NightClaw

---

"Come now Aserth, straighten your shoulders, push your chest out. You look decidedly un-princely when you slouch like that in your chair."

"But it's more comfortable like this, grandma-"

"That's grandmother to you, young man. Now chop-chop, no more insect quiche for you if you don't listen!"

Aserth groaned, rolling his eyes as he did what his grandmother told him.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, child. You are a prince, not a commoner."

"Well, maybe I'd rather be a commoner then." Aserth huffed. "Being a prince is no fun."

Qimmiphu narrowed her eyes at her grandson, before she shook her head.

"Many would love to be a prince, Aserth. You should be grateful for the title and wealth you inherit."

"Well I don't want it." Aserth said. "What good is this wealth if I'm just bound to stuffy rules?"

"Those rules are there to keep order, young man-"

"Well, they're dumb! Mom's a knight even though she's a princess. She's strong and a fighter, unlike other princesses. That's not part of the rules, is it?" Aserth narrowed his eyes right back at Qimmiphu. "There's no reason any of us should be this damn rich anyway. None of us have worked a day in our life as long as we didn't want to. What's up with that, huh? Why're we hoarding this wealth, huh?"

"You've been hanging out with your commoner friends again, I see." Qimmiphu tisked. "I told you to leave them be."

"They're my friends!" Aserth shot back. "Of course I'm going to see them!"

"They're commoners." Qimmiphu hissed with distain. "Even your mother does not mingle with them, and she is... a special case."

"I don't care 'bout any of that!" Aserth yelled. "They're my friends, you can't stop me from playing with them!"

"Is that so?" Qimmiphu tilted her head upwards, her eyes icy as she looked at Aserth. "From now on, I forbid young prince Aserth from leaving the castle grounds unsupervised. He shall not mingle with commoners any more than neccesary. Guards!" She snapped at the two dragons standing near. "Make sure to inform Pathera. See to it that every servant in this castle knows!"

"Grandmother- you can't!"

"Silence, child." Qimmiphu hissed. "We'll make a prince out of you yet."

---

"It's no fair." Aserth huffed, dodging the incoming slash of his mother. "Why's grandma like that!"

"I know it isn't." Agion swung her sword again, clashing with the one her son was holding. "You musn't take it to heart, Aserth. She just wants what's best for us."

"Whatever it is, this ain't it!" Aserth yelled, driving his sword forward as Agion danced out of the way. "She's not letting me see my friends! How messed up is that?!"

"It's not the best, I must admit." Agion nodded as she continued dodging her son's frustrated strikes. "If you become a knight, however, she wont have any say over you anymore."

"That's gonna take ages!" Aserth groaned. "I don't wanna wait that long to see my friends again!"

"It is what it is." Agion sighed, twisted her sword when it clashed with Aserth's, causing the younger to yelp as he stumbled, his own flying from his claws. She stepped forward, pointing the tip of the weapon at Aserth.

"Yield." She simply said. Aserth groaned again.

"I yield, I yield." He huffed, frowning. "That wasn't fair, ma."

"All's fair in love and war, son." Agion hummed, holding out her hand to help Aserth up. "I'll teach you that one, if you wish."

Aserth looked at the held-out hand, before slapping it away, and getting up by himself.

"Whatever." He said, picking up his sword before getting into combat stance again. "I'm ready."

Agion shook her head with a small smile, before charging forward once more.

---

Years passed by. Aserth could not go see his commoner friends.

And slowly, they forgot about him, and Aserth became isolated in his loneliness, surrounded only with other royalty that he didn't care about, and a title that he didn't want.

Everything was as it should be in the kingdom. Everyone filled their preordained roles, and life went on without a hitch.

Until, one night, when nobody was looking, someone put sleeping magic in the guard's food.

A young pearlcatcher snuck away from the castle, tip-toeing by every security post without a hitch.

One last time, he looked at his old home, adjusting his bag on his back, patting his thigh for his dagger.

And then he disappeared into the night.

---

"Did'ya hear? One of the royal family's princes went missing!"

"No way! You're kidding, that army's so strong and well-trained, there's no way a prince would just disappear without anyone's notice."

"Yes way! It's been all over the news! Here's my copy I found on the streets this mornin-"

"Whoa, you're right!"

"Good riddance, I say. Ya think someone kidnapped 'im?"

"No clue. If that's how it is, there's no public ransom for princey yet, at least, but I don' see what else it could've been."

"I don't know," a pearlcatcher, who had been quiet up until now, spoke up, "perhaps he didn't enjoy being a prince."

"Pah!" The dragon who brought up the topic initially laughed. "What kinda moron wouldn't want all that? I'd kill for a chance to have even a squirt of the wealth those filthy royals have!"

"Hmm, perhaps you're right." The pearlcatcher mused. "Nobody should have that kind of wealth for themselves. If they were good people, they'd give it to the common folk."

"Damn right, pearlie! Cheers to that!" The dragon laughed, raising his drink, slamming it back in one go. "What's yer name anyway, kid? I ain't seen you 'round these parts before."

The pearlcatcher smiled.

"NightClaw." He said. "Call me NightClaw."

---

Years went by. Prince Aserth never returned to the castle, and the royal family mourned.

All but one.

Agion stared at the paper in her hand, a semi-realistic drawing of a pearlcatcher in the middle of it.

"Wanted: NightClaw." She read out loud. "Crimes: thievery, threatening authorities. Armed with daggers. Approach with caution."

The last part was crossed out, replaced with one sentence, clearly scrabbled hastily before authorities could catch on.

"Friend to the poor."

She shook her head, sighing.

"Well, my son." She murmured. "I hope you are happy now, at least."

And she let the paper fly out in the wind.

---

Adoptive parent of Calavera.