A Prince never Forgets (Open)

PL: 9,700

It was a surreal feeling being in someone else's graveyard. Being next in line for the throne, Prince Riis had been forced to attend many funerals, mostly for other nobilities or generals. Of course, the gravesite of his homeworld would no doubt grow exponentially. Riis felt himself tense up, his lips pulling into an angry scowl. He ran away from his throne. Half dead and delirious from blood loss or not, he should have stayed with his people. Now the former royalty had no way of knowing if his brothers survived. Last he saw, both of his younger brothers were being cut down right in front of him. Now here he was, in another person's hallowed ground mourning the lives of others.

It was times like this Riis knew he wasn’t the same man he was since the attack. He became jaded, power hungry and war obsessed. Yet he accepted it. He always had a knack for the art of war, able to plan against the world's top military minds since his teen years. Yet that was also why he lost. He didn’t get his war, he didn’t get to plan, he was caught unaware. He had to rely solely on his fighting skills, which were simply not enough. What about the deceased here? Were they also killed in battle? Did they have a chance to plan? Did they have a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones? Were the brave? Were they cowards?

“Are you a coward for running, or strong for knowing when to flee?” Riis said aloud, staring down at a random grave. He then kneeled before the grave and closed his eyes. He wanted to pay tribute to both the fallen of his home and the fallen of the people that saved him. “Thank you,” he breathed. As he knelt there with his eyes closed, his inner senses began to heighten, picking up on what felt like the souls of those departed. “Namek will always have my thanks.”

Then he picked up another power level. This one living, and almost double his own strength. He shuddered at first, wondering who would be nearby with someone to mourn. Then the energy felt… familiar, almost familial.

Prince Riis stood, deciding to investigate further. Normally he’d leave whoever it was to their grief, however, the bond he felt with this energy spoke to him so loudly he couldn’t help but find out who it was. As the royalty drew closer he could hear a small whimper. Was he interrupting? He couldn’t yet make out a face past the gravestone, but still felt as though he was intruding. “Forgive me. I didn’t know anyone else was… was…”

Riis froze. It couldn’t be. He was sure he died. His lip quivered, his vision growing hazy through the welling tears. “Typha…” he choked. He had no idea what to do. Should he hug him? Should he run? He was stuck. His body refused to move. Should the prince be happy to see his presumed dead brother? Why did this only cause him to feel even more guilt? Still, all he could do was stand and stare, tears slowly forming in his eyes.

The brothers reunite after thinking they were both dead!

It was him. No mirage or illusions. This was Typha in the flesh and very much alive. Unlike the eldest though, he was more than willing to reach out to embrace him. Riis didn't fight it, though was not immediately reciprocative of the hug. “You’re…” Still, his voice failed to find him. He couldn’t speak or move. Only stand there with his arms limp and legs shaking. How could the prince stand there living like the coward he was while his brother was forced to live with such loss.

Eventually, though he did bring his arms up, pulling his younger brother in close. It was clear the siblings were equally shocked to see one another. What was also clear was how they handled it. Typha seemed happier just to see his brother alive. Riis on the other hand only felt guilty for making him believe he was dead. “I am so sorry brother,” he muttered in a barely audible whimper. Riis would pull back slightly, getting a look at Typha’s face. It very quickly became clear how his younger brother survived. “Your eye.” Another scar left by the fall of Konats. “I see… that’s how you survived…” He then gave Typha’s shoulder a couple pats, chuckling weakly. “You always were the better fighter of the two of us.”

The prince then rubbed his eyes clear with his now free hand. Even with all the guilt he carried on his shoulders, he knew if anyone deserved the truth it was his own flesh and blood. “After my blow to the head, all I could think about was getting myself to safety. I had lost so much blood I could barely think straight, so I just climbed into one of the nearest ships, hoping to just rest. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, I must have started it up without even realizing it. After that, I must have lost consciousness until I woke up to find a group of Namekians healing my wounds. They told me I crashed nearby and found me barely breathing. I suppose I only managed to survive through dumb luck.”

He hoped that was a good enough explanation, turning away slightly with his eyes turned to the ground. “Got a nifty scar from it though,” he joked half heartedly, referring to the slim line going across his temple. He couldn’t help but feel ashamed for what he did, still feeling as though he took a cowardly approach. Then it hit him. What was his brother doing on Namek of all places? “What about you? What are you doing on this planet?”

Of all people to hear that he had nothing to be apologetic, his brother was both the best and worst. On one hand having a family member remind you that there is still hope, that not all is lost is a major boost in morale. The only problem is how do you know they aren’t just trying to make you feel better even when a situation is far more grim than you care to believe. Still, hope was something Riis had been short on lately, and he was for once more than happy to hear it. “You’re right. As long as there’s a single Konatsian still fighting, we haven’t lost. And now that we’ve found each other that only makes our chances better! Together we can take back our home!”

Typha then explained why he was on Namek of all places. He, like all of the outsiders, sought the dragon balls, hoping they could be the key to bringing Konats back to its former glory. Riis, brought a finger to his chin, considering the situation and how the dragon balls could play into it. “Yes, the magical wish granting orbs. I remember hearing stories about them too. There’s only one problem. There seems to be a war going on over them. Between the Saiyan Kingdom and this group called The World Trade Fleet.” Riis just thought of another point, one that could not only affect his desired war but hurt the people involved. “Also, I’m not sure how good of an idea it would be to bring back our people while the robots are still active. We could either be wishing ourselves to victory or more likely just wishing them back to a second death.  Perhaps dealing with the robots first would be the smart decision.”

The sibling royalty then went on to mention how even if they revived the entire planet, it wouldn’t erase the pain. Prince Riis put a hand on his brother's shoulder, giving it a warm squeeze. “Those scars, all the pain, that is our reminder. It will remind us never to forget what happened, and help us remember that even in times of peace we should be careful.” his lust for war was beginning to show slightly. Riis could tell the mood was growing a little too somber. He just reunited with his brother, there should be a little more joy in the air. “For now though Typha, I’m quite interested to see how your skills have progressed if you’re interested of course. Obviously, we shouldn’t do that here but there is a nice clearing not too far from here we can have a little match on. What do you say? Just a little bout to keep our skills sharp.”

Sorry for the delay there

Riis nodded along with his brother pensively. With the current state of Konats, the way it was gaining some new allies would certainly be a good course of action. There was just one problem. Konats remained independent for centuries, being lucky enough to avoid the crosshairs of any other tyrannical rulers of groups. As much as Riis knew they needed help, he liked the idea of Konats being free space as always. Of course, the world trade fleet posed a very attractive deal for the would be king.

For now, though it was time for the brothers to have a little duel. “Excellent, there’s a… Typha!” The eldest royalty was taken aback to see his brother already preparing to attack. “Not right here! We’re practically standing on top of a grave. I’m sure these people would like to rest.” The prince gestured over to a small open area not too far from where they stood. “There’s a little clearing over there where we can properly practice.” Riis would beckon for his brother to follow him, walking just a few feet away so they weren’t fighting in an actual graveyard. “Much better.”

This time Riis was ready, his hand already resting on his sword’s handle. “Of course, this may seem out of nowhere. I just… after thinking you were dead I’m just relieved you and I can once again make up for all the time I never got to spend with you, playing or training.” The prince faltered slightly, his eyes welling up just slightly. Then with a vigor, he hadn’t had for the past weeks, he lunged, drawing his blade with a sharp ring. Most average swordsmen would be caught off guard by such a surprise attack, but he knew his brother was more than capable with a blade, surpassing himself. “How I missed this.” Regardless of how his first strike went, Riis would give two more swings, hoping to keep Typha from making any counterattacks.  The Konatsian was just barely off his footing though.  In hopes of keeping injuries to a minimum, he would turn his blade to the side, making sure that if any attack actually hit, it wouldn't cause too much damage.

God how long had it been since the two could trade blows as a fun sort of practice. Riis reveled in his skirmish with his brother, the length of time between their last match making the moment all the sweeter, like a warm soothing tea. The downside to such a large gap in time was his skills began to grow rusty. The prince’s surge of strikes was easily avoided, allowing his brother to retaliate with similar ease. Poor Riis would easily be thrown off balance, having to dodge Typha’s swings in a sort of drunken sway. He looked like an absolute novice.

Still, the oldest noble son of the planet Konats was not about to be shown up that easily. Riis regained his footing after ducking to avoid what would have been a killer blow in an ordinary fight. This allowed the Konatsian to bring his blade up to meet his brothers, though he’d be forced to lean uncomfortably backwards. So using his awkward position to his advantage, Riis slid forward and out from under Typha’s blade, hoping to pass by him and give a quick jab to his side. Normally, he’d use his sword for such an attack, but there was no way to do so safely, and Riis preferred to keep his formerly dead brother formerly dead. Regardless if his little maneuver would work, Riis would wheel around and aim to slap the blunt end on his sword into Typha’s back. “Almost had me there brother!”

Sudden burst of Riis inspiration!  I already apologized but still!


The Prince of Konats was taken aback to see his younger brother do away with his blade altogether. This was as one would expect a major surprise. Even if it could possibly even the fight in terms of raw power and strength, Riis could not take on an unarmed opponent, especially Typha. “Sorry brother,” he smirked, tossing his blade to the side so it stuck in the ground. “I could be armed with a wooden stick and it still would feel right. In fact, I feel a little bit like you’re unsure of my skills.”

As Riis spoke, a few wisps of flame wafting from his mouth, his grin growing broader. “Though I’d be more than willing to turn up the heat if that’s really what you wish!” With a loud inhuman roar, a small blast flew from his mouth, like a dense ball of fire, toned down to a much less lethal version shot out. “You’ve no idea how long I’ve been dying to use that joke. I forget which one of you suggested that one, unfortunately.” even if it came from his more monstrous form, there was a time where young Riis loved showing off how he could breathe fire to the amazement of his younger siblings. He would falter for a moment though, worried the sudden blast was a bit too much for the moment. “You alright brother? I know it was a tad overbored. I hope it wasn’t too dirty a trick for you.” To be fair it was possible Typha remembered the eldest Konatsian royal child could do such feats. Regardless he took a ready stance, more than willing to switch to fists. To make up for his sudden fire shot, Riis would wait for his brother to make the next move.

N1 Fireshot used for 3,201 PL
KP: 2/3
OOC: Still willing to do this if you are