"How did you get in?" Chris asked.
"Delivery trucks. We clung underneath and snuck in from the kitchen." Sahd shrugged, then added, "Earth food smells amazing, by the way."
"And no one saw you? That's a pretty busy place," Hogan frowned.
"And we used that to our advantage, it's easier to sneak in when people around you aren't paying attention, unsuspecting, and— no offense but— have no knowledge of detecting people especially trained in the art of stealth. Like cooks," said Viernn.
"They were members of the Royal Guard, and among the highest ranked and most skilled, until a few years ago when they decided to step down and join the rebellion," said Rywa.
"Rebellion?" That caught Karl's attention.
"Yes," Rywa smiled wistfully. "Allow me to tell you our story."
"Long ago, our planet Zirka was peaceful and prosperous. Horned Zirkans— that is, pure bloods— and people who are of mixed blood without horns like myself and my companions here lived side by side.
The late king of Mira, Rygus von Mira, was a horned Zirkan and the most powerful mage who ever lived. He was a benevolent ruler, and above all, he was fair and just. He accomplished what no king before him had ever done during his reign. He abolished the social hierarchy, and gave equal rights and privileges to everyone, even us, who the pure bloods simply call 'hornless'. Everyone earned their merits by their hard work, skills, and talents alone, regardless of the color of their skin, of their eyes, or whether they had horns or not.
See, the biggest, and honestly only, difference between those with horns and not, is that."
He pointed to Chris' antique book.
"An Artifact?" Karl gave a curious scowl.
"Yes. Mediums that are used to wield elements, or as some people put it, magic. Horned Zirkans can do so of their own free will alone. However, Zirkans can only wield one element at best, and in very rare circumstances, maybe two. The late king, however, was a prodigy, and is said to be born once in thousands of years. He was a natural at controlling any element he so willed.
The hornless, on the other hand, need a medium capable of releasing elements in order to wield it, mostly ancient artifacts. Just like your people here on Earth."
"'They'…" Chris echoed, tapping on his book. "Which means, just as we saw earlier, you're able to cast fire without the use of a medium, despite not having a horn yourself?"
"That's because I'm a prodigy of sorts, too," Rywa theatrically flipped his hair, making the twins snort and Viernn playfully roll her eyes. "My father had a horn, after all. Perhaps his genes were stronger?" He shrugged.
"Rywa's power is not wielding fire alone. He can also communicate with all sentient beings." Viernn added.
Karl's eyes widened at those words. 'He can talk to animals?!' He internally squealed, completely unaware that his gaze filled with childlike wonder had been fixed on Rywa until Hogan's teasing snapped him out of his daze. "Uh-oh. I can see hearts in your eyes, Karl," Hogan brought his face closer, looking into his eyes.
"Isn't that awesome, though?! What I wouldn't give to be able to communicate with animals, too!" Karl pushed Hogan's face away to ask Rywa "Wolf! What did he say?! Did you talk to him?!"
Rywa chuckled, finding Karl's reaction endearing. "We don't really communicate with words; it's more like they can transmit their feelings to me. And it was very clear that he held you in a very high regard. That wolf seems to know how much you care not just for his wellbeing, but that of everyone you hold dear."
Sighing, Karl smiled bitterly. "So he doesn't hate me. Thank goodness… I've driven him away so many times, and yet I always felt his presence whenever I needed him."
"Perhaps he understood that you only wanted to keep him safe," said Rywa.
"Thank you, Rywa. Knowing this really means a lot to me."
"I'm glad I could help. Still, that took me by surprise. For someone who has such a gentle face and demeanor, it's as if you became a completely different person when those aliens tried to harm that wolf."
"That, my friend, is spot on." Bianca nodded. "He may be small and cute, but if you mess with wildlife, he won't show you any mercy."
Rywa nodded. "We're not so different then. In our world, we treat all sentient beings the same way we treat each other as Zirkans. However, animal cruelty and killing them in cold blood, while rare, is not unheard of. But the punishment is also equal to that of murdering another Zirkan."
"That's the kind of world I would love to live in…" Karl sighed wistfully. "Someday, I hope we can make that a reality here in our world, too."
"Sounds like a wonderful place, indeed," Chris echoed the sentiment, then asked the one question they all wanted to know. "So then what brings you here? Why did you come to Earth?"
Rywa's face turned grave.
"Twenty years ago, King Rygus was murdered. His death was blamed on Lord Vlint, his best friend… and a hornless. As a result, the peace and prosperity the late king had worked so hard to make a reality during his reign fell in shambles and once again became a thing of the past. The hornless were stripped of their positions and property and turned into slaves, sent to work in mines."
Viernn's voice was filled with spite, her hands tightly clenched into fists as she added "Even the king's own son, just because he was a hornless born of a hornless mother, was deprived of his right to inherit the throne."
"Viernn, that's not entirely true. To become the king, one must be acknowledged by the four guardians."
Seeing the blank look on Team Alpha's faces, he elaborated.
"The guardian spirits. They are sentient, immortal beings who embody the four elements: wind, fire, water, and earth. And to this day… the prince has not earned their blessing and approval. So his uncle figure, the late king's aide, took over as the king regent until such time that his son proves himself worthy."
"Rubbish," Sahd shook his head. "Everyone knows there's someone pulling the strings behind the scenes to keep the true heir away, biding their time to get rid of the king regent and take over the throne."
"So where is he now? The prince," Karl asked. "Even if the guardians have not acknowledged him, I'm sure the hornless do. They must believe he'll come to save them."
Viernn chuckled. "See? Even a man from another planet sees the prince's worth. And yet the prince himself is unaware of this. Just as you said, young man, Zirkans— a lot of us— still see him as our prince, especially the hornless, who treat him as our hero."
"You're right, Karl," The light in Rywa's eyes changed as he smiled at him. "He's out there somewhere. Searching for himself, I suppose. And someday, when he has found what he's looking for, I have no doubt he'll come back to prove his worth, reclaim the throne, and fix all this mess."
"When that time comes, we will fight by his side for he is our true king," Sahd added, puffing his chest, his voice filled with pride.
Viernn added, "Horned or not, there are a lot of Zirkans unhappy with the way the rich few are running the kingdom and have formed a rebellion. And the 'Shadows', a group of former generals, royal guards, and other elite warriors, who have sworn to protect the kingdom but are independent from the royal family and nobles have formed an alliance with us. And Rywa here is the leader of that alliance."
Rywa continued on with his story. "Nobles have manipulated Zirkans who are blinded by rage over their late king's death, as well as their own greed, to throw the hornless into forced labour and exploit all our natural resources, excessively mining the land and the deep sea. Cattle normally hunted for food have lost their natural habitat and have been dying in herds. But the ministers are conveniently using apex predators as scapegoats, killing them in packs in heartless massacres to benefit the rich few."
"Unforgivable…" Karl's voice, though barely audible, was filled with anguish.
"That's not the worst of it. Our scholars have conducted an investigation and exposed a group of black market traders selling protected wildlife. Their market was closed down, and they were doled out fitting punishments. However, the investigative team discovered a portal. It looks like a harmless blot of ink bordered by markings similar to a magic circle, and there was dark energy was leaking from it.
By the time it was discovered, it was too late. The portals had multiplied, and the dark energy had already spread like wildfire around the planet. People and animals alike are affected. Some are lucky and only suffer from mild fever and cold-like symptoms, but those who are vulnerable are dying from it. Even our best mages have failed to close these lethal portals, and our healers are overwhelmed.
That's why we're travelling the universe in search of a way to close it. And there's one man who possibly held the answer— the most brilliant scholar of our planet, Lord Vlint."
"Wait, wasn't he the one who killed the king, though?" Tala frowned.
Viernn shook her head. "In his last breath, the king confided to his son that it was not his best friend's doing. His dying wish was for the prince to find Lord Vlint, as he was the key to the coexistence between both worlds."
"Between both worlds… As in the horned and the hornless?" Bianca asked.
Rywa nodded. "Perhaps. Or maybe even between people and nature. If there is indeed a way to shut those portals in this known universe, then I could think of no other person who would have been capable of figuring it out."
"That's great news! Where is he?" Bianca asked.
"He's dead. He and his family… all died in a fire."
The pain Rywa felt was audible in his voice, and the look in his eyes made Karl's heart ache.
"However, in his life Lord Vlint had travelled to many worlds. And to answer the captain's question," Rywa shifted his gaze to Chris, "that's why we're here. Our allies have gotten reports that in the past, he had warned the king of such portals, so he travelled the universe to search for answers. In one of his journeys, he had visited your planet. So we came here hoping to find any records of his studies."
"I see," Chris nodded. "Well then. I will meet with our headmaster and her staff to relay everything you told us today, and they will decide how we all move forward from here. For now, feel free to roam around. But please stay within the headquarters' premises until further notice."
Tala, who had been taking down notes, handed the minutes over to Chris, who muttered 'thanks' then got up and headed for the exit.
"So, you said earlier you would love to live on our planet, Karl? Is that still the case even after everything you've heard?"
Karl nodded without hesitation. "It sounds chaotic, but I'm always down for exploring a new planet! Luckily, it comes with the job."
"All right then, when our mission is over, I'll be happy to take you with me for a visit. You can stay with me, if you'd like."
"Really?!" Karl replied, ecstatic. "Awesome."
Viernn turned to Rywa and remarked. "It looks like you've taken a liking to him."
Rywa flashed Karl his sweetest smile. "I have, indeed. So much so, I want to take him home."
Chris had already reached for the door when he stopped in his tracks and spun around, eyeing Rywa like a hawk for a moment before leaving. Hogan, Bianca, and Tala had knowing smiles plastered on their faces. They recognized the signs on an oncoming storm all too well.