Chapter 66 – Loyal to the End, Serving Beyond Life

The trio moved toward the owl. Shawn and Selena worked together to lift it, helping the drenched bird back onto its feet. The owl spread its wings, but they were drenched, leaving it unable to fly off. Makara, meanwhile, was opening the gourd, smelling it and raising it to take a sip when—crack! A sharp sound rang out as the gourd split cleanly in half, spilling its contents into the sand.

Makara’s playful expression froze, replaced by sheer disappointment. His mouth hung open in shock as he fell to his knees, staring at the ruined gourd. “Really?” he muttered.

He glanced up, and his answer came into view—Thane stood a few feet away, drenched but as fierce as ever. His whip, still faintly smoking from the strike, coiled loosely in his hand. His piercing gaze was unwavering, his loyalty and determination emanating from every movement.

Shawn and Selena instinctively moved into defensive positions, preparing for what was clearly an inevitable confrontation. Thane, however, raised Selena’s spear—which he had recovered at some point—and aimed it toward them, halting their movements. His voice was sharp, low, and commanding. “Don’t even think about reaching for your weapons.”

His expression was cold and unreadable as he let his gaze travel over the trio. It was evident that he wasn’t going to let them off easily, not after what had happened to Prince Enthril.

Makara shook his head ruefully, muttering under his breath, “So much for a drink.” He flexed his hand in frustration.

Thane’s gaze sharpened, and his grip on the whip tightened. Selena leaned toward Shawn and whispered, “Looks like he’s not just here for a chat.”

The tension was palpable as the trio held their defensive stances. Yet curiosity kept them from making the first move. The silence was broken by Thane’s low, solemn voice.

“My prince foresaw this,” he murmured, his tone cold but laced with something deeper—grief.

A heavy silence lingered as Thane’s words sank in. Shawn and Selena exchanged glances, their guards lowering slightly in a reluctant willingness to listen, while Makara remained kneeling in the sand.

Thane straightened, letting his whip hang slack in his hand. His eyes grew distant, as though he were staring into the past. He began to recount the events of that fateful night. “After I served you in the forest,” he said, his gaze flicking briefly to Shawn, “I returned to Prince Enthril, as I always did before the day’s end, to perform my final duties to him. But that night…” His voice grew softer, more haunted, “…it was different. His eyes held a strange sadness, something I had never seen before.”

Thane paused, his expression briefly faltering before continuing. “He told me, ‘They are close by, Thane. The fragments of my father’s sword—I can sense two pieces resonating near to the one inside me.’”

Shawn’s hand tightened instinctively, hearing the words of Thane as the prince’s foreboding words resonated in his mind. Selena leaned forward, her sharp gaze focused, while Makara crossed his arms and sat on the sand beach, his brow furrowing in thought as he listened intently.

“I thought he’d ask where you were,” Thane continued, casting a fleeting glance at Shawn. “But he didn’t. Instead, he told me something unexpected. ‘Thane, I have decided to give the fragment inside me to the travellers, as per my brother Prince Zhao’s request. Apparently, even my elder brother Prince Aerion had relinquished his fragment.'” But knowing the consequences, I inquired, “But my prince…”—and then I trailed off, my words caught in my throat, unable to ask further. Thane’s voice faltered, and his hands tightened into fists. “My prince was different. He knew the fragment was bound to his life. Separated from it, he knew he would die, and yet…”

Selena let out a soft gasp, her lips parting in shock, but she said nothing, her silence urging Thane to continue.

His expression grew darker, and his tone dropped as though each word physically pained him. “He knew he couldn’t go back on his word. ‘A prince keeps his word,’ he told me. But then he added, ‘I need to test them, Thane. I need to see if they are truly worthy of the mission my elder brother, Prince Zhao, entrusted to them. Distract the big one,’ he said, referring to you, Makara. ‘I’ll test the princess myself. In the end, I will let them claim the fragment… and my life will be the price.’”

Thane’s voice wavered, and for a moment, his stoic façade cracked. His eyes glistened as the weight of his grief became visible, though his tone remained steady. “I was horrified. I wanted to protest, to find some way to stop him. But before I could speak, he silenced me with a smile—a smile so calm, it was as if he had already made peace with his fate. He looked at me and said, ‘Thank you, Thane, for your loyalty, for all you’ve done for me over these years.’ I tried to speak, to tell him it was my duty, that it was he who saved me, but he wouldn’t hear it.”

Thane paused, his gaze distant, his voice thick with emotion as he recalled the prince’s final request. “‘Do one last thing for me, fulfil my last wish,’ he said. ‘Build a sanctuary for the elephants. Give them peace, Thane.’”

The trio exchanged solemn glances, the enormity of Prince Enthril’s sacrifice settling heavily over them. Thane’s voice grew quieter, yet it carried an unshakable sense of loss as he said, “And then I left, carrying his final words like a burden in my heart. Little did I know that by the time I returned, it would already be too late.”

His expression twisted with anguish as he continued, his voice raw and unsteady. “During the fall, I saw him—my prince, transformed into his beast form, descending rapidly toward the ocean. I tried to reach him, to grab hold of him, but the ocean consumed us both. I refused to let him sink alone. I swam after him, desperate to reach him. But his body was lifeless, too massive as he sank faster and faster.”

Thane’s fists clenched, his voice dropping to a trembling whisper. “I screamed his name beneath the water, hoping he’d respond. But then, a large boulder plunged into the depths, scattering us apart. I fought to swim toward him, but it was too late. His body touched the ocean floor, and… his body dissolved and merged with the sand.”

For a moment, Thane’s voice broke entirely, his mask of calm shattering as his grief bled through. “Amid the swirling currents, I sank into despair. But then, something shone through the sand—the fragment, still intact, glowing faintly. His final request echoed in my mind, and I knew what I had to do. I grabbed the fragment, rose to the surface, and followed your trail here.”

The trio remained silent, each wrestling with the weight of what they had just heard. Then, with deliberate calm, Thane lifted Selena’s spear from his hand and, with a measured toss, sent it back to her. “This belongs to you, I believe,’ he said.”

Without hesitation, he reached behind his back and brought forth the sword fragment, its metallic surface shimmering as the sunlight caught its edges. He stared at it with a heavy expression, his voice thick with the weight of his emotions. “This fragment was demanded by something greater than my master’s life. So don’t sully his sacrifice.”

Thane stepped forward and extended the fragment toward Shawn. His gaze was hard but resigned as he said, “As per my prince’s last command, I give this to you.” His voice was roughened with sorrow, but his resolve was clear.

Shawn reached out with his right hand, his grip firm as he accepted the fragment. Its weight in his hands seemed immeasurable, not because of its size, but because of the sacrifice it now represented.

A profound silence fell over them as Thane stepped back. His gaze drifted toward the shoreline, where a few elephants had begun emerging from the ocean, their movements slow and uncertain. His shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of his final duty easing as he saw them alive.

“But know this,” Thane said suddenly, his voice sharp as his eyes locked onto Shawn’s. His expression was fierce, his words trembling with restrained fury. “I am angry. My prince did not need to die. But… I have a duty to fulfil, and I will honour his last wish.”

Without waiting for a response, Thane raised his whip and cracked it in the air. The sharp sound echoed through the beach, and the elephants lifted their heads, their movements instinctively falling in. One by one, they began to enter toward the tree line, their large forms disappearing into the forest’s shadows.

Thane paused, glancing back at the trio one last time. His gaze carried a mixture of pain, loyalty, and unyielding resolve. With a final, silent farewell, he turned away and followed the herd into the forest, his figure vanishing among the trees.

The trio stood motionless, staring after him as the weight of his story and the magnitude of Prince Enthril’s sacrifice hung heavy in the air. Respect for Thane’s loyalty and unwavering dedication filled their hearts, a quiet yet profound tribute to a bond that had transcended duty itself.