Some Kingdom in the Summer border...

Double doors slammed open, leaving big dents against the wall and an angry man stormed through. His whole form was completely made of sand, including the crown that sat on his head. Matter fact, even the room was sand.

The man was furious as he went about slinging furniture crashing around. A sand woman and young teen entered into the room right after and watched the angry man as he rampaged around the room.

"To think that my son. My son, would go to great lengths to disrespect me." The man, King Yuella shouted, slamming his hands down on his desk.

"Father, I wasn't trying to disrespect you." The teen spoke up, pulling away from his mother and stepping up to the irate king. "I was only proposing a safer measure for our-"

"'SILENCE!" King Yuella's voice thundered out and he pointed a finger dangerously at the teen. "Not another word from you, Shaema."

"My King, Shaema did not speak out in disrespect." His wife, Lae spoke up in fear.

King Yuella glared over at her. "The silence goes for you as well, wench."

Shaema let out a huff, then squared his shoulders and stared defiant against his father. "Father, I will not sit by idle and allow my people to suffer for a selfish greed. I am looking out for the well-being of Sandova and as its future leader..."Before the young man could finish, King Yuella marched over and was punching the prince to the ground. "Future leader." The King snarked out as he hit the boy over and over ignoring his wife's cries. He was about to keep beating him until a high wailing pierced the room.

"Brother!" A young sand girl cried out, making herself across the room to throw herself on Shaema. "Stop hurting him." She hiccupped and clung on tight to her brother.

"Cieana." Lae gasped out.

The king's face soften at seeing his crying daughter. "I don't want to see your presence, Shaema." He spat at the boy then left the room.

Lae finally got the courage to move and made her way to her children to help Shaema. "Are you okay, son?"

"Yes I'm fine." Shaema answered standing to his feet, then he shrugged from Lae and limped with his clinging sister to his quarters. Once they were settled, Shaema carried the sniveling Cieana to his bed and laid her down. She was starting to drift off.

"I love you, Shaema." Cieana whispered with drooping eyelids.

Shaema rubbed his hand along her curls. "I love you too, Cieana." He kissed her forehead.

When he made sure she was truly asleep, he grabbed a suitcase and started throwing a few items and clothing inside. When he was done he stepped to the door, but paused. He turned to watch his sister one last time.

He hated a lot of things in his life, including his abusive father and weak mother, yet the love he has for his sister was the only reason he hadn't rid himself from this broken world. Most royals hated the idea of not being the only child. Shaema however loved being an older brother and was very protective over Cieana. He'd die before he let any harm come to her.

He knew after leaving that she would surely come to hate him. Though he didn't want to leave her, she was safer here than she was out there with him. He was far better off dead.

Easing into the halls, he closed the door behind him. Being stealthy he made his way through the corridors and down the grand staircase. He was about to reach the door when a light voice stopped him.

"Prince Shaema?"

Shaema turned to see Ms. Brew. She was an old handmaiden who had been working for his family for generations and has helped raise them all. She was a real mother to him.

"Ms. Brew, what are you doing awake?" Shaema asked, baffled from being caught.

"Never mind that. Where are you heading at this hour, Prince?"

Might as well tell the truth. "Ms. Brew I am leaving from here and I will not be returning." Shaema admitted, poising his frame taller just in case things turned ugly.

"May I ask why, my prince?" The lady asked in such a lovely tone.

"I will endure the excessive mistreatment and disrespect from your king no more. I deserve to be treated as a Sandovian about to be king, not shoved around like I'm nothing but cattle. I am escaping from this hell so that I can finally be free."

Shaema was thrown off guard when Ms. Brew threw her arms around him. She hugged him tightly, then released him and latched their hands together.

"You do just that, my prince." She said warmly and placed a hand along his cheek. "You deserve to be happy. You will leave and become the man that I know you will be."

Shaema just nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Brew."

"Now, my prince, you must go. We'll meet again someday." Ms. Brew urged rushing the boy.

"Yes." Shaema said then walked out.

Making it through the kingdom was fairly easy. It was nighttime, so other than the guards everyone were tucked away inside. He finally reached the front and looked out to the desert that awaited him. Sand was starting to spiral through the air indicating a sandstorm was coming.

He needed to get a move on it.

Not taking another look back at his home he stepped a foot out and started into the desert land.

33

You're no son to me

The desert was unforgiving as the sandstorm raged on blocking out any sight of the ecosystem. The storm however didn't bother Shaema or his kind. It was annoying though cause he still had to shield his eyes to keep the sand from clogging up his sockets.

Shaema inched on, only focused on getting far away from Sandova as possible. The sand hauled down, almost causing Shaema to miss the dark shadow growing bigger in the distance. He slowed down getting the feeling that this was bad. As he got closer, he noticed that it was a person.

He was young, but older than Shaema, with a green turban tied around his head. He had dark skin with a bandage over his cheek. It tried to cover a scar that zigzagged over his left eye.

Those eyes.

They were different. His left one was completely black. The right one was foggy with white spirals clouding up the orb.

The boy stepped up to Shaema, posed with his hands in his pocket and a slouch to his back, then nodded his head.

"Is that Sandova back there?" The stranger asked the prince who was gawking at him.

Shaema stood straight as his body went alert and nodded.

"Sweet. I heard that Kingdom is a paradise."

At hearing that Shaema let out a grunt. "It's far from any paradise I'd go to. I wish it would just disappear."

Suddenly, the stranger's face split wide from smiling too hard. "Do you really mean that?"

The young prince stepped back in shock, baffled from the sudden change in the air. He drew a small sword from the sheath on his hip.

The stranger just let out a cheeky laugh and tilted his head at the prince with his eyes boring into Shaema's. "Do you really wish for that place to disappear? For all of your problems to just wash away?"

"W.. Who are you?" Shaema growled, keeping his sword trained on the man.

The man pointed at himself. "Who me? The name's Dax and I might have a deal for you."

"A deal?" Shaema questioned.

"Yes. A no strings attached deal. One that gets you what you want and I get to have a free show."

"Free show? What I want?" Shaema spurted attempting to wrap his head around the nonsense. "What are you spouting on? What I want..."

"Yes?" Dax lifted his brows and leaned forward in anticipation.

"What I want...? I mean I wan..."

"Them dead." Dax growled out in a grotesque demonic voice.

Shaema jolted back as he stared at Dax in horror. "Dead?! No, I.."

The raging desert around them vanished leaving Shaema surrounded by darkness. The prince looked around frantically holding his sword with quivering hands. He could hear his heavy breaths echoing in his ears.

"They never loved you." Dax's voice sounded out all ghostly like. "They never cared about their dear sweet prince."

"Shut it. You don't know." Shaema yelled, and started swinging his sword around striking air. Soon growing tired, he paused to catch his breath.

"You were a disappointment." Shaema looked up and saw Dax's image floating like a phantom. "The reject. The mistake that big ole daddy wishes he could get rid of."

"Shut" Shaema cried out clutching at his head as Dax blurred around him continuing to taunt him. His head was spiraling as all the dark feelings he held inside began to leak out. He tried to stop it, but it was stronger than his will.

"They don't love you. They never did so why are you fighting it? They don't deserve to be. You do." Dax stated appearing behind Shaema. "You hate them."

"I hate them." Shaema blurted out, with an emotionless face. "And I want them dead."

Dax smiled. "Good." He stepped until he was before the prince. "I'm the guy who'll help you achieve greatness. So?" Dax asked holding out his right hand.

Shaema paused then shook his hand. A prick on his palm had the prince jumping back with confusion on his face.

Dax held up his bloody hand with a smile. It glowed red as the blood started seeping into his palm then it purred. "A blood oath kid. It means a deals a deal. Everything from here is up to me."

Dax made a click with his mouth and a dark blob formed from the darkness. Two white eye soles plopped on the blob and stared at Shaema. It slithered quickly over to the teen and climbed his body before it forced itself into Shaema's mouth.

The teen clawed at the blob, but it was no use as it was successful, chocking the boy in the process. Shaema fell to his knees still gasping for air with slobber rolling down his chin. The darkness fell away, placing them back in the stormy desert.

The prince looked up at Dax through hooded eyes, fighting to keep his vision steady but he could feel himself starting to fade. "W-what are y-you?"

Dax just grinned, "A friend."

The prince let out one last gasp before his body flopped to the ground.

Dax rolled his eyes, "Volquknak, you can stop the dramatics and get up." He spoke out.

Shaema's body rose up to his feet, grinning at the man. There were black markings now all over his body and his eyes were pure black with yellow rings.

"We made a deal with him. No time to play. He wants his people to suffer then that they shall."

He gave the snickering ghoul prince a giddy look. "You know what to do."

The sand from the storm started flying over and attached to Shaema's body until he was completely covered. It continued to stick until now stood a huge sand scorpion.

The scorpion let out a high pitch screech that sent out a wave so strong it caused the storm to stop.

Dax summoned a skateboard and the two flew off towards Sandova.

In Sandova...

The kingdom was quiet as the people slept. The guards sat and stood around bored. Some were falling asleep. A sudden jerk caused the guards to jump up. They could feel the ground shaking, but they didn't see anything coming.

"An earthquake?" One guard chirped.

"I'm not sure." Another guard answered, peering out into the distance until he caught something. "Everyone I spot something."

The bunch looked and saw something big heading towards them at full speed.

"What in the?"

"Draw your weapons."

The guards unsheathed their weapons and ran to guard the kingdom. The ground shaking grew stronger as the creature got closer.

"Alright men. Protect the king!" A guard shouted.

The rest cheered back.

"Protect San-" A board sliced through the guard and landed into the ground. The guard turned to mushy sand on the ground.

The others armed themselves and ran with a battle cry. The scorpion dashed at them, swiping its claws at some of the guards and let out a screech.

Dax ran in, punching at the sand. He laughed as he watched them explode into dust. "Haha, who knew knocking down sandcastles was so much fun."

He grabbed his skateboard and the two made their way into the kingdom, taking down anything in their path. They fought until they got close to the castle.

The scorpion came to a sudden stop.

Dax looked over to it in question.

The sand around the scorpions' head fell away showing a frowning Shaema.

"Home." Shaema growled out.

Dax nodded in understanding. "Go do your thang. I'll handle things back here. I'm in need of some fun." Dax said, eying the guards running up to them.

Shaema took off towards to the castle.

"Alright babies, let's turn the party up." Dax said. Black blobs formed at his feet and slithered over to a few guards. They flung themselves into their mouths and took over them.

They turned on their people and started eating at them and Dax joined with some punches.

At the castle...

"Hurry sire and malady." A guard urged on, ushering King Yuella and Lae up the steps.

The ground started quacking, swaying everyone on their feet.

Thump thump thump

They all turned and watched as the giant scorpion stormed their way.

"Aaahhh" they all screamed and pushed their way into the castle.

Lock clink

After securing the front, King Yuella headed for the staircase. "Jorf, you and your men guard the floor. The rest of you go to every door and chamber to keep watch. The queen and I will go to my study. Kill anything." He ordered out, then looked over at Lae. "Come on bitch." He barked then stormed up the stairs.

The two keep on until they were locked in the king's study.

"What the hell is going on?" Yuella screeched out as he paced the room. "Why? Why must this type of calamity befall on my kingdom?"

"The better question is why wouldn't it when this kingdom is built on lies and deceit." The sound of their son's voice had the two jerking around. Yuella took in his son's appearance, releasing a growl once he caught those black eyes.

"Where is my son?"

Shaema let out a laugh, slapping across his knee like his dad had said a joke. "Why that's very funny, father. I'm right here."

"No you're not. What have you done with my son?"

"You've never had a son." Shaema said angrily. "Your son has been dead to you for sixteen years so why do you care now?" The prince expressed, stepping to the king. "This is the first time you have ever looked at me, and yet I am no longer a Sandovian. Some father you are."

Yuella swung out, however Shaema swiftly dodged beaming a bright smile.

"Must feel bad to miss. It must eat you up inside knowing that you are not in control no longer." Shaema teased which worked in getting Yuella to keep attacking.

King Yuella continued swinging but he wasn't connecting with anything. The prince was too fast.

"It must kill you to lose. To know that no matter what you hope for, it just slips through your grasp. Such disappointment." Shaema finally snapped then struck the king.

Yuella slammed against his desk. Shaema stood over him menacingly.

"Here lies the great King Yuella of Sandova. An abusive, manipulative, and arrogant piece of garbage that do not deserve to be here. I do." Shaema declared for only the king to hear.

A tail sprung from his back and stabbed into the king's chest.

"NOoo," Lae shrilled from her perch. "What have you done?! What have you done you wretched child?" The woman cried out.

Shaema looked over to her with a pained expression. The tail was removed from the king and his body fell to a pile at the prince's feet.

"It's okay mother," he calmly said, then his tail stretched over and wrenched itself into Lae's chest. A tear rolled down Shaema's cheek. "I loved you, too."

"Brother?"

The prince turned quickly at the voice. Cieana stood wide eyed in the doorway with tears running down her face.

"Cieana" Shaema gasped out retracting his tail.

Why did she have to show up now? He didn't mind no one else seeing him as a monster, but not her. Not his baby sister.

Shielding his face with a hiss, he ran and jumped out of the window. He landed on his feet to the ground below. Dax was standing there looking at him with a satisfied smile. The two didn't say anything to each other.

"Now it's my turn." Dax stated with chuckle then Shaema's body started seizing up.

The Prince's body groaned then started to giggle. The ghoul looked at Dax with a lick of his lips.

"Well Volquknak. Deals done. We have some conquering to do."

Sand formed around Shaema turning him back into the scorpion.

Dax watched as the ghoul infected guards joined them with smiles on their faces.

"Let's ride babies."

Outro: Afraid, The Neighborhood