Chapter 1 The Employer

Roc Chadwick walked slowly, holding the scroll in his hand, towards the venue mentioned in the scroll. Without realising, it had been one year since their stay on the island. He remembered vividly how he and the young man, his best buddy and brother Sky Yale, had found their ways to each other.

With his dark hair, slim and fair with a dignified appearance, who would have thought he was a prince from a faraway state? It was a long story. First, he was born to a mother of lowly status. He stomached the fate of being despised and ridiculed by his half-siblings. Second, was the overbearing rules of the palace. Of course, there were other reasons as well, but these two reasons dominated his decision. After the last straw, he finally succeeded in his many attempts to flee the palace.

He changed his name from Roc Chadstone to Roc Chadwick, taking with him his life savings and a boat he loved very much, the ‘Explorer’. Then, he had come across and rescued Sky Yale while the young man was floating in the water, severely injured and later, he secretly found him a physician renowned for his skills, taking great care to ensure that the spies from the palace would not find him.

Their brotherhood had begun in that way. They became each other’s companions and later took on an oath to become sworn brothers. Sky Yale had a total memory loss, which the physician suspected was the aftermath of an attack. All Sky Yale had in memory of who he was, was a letter addressed to him by his master, who he didn’t remember, and a memoir of his biological mother, a jade pendant with her name carved on it.

The parchment, with the words from his master, explained how he had come across the infant wrapped in a warm cloth, bearing the pendant and a letter. Sky Yale hadn’t remembered his name, and it was Chad who had chosen his name. His master had also mentioned in the unaddressed letter that Sky Yale’s mother had said in her letter that she originated from Tribute. The men determined that the best way was for them to venture to Tribute themselves. There, they might find the answers that Sky Yale sought.

Together, with the small boat and the remaining taels of gold from Roc Chadwick’s savings, they set out. They took the directions of travellers who had sailed towards Tribute but returned with failure, asking around to compile enough information on travelling to Tribute, before embarking on the actual journey.

Roc Chadwick knew clearly that they might not make it to Tribute, or that they might not survive the trip, but for the sake of freedom and his sworn brother, he courageously ploughed ahead. He hadn’t even expected the expedition to be smooth.

But when they woke up the next morning after sailing off the continent to what they believed to be the ‘edge of the world’, unexpectedly, they ended up in a bizarre tunnel. The entire journey was so mystical that it was indescribable. All he could say was that somehow they ended up reaching a destination that nobody from where he came from had ever achieved.

And that paved their new beginnings in Tribute. Without his status and ample money to survive, it reduced the runaway prince to a commoner. Soon, poverty compelled the two brothers to take on odd jobs for a living. Sky Yale turned out to be very capable of farm work, while the spoiled prince had to resort to working as an accountant in a local shop instead.

But his adventurous mind told him despite how their mediocre-paying jobs helped them make ends meet, this wasn’t the life he was after. He could tell that working at the farm every day, with no challenge to face, completely bored Sky Yale to death. That was when he browsed around in the capital, looking at the notice board for any work to do.

Then came the day he came across the recruitment scroll. An anonymous employer was hiring two mercenaries for a trip. Coincidentally, the shop was closed early today, so he headed over for a look. If everything seemed okay, he could get Sky Yale to go with him for the job.

The address wasn’t hard to find, as he was an expert at following instructions, and being articulate in the language. He soon arrived, wearing his new brocade suit, a gift from his employer, the proprietor of the shop he worked at. He ensured his hair and attire were neat before he knocked appropriately on the door.

It was a small establishment that functioned as an office. Outside, two potted plants and a Kirin statue functioned as decorations, giving the structure a decent and humble vibe.

“Come in,” a perky female voice announced after five minutes of him waiting outside the door, filling Roc with awe.

So, this employer was a woman? That intrigued him more. From the tone of her voice, she didn’t seem older than he was, and he was twenty-one. The lady must be someone prominent in the island city.

He cleared his throat and reminded himself that he had to sound more assertive to persuade the lady that he was interested in the job.

“Yes, madame,” he answered and opened the door.

Once inside the office, the curious prince ventured with his eyes from the entrance, proceeding towards the few rooms, barricaded by silk curtains. The interior design of the place was undoubtedly feminine, with floral patterns and pink-coloured tapestries hanging from the ceiling. A foreign touch indeed, but confirmed his suspicion that the owner of the voice, a lady, was his prospective employer.

“So, I presume you are here for the job?” The voice morphed into that of a domineering tone. He listened to the voice a bit more attentively. Something about the voice seemed to trigger a sense of familiarity with him.

With his eyes, Roc scouted past the wooden cabinets, storing what were apparent scrolls that were slightly visible through the narrow gaps. He moved gradually towards the direction of the lady’s voice.

A woman appeared, standing right by a curtained entrance to one room. Clad in a pink flowing dress, with fair skin and mildly flushed cheeks, she lived up to her name as the Cold Beauty of Tribute, which Chad didn’t know. She was slender, with a slim waist and emotionless eyes that seemed to peer right through his soul.

But that was not what had baffled him. Reeling backwards in shock, Chad let out a sudden gasp.

“It’s you…”