’s in good hands, then.”

“
It wouldn’t matter if
the
Supremes
were
training her themselves. We’re too close to the brink of war for it
to make a difference.”

Xander scoffed, crossing
his arms as he looked back at his father.

“
When did you become such
a pessimist, Father?” he chuckled. Edmon raised a brow at his son,
wondering how he himself was not. “So, when are we
visiting?”

Chapter 3

Walking through the
elongated hallway to the throne room of the Kiran castle, Xander
couldn’t help but let his eyes wander around the walls and décor of
the structure. Though he’d been back to the castle sparingly, he
hadn’t been to the throne room, or in its hallway since the first
outbreak of war. And it was clear that this wing, possibly the
entire thing had fallen under attack during the siege.

The stone was brighter –
newer than that in other places, and it seemed to even be
reinforced. It was thicker than most, and had far more security.
Which, for the most part, was a standard feat for the throne room,
of course. But even to Xander, it seemed a bit
excessive.

The guards and sparse
citizens bowed their heads respectively to the passing royalty.
Aredelle and Edmon, his mother and father walking in front of him.
They all gave nods of acknowledgement in return as they were lead
to the throne room’s large wooden doors.

Xander let himself admit
to being excited to see his childhood friend. And was even more
earnest in knowing that he was almost impatient to hear of her time
on Earth, which he found himself more and more obsessed with with
each passing moment. It almost pained him to stay at the steady
pace set by his parents when Saphora was so close. When Earth’s
secrets were just behind those doors.

And just as he thought to
himself that he would just run past them to the room himself, they
arrived. The large doors swung open with an ancient grace,
revealing both Vida and Saphora, who had been talking inside. They
both turned to see their entrance, and start the ritual of
greetings.

“
Almost on cue, Aredelle,”
Vida giggled, walking to the doors with her arms open.

Saphora turned around to
see a woman a bit shorter than Vida coming into the room, followed
by two men, one of which she somewhat recognized. The one by the
name of Aredelle laughed as they embraced.

“
Well, you know I have a
knack for timing,” Aredelle complied, raising her own arms for
their embrace. The intricate and elegant fabrics of their gowns
mingled with one another as they wrapped their arms around each
other.

“
Indeed you do,” Vida
laughed with her. “How are you?”

“
Well enough with this
handful of mine,” Aredelle giggled, gesturing to her son, the
shorter of the two men, and the one Saphora had
recognized.

Xander felt himself
smiling as he looked at Saphora, taking her all in at once. It was
almost in disbelief, seeing her standing just a few feet away from
him, and looking so very different than he had remembered. She’d
grown taller than he expected, landing just shy of five feet and
nine inches. Her hair had gotten longer, and was much more
successful at framing her face, which had noticeably become more
womanly, as well as her figure.

Having always been a bit
childish himself, seeing her as an all-together woman after being
separated from the child he knew, it was almost jarring. But for
some reason, he still found himself smiling.

She squinted at him while
he stared at her. Finally, he gave a grin as he approached her, his
hands in the pockets of his trousers. Saphora adjusted her posture
as he approached, preparing to engage.