It was wrong. All of it was wrong. A handsome man stood his hands clasped behind his back and peered down at the frightened young man kneeling before him. What a disgrace His top lip curled over his teeth and home king let out a low growl.
"P-Please your highness." The man before him sputtered and his soldiers restrained him as she tried to crawl towards him begging to be saved.
"I'm so sorry, it was a mistake, and honest mistake." The man was puled back by his hair and he let out a small yelp of pain.
"Pathetic" Cain sneered and he took a step towards the man and the crouched to be on the same level as him. The ground between them cracked a little and a small vine slowly grew its way up towards Cain. It slithered almost lovingly around Cain wrapping loosely around his wrist and resting there. The young man gulped, a small bead of sweat dripped between his eyes and he stared at Cain wondering if this was the end.
"You know what we do to rule breakers here?" Cain asked him softly as the Vine began to move again, this time towards the man. The man didn't answer but instead let out a little whimper as the Vine began to wrap painfully tight around his leg and then slither up to his waist cutting of his air. He gasped for breath and tried desperately to get away but he was forced to stay by the two soldiers holding him.
"We take them away." Cain spoke even more softly still
"And they never come back" He chuckled softly and suddenly his left eye was twitching and the hands that were so calm before were in front of him, he was moving his fingers erratically. His hands clasped and un clasped and he let out a loud laugh that echoed in the halls.
"You're mine boy!" He stood and as he did vines more vines rose from the ground with him and they too began to wrap themselves around the poor man.
"Good bye!" Cain said as he bowed flamboyantly. The soldiers moved away from the man and he tried for escape as well but the vines held him. Then suddenly they were pulling him. She slammed him against the ground and there was the definite crunch of a bone breaking and a scream of pain and terror. The floor opened like a black hole and the man was sucked in dragged deep beneath the castle. It was dark. So dark.
Cain let out a delighted giggle and waved his hand over the floor as it head back to its perfect gleaming marble. He smoothed a shakey hand over his dark hair took too a deep breath only to let out another laugh.
"Oh that was fun." He said as he went to sit at a large golden throne. He crossed his legs and uncrossed them and then tried the other way. Neither felt comfortable but he went back and forth between the two variations. As he did an officer went and stood by him, he always had a constant guard around him. Not that he needed it, he was far too powerful of course. The officer was no lady, but rather a woman who was as deadly as a dragon. She was called Alys and he quite liked to look at her so he kept her near by, then again Cain liked to look at most women. Sometimes he even liked to touch. He stood after the crossing of his legs was evidently not working and stepped to the window. Out down below people were starting their days, it was around the time that they were allowed out of their homes.
Cain rubbed his chin and looked down at the empty streets below him for a while more and then headed back inside, he wanted to go to his library. His head was pounding after such excitement and he couldn't stop moving. He wanted more, more screams, more pain... But no one else was breaking any rules so far, which disappointed him. He stepped into a long hallways and walked towards the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with exotic plants and at the middle of the yard a round stone building stood. It was a tall building and trees seemed to be growing half in and half out of it. Already he could feel his brain calming and his hands steading. Cain stepped into the library and went for the nearest chair. He conjured up a drink called Firebrand and took a long gulp. He contemplated what to do with the rest of his day and realized that at the end of the week was the monthly masquerade ball. That put a wide smile on his face. He loved parties, there was always someone who would slip up at them and he would get to punish them later. He giggled a little and rubbed a hand over his twitching eye. He waved his hand and a quill and parchment appeared before him and began to write the things that he needed. He hummed softly and tapped his foot to the song. Above him the trees grown into the library rustled softly and then were once again still. lots to do, lots to do, went the voice in his head.
Reagan woke an hour before curfew and stretched happily. She arched her back and he bed shifted under her growling softly.
"I know I know, but its about time we got up." Reagan said to her bed as it there was nothing wrong. She stood and looked down at her bed which was in fact a giant black bear curled up comfortably. She smiled at him, bent and ruffed that sweet spot between his ears and he grumbled and curled into a bigger ball. She laughed softly and then went about getting ready for her day.
Her fiery red hair was brushed and brushed and much to her dismay it was still a frizzy mess. She rolled her eyes and blew up at a strand of hair that was in front of her face and then went about braiding it. Once her hair was braided she studied herself in the mirror and frowned again. It wasn't a masterpiece but hey, she wasn't really trying all that hard. she got dressed in her hunting grab which was a leather jacket and cloth clothing underneath. She pulled on a pair of boot and then opened her pantry looking for something to eat. Her cupboards were pretty empty and she made a mental note to buy a few things from the market.
She glanced out side and figured it was about time that she was allowed out and she looked over at Benjamin and whistled softly. The big lazy bear raised his head and grunted and then dropped his head back down and was asleep in moments. Reagan had a pouch of money at her side and she hummed softly as she headed to the market. She browsed through a few stalls and had a few apples in her hands, after inspecting them and deeming they were fine she passed a few coins over and then placed them away in a brown bag for later. She wanted Salmon as well for Benny and went off to find another stall. She passed a large sign posted in the middle of way. People would occasionally glance at it and check to make sure they were following the rules. The sign was a large one that was a good person tall listing all of the laws put into effect since Cain had become king.
All citizens must:
Be home by 9
Out of home but 10
Attend every party thrown by the king
Hold one item in their home that has an image of the king
Never disrespect a Soldier
Never wear brown on a ThursdayThere more rules each sillier than the next but she had learned to live by it. Reagan turned away from the sign and shrugged and went off to find more food.
The woods were thick with the trunks and branches of the trees. There was the occasional chirp of the bird far off, or the swoosh of deers legs thumping past the brush. It was within this forest Gideon once again found himself utterly and competently lost. He could have sworn he had passed that rock twice now all ready. The handsome man scratched his bearded chin and realized that he needed to shave. He took a sniff and frowned... and he needed to bathe. Perhaps he might stumble upon a river.
There was the happy chatter of a squirrel up above him and Gideon looked up and focused his eyes on the tan animal.
" Well hello." He said only to be greeted by more of the talk of the animal.
"I don't suppose you know where I might find a river?" He waited for an answer but the Squirrel took it upon itself to stop its chatter and look at him blankly with its dark eyes. Gideon gave it a few more moments and then sighed.
" I guess I can find it on my own." He said. Gideon trudged along humming a soft tune of his people. The Dryad tune was a soft melodious one that spoke of the birth of their people, of how they came to be through nature and when magic was at its highest.
Eventually after a few more tunes, Gideon did find his river. He wasted no time in stripping himself of his rags and jumped right in. He shouted as the water proved to be less warm than it looked and sent chills through him. He forced himself through the cold and let his hair wet and he moved his fingers through it. It took about half and hour of scrubbing and yelling that the water was 'too damn cold' when finally he deemed himself a lot cleaner than he had been before. He climbed out of the water and moved on over to where he had left his clothes only to discover that they were in fact missing. Looking around confused Gideon heard a soft giggle behind him and he whipped around to see a forest spirit flowing along the river waving his clothes at him.
"Hey! Wait! Those are mine!" Gideon took off, buck naked after the spirit who only flowed further down the river.
"Aw come ON!" he shouted, hating the feel of the wind against his body, it sliced through him like knives.
"Give me back my clothes!" He command running as fast as he could after the mischievous spirit, but there was no way he could catch up after the river itself. So slowly and regretfully he came to a halt and panted heavily for breath. He leaned down to rest his hands on his knees and then stood. He sniffed, sneezed and then looked down at his lack of clothes.
" .... Now what?"
