The topic of leaving everything you had to pursue passion has been such a pointless debate throughout the years; people wanted to figure out if a prince's desire was foolish or correct once he had run away from home—no one had been able to find him since, leaving the masses to chatter amidst themselves in circles like vultures.

Mercury timidly looked at a window from the teaching room where he taught several dragons the way of geography and the beauty of the maps that made Sornieth. Being taught by the best tutors in years past, and keeping his head buried into books about the same topic, he became very well versed in teaching it as well.

However, his mind would often wander back to how he even got here.

To the beautiful sight from a gilded window that was paid with the ancient bloodlines that ruled over his home; he stared though it quietly, wishing for something less. It was hard to say if he felt proud of this view. Perhaps when he was younger, he enjoyed it and was proud of it, but royalty had grown dull and boring through the years. Being told from his youth what he was supposed to do, what hobbies he picked up, how he held himself ... as being a prince was all he knew.

But new desires and dreams came from a high hanged picture of a map covering an entire nation.

The detail sparked a new interested from the young prince, how did they get the lines so correct in the directions, what did it take to make these? His mind wandering for hours exploring that small map there, a claw finely tracing each line as if it were a delicate vein. His parents at the very least did notice his enjoyment for maps, and bought more for him, since none was too expensive for the golden coffers they had.

As he grew older, an idea came to him. What if he could make these maps and study them himself? See the world for what is beyond protected kingdom walls? Explore and note all that which saw of this world, and be free, no longer bound by a royal bloodline? It came slowly and culminated: his plan to escape it all.

He more than understood his parents, for they'd never let him have his desire, for Mercury had dreams far more important to him than guiding a nation, and no one seemed to understand. So he would flee, and do more with his life. His desires were ones that wouldn't be stopped to rule some dusty throne; he wouldn't be kept to one place, he would go out and explore it himself, and make maps on what he saw with the lines others have made, and keep its growth ongoing.

In the several years since he left what was once home behind, he's greatly grown. Although the vultures of the kingdom were still lurking about, he's managed to hide from his window. His dreams were coming true—the fact the University took him so openly still left him feeling warm—and the freedom from royal life felt very good.

Plus, who is to say making maps of the unknown and known isn't a grand act in itself?

Written by CrimsonSasaki