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"Vermilion... vermilion.. Just like her hair... Vermilion.. vermilion.. It stands out among the rest.. vermilion.. vermillion.. vermilion. Hurry up or she'll be dead."

Liam opened his eyes. The ray of sunshine showered him with grace, caressing his face gently. He looked up to the blue sky, there were no clouds, just the open canvas painted with the loveliest shade of blue. He was lying down in a field of dandelions just beside a mountain.

He got up and the summer breeze passed through him, gently traveling along the dandelions who are nice enough to join the wind and dance in the air. Liam was in awe because of the beauty that was happening in his surroundings, but the white dandelions reminded him of something.

His mother's white hair, his mother, Spade's white mane as well. He had forgotten that they both stayed in the cathedral where the fog seeped in. He shook his head, he did not want to think about what happened last night. He didn't want to, not one bit. He remembered what his mother said to him last night so that's what he need to do. For now, Liam needed to find a place to stay.

He found a stream of clear water right beside the fields of dandelions. He drank from it, he was very thirsty and hungry, but the crystal clear waters from the stream was the only thing he had right then. He remembered, Jasper once told him when they visited a kingdom in a valley that if he was lost in a place near a mountain, go the opposite way of where the stream is going. There's people for sure where it is coming from as it is a source of water and fish.

He walked up and followed the stream of water. He didn't get distracted or anything, he was just focused walking near the river. Minutes turned to hours and Liam just completely collapsed from hunger and tiredness, the sun wasn't helping as well, it was too hot.

He was breathing anxiously on the ground. Although the situation was bad, Liam still laughed. "Is it cliche of me to think that this will be the perfect time for someone to come and help me?" He said to himself. After that, a wolf with a red collar came out of a bush, growling at him, looking at him fiercely, the way they look at their terrified prey.

The wolf took a good look of Liam's face. His white hair just like his mother's, his beautiful deep blue eyes, and the freckles on his cheeks. The wolf quickly came by his side and sniffed him. Liam wondered why the wolf did not attack him, instead, he sat in front of him before Liam could move.

All of a sudden, the wolf's collar, which is in fact an amulet, glowed. Liam was astonished! The wolf turned into a muscular man. Looked like he was somewhere between 25-30. His beard wasn't long, nor short, but it was enough to make him look tough.

"Are you by chance, Prince Liam Guerrier of Cahserith?" The man asked, his voice was low and sexy, but it almost scared Liam.

"Yes, I am." He answered and an angry look formed in the man's face. "Come with me." He said before carrying the boy on his shoulder.

Liam got nervous. Did he said something to anger the man? Did he do anything to piss him off, he asked to himself. He doesn't remember anything that could've upset the man. He was just on the ground, lying face-down helplessly as hunger weakened him like a poison coursing through his veins.

After a long walk back to the woods, Liam, who was being carried by the man arrived at a camp of numerous people. It was as if they made that part of the forest their home. The man continued walking until he arrived at his own tent where he laid Liam down in his very comfortable bed.

Liam didn't know what to do, or what his motive was. The man placed a bowl of porridge beside him, so he ate it when the well built man came out of the tent. How delicious it was, he thought. T'was slightly better than the porridge that was served back in the castle. Probably because these people lived in the middle of a forest where different spices can be gathered, while the spices on the kingdom was limited.

He enjoyed it, savored every mouthful bite that he took before he could reach the very last of what was left. He was full, too full even. The door of the tent opened, Liam was nervous. He didn't know if the man would come back to kill him or enslave him.

"There he is, elder." The man said to the old man that was with him when he entered the tent.

"There's no doubt about it, Hughes. He is the prince." The old man said before walking in front of Liam. His staff, a long, old branch of stick with a carved snake on top of it. He placed the snake on Liam's forehead before closing his eyes.

"W-what are you doing?" Liam asked, but the old man didn't bothered answering his question, nor Hughes, who was standing behind the elderly, his eyes closed as well. Before Liam could escape, he felt a calming feeling surge through his body. He became peaceful, his tiredness and fear disappeared. What the old man was doing is strange, but Liam did like it.

"Prince Liam, you suffered a great tragedy three years ago, and thirteen days ago." The old man said after placing down his staff. Liam was shocked.

"Thirteen days? I was asleep for thirteen days?" He asked. He couldn't believe it. He was sure that he had only slept for a day, after he went into the portal that his mother created.

"Yes, your highness. I sense fear in you, but I also sense great power. The black rose invaded your kingdom, searching for one of the children. But that child escaped, your highness." He said. Liam quickly thought that he might be one of the children because he escaped and he could hear a woman referring to him as child. But that didn't fit quite right.

"Was the child a boy or a girl?" Liam asked, but the elder didn't know the answer, seen as he only shook his head. He held to his staff, caressing the snake that was on top of it.

"The only thing I sensed was vermilion. That is all I know." The old man answered.

"Vermilion..." Liam whispered. He felt like he had heard of that word before, he just don't know where.

"Must've been tough for ya prince." Hughes said. "You can stay here as long as you like, I don't think you can go back to yer kingdom as it is nowhere to be found." He added which shocked the prince.

"W-what do you mean its nowhere to be found?" He asked. He was preparing himself for the worst possible answer that the man could say to him. After all, the old man said that the black rose invaded their kingdom. But what frightened him was that there weren't any soldiers who invaded them, just a thick, poisonous fog.

"It means yer home is gone, your highness. After the thick fog devoured your so called kingdom, a magic circle appeared on top of its location and before we could even see what was happening, the silhouette of the castle slowly disappeared, so did the town of Cahserith. The only thing that was left was the fog that imprisoned your kingdom in its grasp. The people of black rose must be gloated by now because of what just happened to yer kingdom." He goaded, scaring and provoking the prince as he stared at him with terror.

"I-I have to find it! I've got to do something about that b-black rose!" He shouted. But Hughes had a smirk on his face, almost making fun of the prince because of what he just said.

"What can you do?" He said sarcastically, then he went out of his tent.

Liam's face went down, he stared in the puddle that was in his feet, reflecting his face. "What can I do?" He asked himself. His feet was cold and he couldn't move. He was doubting himself because of what the man just said to him which was true in his mind.

"I didn't get the chance to save my brother from that arrow that I saw flying straight to him, I couldn't even be at father's side as he lead the army in evacuating the kingdom, I couldn't even help sir Hopp who was crying outside the carriage, and now he won't be able to see his daughter, and Goldie just lost a father. I couldn't take my mother with me as she chose to stay for me to be saved." He was depressed. He felt like he was a useless, pathetic piece of garbage.

"Don't listen to Hughes, he is always like that to people who are struggling with their lives." The old man said, patting the boy's shoulder saying that it's okay. "But you're wrong with what you've said, your highness. It's dense and foolish of you to think about that. You can't do something to the black rose. It is a notorious, evil society that worships the lord of eternal despair, Vyaradoz." He said to the prince.

"Then what can I do?" He asked the old man with pure determination and nobility, making sure that he won't be a piece of garbage, a pathetic one.

The old man turned around and smiled at the prince. "Come with me." He said. He went outside of the tent and Liam followed him. Outside though, the camp was not really that big, nor small. It was enough for a small population to live in. There were tents everywhere, some are small, some are big.

There was a blacksmith where the sound of a metal being pounded was audible all throughout the camp. There was a stream at the side where many fisherman are hunting for fishes. There was also a farm where women plant different types of herbs and fruit bearing trees.

At the middle though, there was a towering, wooden statue of a man holding a staff and a book. A wolf sitting near his legs. Birds where on his shoulder, and a pointed hat on top of his head where leaves and briers are growing.

Liam noticed the group of people in a circle surrounding the statue where they were dancing gracefully whilst holding fruits and candles. They did a very light footed leap in unison, bowing afterwards and offering the ones that they were holding to the statue where they prayed once they finished the dance.

"They're doing a ritual." The elder stated, walking out of the camp and going inside the forest. The prince was confused where he was going so he followed him, just to make sure that the old man was safe from the savage beasts lurking inside the forest.

The old man led him deep in the forest. A great distance away from the camp where the colossal trees started closing in, covering the sky's great canvas and every hint of glimmer that can be shown.

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