Special notes: Needs a final editing, I’ll do it later. [The Princes XXIV] [Seclusion] Leta bartered back and forth with the trader while Fox and Mono stood off to the side. Fox glanced at Mono and figured the Cormon warrior was probably thinking the same thing Fox was thinking, which amounted to bludgeoning the trader about the head and taking the supplies they wanted. The trader had shown up several days earlier and wanted exorbitant prices for his supplies. Mono had thrown the trader off the island and threatened to castrate him if he ever came back. But, the trader had returned this morning and they did need the supplies. Leta strategically placed herself between her blood-mate and the annoying amphibian trader. If Fox hadn’t lost his fantasy illusion that all Carinians lived a perfect utopian existence during the Ryota kidnapping, this oily shiftless trader certainly cured the last of his fantasy that Carinians had all the same frailties as any other species. Fox was in a foul mood, his perception of Carinian had been formed in his mind as a six year old and to now see the reality was making him angry. He supposed that it made sense; no civilization could exist without a varied culture, but having to come to terms with it made him want to impale the trader on the nearest pole. Perhaps he was just angry that his six-year olds perceptions had been so cruelly shattered. Was nothing in life as it seemed? Why him? Everything bad always happened to him, why couldn’t he have some happiness in this life. His natural father murdered, his second father, Lord Black, murdered, his adopted Raven father, died horribly from cruel nuclear weapons that had obliterated Fox’s ancestral home. He couldn’t even have a mate, but instead was forced to give her up to another for the good of an entire world. Even his cousins were to be denied to him, and his closest cousin, nearly a brother, couldn’t even be told he was still alive. Fox often wondered how Seth was doing. Was he the Horse Master now? Was he mated? Did he have children? Fox would never know, nothing for him, not even his throne was his. He walked away and left Leta to the negotiations with the trader. She would get a decent price or rip the traders head off. That thought should have made him feel better, but - nothing could fix what was truly eating at him. Fox walked off into the trees away from the small settlement growing up around the Ava Bachen and the docks. He pulled the crumpled up letter out of his pocket - the letter from Ryota. Was even a son to be denied him? The boy hadn’t meant harm, but the effect was the same. Ryota was required to take a Carinian name and Fox couldn’t share his name with the boy. Ryota had chosen to use Captain Kerin’Sar’s name. Fox supposed it was natural; the man had been the one to save Ryota from that horrible prison he was kept captive in for a month before being freed by Captain Kerin. Of course Ryota would hero worship the Captain of the Black Guard. What had Fox really ever done for the boy? Murdered the boy’s father and dragged him to a world where he had been kidnapped and held in torturous conditions deep under the ocean. Fox read the name; Ryota’Sar. Fox threw the letter on the ground and extending his Trident to its three-points, roared at the ancestors and began demolishing palm trees. “Why!” screamed Fox. “What have I done to anger the ancestors? Not even a son! Nothing for me!” Fox swung the Trident in blinding circles and trees fell to his rage. He saw a movement and lifted his Trident to strike, Squish raised his hands over his head to try and protect himself. Fox held his strike, his arms shaking violently. Squish must have been collecting coconuts and seeing Fox angry had hidden. “Run!” screamed Fox. Squish was too frightened to run and only curled up tighter into a ball. Fox struck the ground next to him with the Trident. The power of the Trident shook the ground and sparks flew from the tip. Fox struck the ground again and turned away before he did something that could not be undone and ran for the cliffs. Squish waited until Fox was out of sight and got up. He looked at the letter crumpled up and then ran to look for Rock. The small Demonian was digging the foundation to a building that would be used as school and community building; it would be the first real building on the island. “Come… you come… Fox mad,” Squish breathed heavily and tugged at his friends arm. Rock dropped his shovel and followed the big man back to the clearing where Squish had narrowly avoided being killed by Fox. Rock looked at the destruction of the trees; trees on Carina were too precious to be wasted, he would gather these up later for use. “Did he hurt you?” asked Rock. “No, he stop, not hit Squish,” said Squish pointing at the crumpled up letter on the ground, “that make him mad.” Rock picked the crumpled paper up off the ground and read the letter from Ryota. Rock understood what the problem was immediately. “Come on, we need to show this to Mono,” said Rock. Rock took the upset man by the hand and left the scene of Fox’s destruction to find Mono. The letter was serious, but more important was the state of Fox’s mind. The Demonian understood rejection; he had been rejected all his life and knew Fox would see this as a rejection of the fatherhood he had offered to Ryota. Mono was leaning up against a tree and watching his blood-mate finalize the negotiations with the oily snake-trader; it would have been easier to just take the supplies and dump the trader’s body somewhere. Things were changing; Fox wanted them to act more civilized and try to act like a real province, or whatever they called it here. Leta was taking to it like she was born to govern, everyone came to Leta with every problem and she handled it with the ease of someone that had found their calling. Mono was getting an idea, maybe this could be turned to their favor; the island needed an election for a governor, and Leta would be perfect. Mono and Leta were still young, but one always had to be on the lookout for a place to settle down. Perhaps if Leta was the governess of the island they could live here in comfort. They would have respect and authority, and with the gold they had amassed, could live very comfortably. Rock and Squish ran up to Mono and handed him the letter. Mono thought they looked agitated about something. “What’s this?” asked Mono. “Fox is angry,” replied Squish. Mono laughed, “Fox is always angry, now what is it?” Mono read the letter, the good natured smile vanishing from his face. Rock explained the destruction of the trees and Squishes narrow escape. “Fox adores that boy,” said Mono. “He won’t do anything to hurt him, but I do agree that Fox is wound too tight. I’ve wondered when he would crack. We’re burning this letter and never mentioning it again, especially to the boy, understood?” Rock nodded and explained to Squish they needed to keep the letter a secret from Ryota. Fox didn’t return to the camp until the next morning and with Mono’s light hearted smiles of concern when others asked, just replied that was out night hunting. “We have the supplies,” announced Leta, “and a quarry master will be visiting us in two days. We will be able to purchase the stone we need to begin construction of a village.” Fox resumed training the island children, running with them in the morning and training them with the sword until late morning, then classes the rest of the day. Mono thought maybe Fox had shrugged off the perceived insult of Ryota using Captain Kerin’s name. He still kept an eye on him and Squish was definitely cautious and stayed away at the far end of the beach catching his fish. The negotiations for stone went smoother than Leta had thought they would and the first stone started arriving the day Ryota came home from the Black Guard Basic Training. Fox led the entire island to the docks and waited for the hero of Fox Island to return. The ship docked and the residents cheered for Ryota. Mono watched Fox closely and realized the man hadn’t let go of the unintended insult. Ryota jumped out of the ship that brought him home and ran straight to Tage instead of his adopted father and hugged her tight. Mono saw it in Fox’s face, a brief shadow that passed over his expression and clouded the mask of a smile he wore. Ryota, hand in hand with Tage, approached Fox and Mono saw true pride on Fox’s face. Fox was proud of his son, but there was still a war deep below the surface. “Welcome home, son,” said Fox proudly. “You look sharp, but your uniform is still green?” “I’m still a Cadet, father, this was only Basic Training to be allowed into the Academy,” explained Ryota. “We wear green until we graduate and then we get to wear the deep blue uniform of the Black Guard.” “Oh, I see,” said Fox. “Well, everyone is excited to hear about your adventure. Come on now, there is a banquet prepared and you can tell us all about it.” Fox walked up the beach with his son to the Ava Bachen where the banquet was laid out. There was so much about Carinia that Fox was realizing he didn’t know. Ryota was already more of a Carinian then Fox was. The banquet went well and Mono thought maybe Fox was ready to let it go now that Ryota was here. That wasn’t the case. Mono saw it on Fox’s face when after several hours Ryota and Tage slipped away to be alone. Mono saw the disappointment on Fox’s face and got up and went to the communications room inside the Ava Bachen, he needed to speak with Captain Kerin. The Captain had been with Fox since he was born, the Captain would know what to do. Ryota walked down the beach with Tage, holding hands and talking. Ryota did most of the talking, telling Tage all about his last eight weeks of adventures. The two youth sat on the rock they first met and watched the moon rise over the ocean. Ryota finally got the courage up and tried giving Tage a kiss but she pushed him back. “I’m sorry,” said Ryota quickly. “I just thought, maybe… I’m sorry.” “No, you silly boy,” signed Tage. “It’s not that I don’t want you to kiss me, it’s just that’s not how we kiss.” “Huh?” “I don’t have these,” Tage put the tip of her finger on Ryota’s lips. “Oh, how do you kiss?” asked Ryota. Tage nuzzled Ryota’s neck then opened her mouth and placed her teeth against his neck. She held his neck for a moment and then let go. “Like that,” signed Tage. “Not understand,” Ryota switched to the sign language that was the Carinian native language. “This is where your gills would be,” Tage touched his neck. “Our gills are sensitive and if you are showing trust when you let someone put their teeth there.” Ryota grinned mischievously and nuzzled her neck and put his teeth against her gills. Tage giggled and squirmed and the two spent the rest of the night watching the moon and talking about every manner of things. They fell asleep on the rock next to each other somewhere in the night. Before Ryota drifted off to sleep, was thinking that, if not sure before, he was certain now that Carinia was truly his home and he was the luckiest boy alive. Fox stood on the cliff above the two sleeping youth and watched them. He was certain that he must be the unluckiest man alive. He had no sooner found a son than he had lost him. There was nothing here for Fox, not really. Maybe there was no place at all for him, no happiness, no family, just nothing. Fox tried to be angry at the boy sleeping on the rock below, but couldn’t manage to work the anger up towards the young man. No, he would ensure the boy never wanted for anything, but Ryota didn’t really need him, he had already made his own way without Fox’s help. Fox turned away and walked along the cliffs to the other side of the island. This spot, yes, here he would build his castle and seal himself away from the universe. He was tired. Fox sat on the ground alone, his back to the moon and watched the dark ocean. The days drifted by and Ryota’s visit came to an end and he returned to the Academy to begin his four years of study to be a Black Guard. Stone was brought up from the quarries deep under the ocean and Fox Castle was built; it would take nearly four years to complete the Castle. The village grew up around the Ava Bachen and Leta was elected as Governess of Fox Island. The population grew as did the off-shore fishing fleet that supplied the island. Fox spent less and less time in public, sealed away with his experiments and books he had shipped in. Tage applied and was accepted to the Medical Prep School next to the Black Guard Academy and attended there to be near Ryota. The two youth visited Fox Island as often as they could and it was the only time that Fox would come out of seclusion. Ryota graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the Search and Rescue Battalion. Tage continued her study in medicine and eventually graduated as Doctor Tage’Ce. Tage then enlisted into the Black Guard as a Doctor aboard the rescue ships and Ryota and Tage become one of the finest rescue teams ever seen. Leta was re-elected to Governess and the years slipped by. Squish was the first to pass away and Rock, devastated by the passing of his friend, left in a Needle ship and was never heard from again. Tolo, though getting up in age, wanted a last adventure and got it. He joined up with another pirate crew and was killed several months later by the Gunslingers. Fox didn’t come out of his Castle. Captain Kerin’Sar retired from the Black Guard and spent the rest of his life on Fox Island with his own family. He would often go to visit with Fox in his laboratory, and though Fox was always cordial, the visits always ended strained and awkward. Ryota would also come to visit his father and even brought his newborn son for Fox to see. Fox barely recognized his adopted son and only stared out the window at the ocean. “Father, I’ve been asked if we would allow a Gunslinger Camp be built on the island.” Fox waived his hand and continued to watch the ocean in silence. “I’ll build it off the north beach,” said Ryota. “The camp should be out of the way, you won’t even know they are here.” The years continued to slip by, Goa and Falon were killed during a Tsunami while trying to save stranded children on an island in the massive wave’s path. Kota passed away quietly in his sleep and then word arrived that Cissa and Gill had also passed away. The news of each event was brought to Fox but each time he only waved the messenger away and continued to work on his science experiments. Nobody in three generations had ever seen Fox outside the Castle. The island prospered, but Fox was unaware of anything that occurred. A noise at the door to Fox’s laboratory caused him to look up from the book he was reading; an old woman in a wheel chair was being pushed in. “I once called you Sly Fox,” said the old woman. “But now I call you Foolish Fox.” Fox stood and walked over to the old woman and stared at her face. “Leta?” “Yes,” replied Leta. “Where’s Mono?” asked Fox. “My blood-mate passed away last year,” said Leta. “I have come here many times to try to wake you up. This is the last time I can come here.” “Where’s everyone else?” asked Fox confused. “I am the only one left,” said Leta. “I beg you one last time to come out of this cursed castle you have locked yourself in.” Leta motioned to her nurse and was pushed back out the door. “Goodbye, dear Fox,” said Leta. Fox watched her go and looked at the book he was reading. Leta passed away several months later and was buried in State as the first governess of Fox Island. Fox watched the funeral procession from the balcony of his castle and then walked down the stairs and outside. The crowds stared at the man that hadn’t been seen in generations. “Seal the castle until I return,” ordered Fox to the Black Guard standing at the entrance. Fox tried to find the airfield and had to ask directions twice, the island had grown to a full thriving city. “Where’s my ship?” demanded Fox of the airfield commander. “Right there, my Lord,” replied the man pointing. “What’s that?” asked Fox. “Where’s my Needle ship.” “My Lord, that’s a Dart Ship, we haven’t used Needle ships in sixty or seventy years.” “I’ll figure it out,” said Fox. Fox listened to the ground crew give him a crash course in the Dart ship; it was so big. There was even a living quarters inside, and a ramp. Fox finally got the ship off the ground and sped for Black Castle. He needed to see Jon Black. Fox was ninety-one years old.