In the meantime, Jacob paced near the edge of the woods not far from the castle, waiting for his friends. His guards stood to the side, and he ran a hand over his face before pushing it through his hair.
"Am I that ungrateful?" He murmured the question to himself. "Can I really be so entitled when I do have so much?" His steps brough him closer to the woods, and he paused to stare into the foliage.
"Rah!" Two figures jumped from behind the trees, throwing themselves towards Jacob.
"Aye!" Jacob stumbled back as his guards launched forward towards the threat, blasters drawn. A threat which turned out to be two of his friends, Kieran and Luke, choosing to play with death and startle Jacob.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's just us!" Kieran shouted as he threw his hands into the air, Luke following suit.
"Are you two stupid?" Jacob snapped, punching Kieran in the shoulder as the guards put their weapons away. Keiran grunted, Luke laughing. "My guards could have shot you!"
"Well, they didn't so! Gabe and Julian are on their way over. I think they're bringing some of the others. We're thinking of using the open space out here to play some battle frisbee." Kieran rubbed his shoulder and rolled his eyes.
As if on cue, Julian and some of the others came jogging over, Julian holding the frisbee above his head in victory. "I swear, we have to do this over by my place next time! You guys have the worst ideas."
"What's battle frisbee, exactly?" Jacob asked, interjecting to try and get a grapple on what they were planning to play.
Julian gave a mock gasp. "The great Emperor Jacob hasn't played battle frisbee before?"
"Do you even know what an emperor is, Julian?" Jacob rolled his eyes.
Julian stared at him for a second, his mental gears turning and making little progress in his thought processes.
"Don't hurt yourself. I'm not an emperor. They have total control over whole domains or that kind of thing. I don't have control of anything, I'm just a prince." A grin spread across Jacob's face. "I could ask my father for you if you want."
"No, no I don't think that will be necessary," Julian stuttered, gulping at the thought before reverting back to Jacob's question. "Uhh, the frisbeee. There are two teams, right? You have to score by throwing the frisbee through the area we mark out. We have a decent set up back by my place but we can get something makeshift here. Our watches usually track the goals automatically, but we'll hit the button on the side every time we score since we don't have the posts."
"What if the frisbee goes out of a marked area?" Jacob watched as his friends drew lines and set up some sticks.
"Then it's the other team's turn and you have to defend."
"And tackles? Are they fair?"
"Only below the hips. Anything else and you have to wait out until three goals are scored. Got it?"
"Come on, Julian, hurry up!" Gabe yelled across the field.
"Shut up!" Julian shouted back. "Come on, we'll break up the teams now."
Jacob nodded and joined the group, a watch shoved in his direction. Everyone split into the two teams, Jacob watching his teammates play for a while, taking a more defensive position and learning by the moment. The game raged forward, the prince gaining confidence and understanding while he began to take on a more prominent role. Each team collected goals, fighting for an edge as they came to a score of twenty-a-piece, only one point needed for a final win.
Jacob's team held possession and huddled at the center point, pushing their shoulders together, their voices low. "We're halfway to the goal line," Jacob said with urgency, the adrenaline of the game coursing through him. "Here's the plan: We make it look like they're controlling the play. Then, I'll break free around the side. Gabe, you throw it over the top, and I'll catch it near the goal line, then throw it in. They'll never see it coming!"
The team nodded with determination etched on their faces as everyone threw their hands together.
"Win on three!" The team shouted in unison. "One, two, three, win!" There was a cheer as the team broke apart, preparing their places.
The whistle blew and the final play commenced. The first part of their plan was executed perfectly, every move between the players in unison. Julian's team pressed forward, overconfident that they had Jacob's team on the ropes.
"That's it, guys! They're trapped! Apply more pressure!" Julian shouted, an arrogant grin spreading across his face.
Like a bolt of lightning, Jacob broke free from the chaos, darting towards the sideline. Julian's team struggled, the play catching them and stopping them in their tracks. Before they could properly react, the frisbee was already in the air.
Time seemed to slow down, the frisbee flying in the air in a seemingly eternal spin. The frisbee arced beautifully through the sky. But in an instant, joy turned into dreaded wonder as the frisbee looked as though it was sailing just out of Jacob's reach. His teammates watched with bated breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.
Julian's team started to celebrate, their faces lighting up with victorious smiles. But Jacob's eyes narrowed on the target as he dug deep, pumping his arms as fast as he could, using every ounce of energy he had left. He neared the goal line, leaping into the air and stretching his body to its absolute limit. He felt the wind rush past his ears, and for a split second, everything was silent.
His fingers brushed the edge of the frisbee. He closed his hand around it, feeling the familiar grip of the plastic. He landed hard on his stomach, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Dust kicked up around him, momentarily obscuring the view. When the dust settled, Jacob was on his feet gasping for air but a grin painted on his face, the frisbee clutched tightly in his hand. With a swift, fluid motion, he threw the frisbee through the goal posts.
Time snapped back to its normal pace, and the field erupted in chaos. Jacob's teammates screamed in triumph, rushing towards him. They lifted him into the air, their cheers echoing across the field. Julian's team stood in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
As it set in, Julian huffed, pointing towards the forest where the frisbee had flown, setting a record distance. "Well, now you need to go get the frisbee."
"Losing team has to get it," Luke laughed.
"Oh, absolutely not! Person who threw it does!"
"Come on guys! We'll get it together," Jacob insisted, walking across the field to meet Julian with a clap to his shoulder. "Don't be a sore loser."
He received an eyeroll, but Julian joined and the three teenagers pushed into the forest with the guards close behind. They scanned the undergrowth and trees, attempting to catch the color of the frisbee.
"Isn't this the place you swore you met some magical mushroom people when we were kids?" Luke asked, Jacob shoving him to the side in response.
"Oh ya! Should we be scared of the scary lord of darkness? Ooooh," Julian teased, earning a punch on both shoulders from each boy.
"Don't bring up stuff from when we were kids! I can bring up a lot of dirt on both of you! I swear it happened! But you guys are dense," Jacob huffed before throwing them a grin as they fell into laughter.
"How hard did you throw the frisbee?" Julian demanded.
"Not that hard!"
"Hey guys," Luke interjected, Julian and Jacob barreling into him as he stopped suddenly and pointed. The frisbee rested on the ground, coated in a black and purple substance that oozed from a crack in the ground.
"What is it?" Julian squinted his eyes.
"I don't know," Jacob admitted, moving closer to see. His arm stretched out, fingers about to touch it when one of his guards grabbed his arm, yanking him back. The man's face was pale, Jacob starting to open his mouth before he was cut off.
"Don't touch it, your highness. It's icodine." The man's voice was almost a reverent whisper.
"We must inform the king," the second guard added urgently. "We must go now and tell him."
"I'm staying here," Jacob corrected. "You go tell my father. I want to know what this stuff is!"
"Your highness-"
"He is right, I will stay with him and his friends and be sure no one comes near. You tell the king," said the first guard, agreeing with the prince's decision to stay. The other nodded and sprinted off. The first turned to Jacob once more and gestured away from the crack. "We should move back."
"What for? What even is this icodine stuff?"
Before the guard could respond to Jacob, a rumble echoed into the woods. Suddenly, there was a loud crack and the ground shook. The guard grabbed Jacob, yanking him away as the ground split open. Black and purple icodine spewed from the opening, shooting high into the air like a volcano before cascading back down like a twisted fountain. The liquid hummed with energy and an ominous glow.