~Devil May Care~

King Nicholas Sylvester

2 days ago.

To the public, I had only one brother but a long time ago, I acquainted another. One very dear to me. 

Lucas, the nonbiological brother of mine, as cold-hearted and cold-blooded as I am, if not even more, has seemed distant for quite sometime now. And now, he's left his home, Europe and travelled by sea to Australia where our younger brother, Felix, rules. 

"What are you hiding, Lucas?" My finger rubs my lips as I question, staring down at the folders in my hands. A few hours ago, I had requested that all documents Lucas has walked through for the past few days be brought to me. 

My nonchalant of a brother care less about the slave auctioning unlike Felix and that's why the academy takes place in Australia, and Felix being who he is, decided to school the female humans only.

Something about these paperworks strike a puzzle that I seem blinded to, especially the one focused on a human girl. A student in Felix's continent with poor results, sprouting many complaints. I'm surprised she's still alive and would be graduating soon. 

A footstep coming from the hallway, rushing down to the room, activated my system. 

I'm about to groan when a tone addresses, "Rex meus," and bows his head. 

"Lord Alexandros. What do you want?" I take a glimpse of his stiffed body. 

I gestured my hand for him to sit on one of the empty chairs but instead, he stretched forth a phone."You have a call, sire. Your brother, Lord Lucas."

A frown wrestles my face. Shit. I turned off the connection between Lucas and I. Perhaps when he couldn't reach me, he decided to call Alex—my closest Lord. 

A sharp whipping sound emit as I appear in front of Alex. "Is he very pissed?"

"Quite, sire."

I slam my hand against my forehead. Lucas is never nonchalant towards those that he cares about, in fact, he becomes the nagging one. 

"Yo, bro." I whisper into the phone as I collect it from Alex, gesturing that he can leave the space. Then, I dash to the cornered bar to collect some Tainted for my nerves.

"And what the fuck have you been so occupied with?"

"My apologies, brother. I won't do it again. Now, can we skip the nagging part and go straight to the point?"

Shockingly, Lucas only huffed. I'm pretty sure he's rolling his eyes right now. My ears pick up the waves of the ocean so I know he's sailing. I just hope the ocean isn't currently boiling in relation to his anger. 

Oh, there's one time he's drained a lake dry, boiled it to the very mud. "We were attacked. On the sea, water benders from the other side of the cave ambushed the ship." My thoughts halt right there. 

"That's," impossible. I couldn't finish my sentence. A year ago, I would have said that, but the cave is no more impenetrable.

"The Harlows?" 

"Yes. The Harlows. They came out of the blue. We must find a way to stop this or else, they'll destroy everything we've made home about earth. Just like they did before." 

History repeating itself, it seems. "I'll increase the guards watching the cave. A war is coming, Lucas."

"Imminently." 

"Hm. And where are you?" My eyes has darken, my powers rose to the surface. My fingers are digging into the skin of my palm. My anger is evident. 

"I'm close. To the Southwest end."

"The beach? That's where you're approaching?" 

"Certainly, brother. And oh, before I forget, I have a gift for you. Something I find interesting." His tone is mischievous. Lucas barely finds anything interesting, which makes me more than curious to know.

"Then I'll be at the beach, waiting for your arrival." I'm already at the edge of the seat with a ghostly smile on my face. 

"Aye aye." With that, he ends the call. Leave it to Lucas to have dealt with the Harlows threat with no flaws left out.

My eyes are squinted at the sides, my breathing shallow as my thoughts trail me far into the distance. 

We cannot penetrate the cave, but the Harlows can. There's a heavyweight suspicion in line concerning that recognition.

One last gulp, I finish my drink and arrange the documents. Outside my study room, I pass them to Alex as I give new orders. "I need to start some work on the PC. Get it ready at the beach. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Yes, Rex meus." 

The following second, I'm swishing through the air right before I arrive in my room. I take a sharp shower and change into something light—vintage shirt and short—before I vanish into the thin air and appear at the beach. 

Of course, everything is ready. A tug smile settles on my lips. "Perfect, Alexandros. You never disappoint the throne." 

He's bowing his head as I walk past him. "You know you can relax around me, right?" I groan softly. "Of course, how many times do I want to tell you that now?"

I brush my hair to the back as I settle on the recliner. "Lucas drops new information. He speaks about the Harlows." My perception catches the disgust on Alex's face. "Yes, we've all been hurt by them. After all, that's why we are here in this world, eh?" 

I continue after a second pause. "Now, I need you to do something for me. Get your strongest men to the cave." 

"I'll guard it myself, Rex meus, if you wish."

I close my eyes to feel the warmth of the evening sun. "No, I want you to take a vacation after you've assigned your best men to guard the cave." 

"Rex meus, If I offend you, please forgive me. Tell me what I've done. I can take my own life if that's how to pay you back." I cut off the brittle and appealing voice of Alex by placing a mental barrier between our connection. 

How can someone so duteous and stoic exhibit such a fearful emotion?

"I told you to take two weeks vacation because there is a war about to begin. I do not think there shall be rest until we finally face that devil, Frederick Harlow and his men." The word "devil" in that sense seems hypocritical to be used by someone like me. 

He sighs. "Fuck. I thought I had failed you."

"No, I wouldn't want to lose a precious soldier like yourself but when you're back, you'll have a lot of protecting-the-throne to do." 

"Affirmatively, sire." 

Alexandros has left some couple of minute ago. The yellow umbrella fixed beside the recliner provides a translucent lucid yet a little turbid light that warmed up my skin while the salty scent of the ocean filled the air. I poured myself Tainted to better enjoy the view.

Few minutes later, I have sent an email to every royal informing them of the threat nearing our doors.

I was about to pour myself Tainted once more when a gusty wave of water mysteriously blow towards the shore, catching my undivided attention.

I bend the air to afloat, providing a perfect scenery in return. The strenuous body of Lucas was what my eye glanced at first, before sighting our men behind him. They come in canoes made out of ice, being bended by the water benders.

As they got closer, the view becomes more clear. I sighted a figure in Lucas arms. 

When they arrived, Lucas is still passing the girl in his arms to one of his men when I pull him into a hug. 

"Oh, brother. We don't want these men to see us being soft." He sounds choked. 

"I'm pretty certain they aren't looking our way." Lucas and I are that much feared even by our own. 

"Fulgencio, take her to my chambers." Demands Lucas before he faces me again.

"Now, why would the callous brother of mine care about a human girl?" I didn't think twice before I ask, making Lucas give me the eye.

He has done so many terrible and unspeakable things to human to even in the slightest bit care for them! Perhaps Lucas is even the first Viatore to detest humans the highest.

They are weak creatures rambling upon the earth surface without precision. They are made to serve us. Fragile.