Chronicles of the Kakonia

Chapter Two
The King
Trapped on a boat going to God knows where, and utterly alone…This was the time that despair, along with its friend, guilt decided to rear their ugly heads.
It’s my fault that she isn’t here…why didn’t I choose a barrel closer to hers!? God-fucking-damn-it! Leah…She could be dead…
Dark thoughts consumed the redhead; the loss of her young ward brought on a major load of survivor’s guilt…However, Clara knew that no amount of cursing or self blame would bring the teenage girl back. She knew! But… that didn’t make the accepting the reality any easier. Instead, the redhead decided to think of other important things…
The best thing I can do right now is survive…I hope wherever Leah is, she’s alive and safe…Now…what to do with this situation? I know that this ship belongs to Kakonia or whatever that means… Hopefully, Kakonia are not anything like those ‘Demons’ things…but something tells me that waltzing up on deck would be a bad idea… For God knows what the crew would do to a stole-away… I guess I wait it out till this thing docks…hopefully somewhere near an American friendly place…I wonder if that market place was somewhere in Africa…they speak English in Africa, right?
Clara settled herself on the damp floor and started pondering where on Earth she could be…
Okay, the ones that smuggled me were known as ‘Demons’…they couldn’t possibly be real life ‘Demons’…granted the ears and teeth were, freaky…but people alter their appearances all the time, especially in foreign lands, right? Right, okay that’s figured out. The smugglers are human just weird looking humans. So the smuggles are some weird tribe of people that go around and calling themselves ‘Demons’…okay makes sense…I guess ‘Kakonia’ are another tribe of people that doesn’t get along with ‘Demons’…a another plus for the Kakonia tribe…Okay as to where I am…currently on the ocean…that doesn’t help…the market was…was…Arabian-like, I guess. It was really hot, so must be around Africa…; concluded Clara, but that revelation suddenly died as another thought came to life;
Okay something doesn’t make sense…it’s hot, but I know that no inhabitable place on Earth is hot enough to boil people ALIVE! So what happened to them!? Maybe the injections had an awful effect on them or something…that would make sense…Okay! some weird ass African tribe smuggles people from other countries and brings them to some crazy place near or around Africa…or somewhere…Wait…if that’s true then why didn’t it take long to leave New York and travel half way across the world in a few hours…I was knocked out…yeah…explains everything…right? Double shit on a stick! I’m in a fucked up situation!
Clara plopped her face to her hands in frustration. She wanted nothing more than to shut down her brain and pretend that this wasn’t happening.
Closing her eyes…Clara cleared her head…
Creak…of the ship
Footsteps…of the crew
Crash…of the surf
Whistle…of the wind
The moment of forgetting was ruined….the sounds of reality wouldn’t let Clara pretend that this nightmare wasn’t happening.
Groaning, Clara lifted her head, a scowl planted firmly on her face. She moved her hand to bush off the hair from the back of her neck. Her fingers idly played with the injection site. The swollen area had gone down considerably, there was even no pain. Clara then proceeded to pull her hand back; grazing the junction between her shoulder and neck…a bizarre tingle ran through her body, making the redhead jump and squeak!
“The hell was that!?” Clara asked aloud.
She went back over the area, the tingling feeling got stronger. Under her dainty fingers Clara fingered twin dents in her flesh.
“The hell…more injections marks? Just how many shots did they us…weird…the one on the back of my neck doesn’t feel like this…what’s with this tingling feeling?” questioned Clara aloud
The more she rubbed on the spot the more intense the feeling got. It traveled the length of her arm and back; journeying to her chest and down. It didn’t hurt…but it was strange…really strange.
Okay Clara, some it up to more damn shot those freaks gave you…not much you can do about them…God I hope all these shots don’t kill me before I can make it home…
Standing up, Clara decided to take in her full soundings and prepare for a long trip to who-knows-where.
…

The first day went by fine; Clara found she could survive on the meat in the barrel she came on with. Though the jerky-like meat had a horrible smell it didn’t taste so bad…well…at least till the aftertaste kicked in… but the stuff was livable. A bunch of barrels provided water, and the ones in the back had very strong rum.
Woo hoo, I can get plastered and party all night long…yeah…
With food and water generously provided, all that was left were accommodations…no bed, and if she wanted to stay hidden, it had to be in a good spot.
Well…I could stay in the barrel, but the crew could come down here and snack…so not a good idea….
Wondering around the hull, Clara discovered a tight corner, tucked away behind a pallet of boxes. It wouldn’t be comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be an excellent hiding place.
Discreetly, Clara found another tight corner on the other-side of the hull…that corner would be the ‘bathroom’ spot.
So the long boat trip began…
…
All in all, the voyage so far was genuinely boring. The real excitement came at night when Clara discovered there were other passengers within the hull…passengers in the form of small snakes, scorpions, and strangely enough sizable crabs. Clara had met these pests her first night;
Darkness had engulfed the dim hull, encasing the enclosed area with thick obscurity. The only light came from the moonlight that streamed through the numerous portholes. A certain beam of moonlight shown upon the area just outside Clara hiding corner, serving as a nightlight so Clara wasn’t encompassed in complete darkness.
At the time, the redhead was in a semi state of consciousness…blocking out the noises of the rowdy crew in the upper levels of the ship. Just at the moment where Clara was about to fall asleep…a sharp pressure jarred her awake.
Adjusting her eyes to the dimness, Clara found the sensation was coming from her right leg. Peering down to the area, Clara was greeted by beady black eyes set upon twin stalks. It took a moment for Clara to recognize the eyes to belonging to a sizable crab.
With a scream of fright, Clara had kicked the offending creature, sending it flying out of the corner.
The assaulted crab barreled into a passing green snake; its scales shining within the pale light. The tiny snake didn’t know what hit it, but wasted no time wigging out and slithering away into the shadows. The crab (that had landed upside down) righted itself. With a torrid of bubbles signifying irritation and a snap of considerable claws, stalk eyes glared at Clara before scuttling away into the darkness.
Clara for her part, watched relieved that the creature went away…
I like my craps steamed not moving…thank you. Didn’t know that crabs could survive on ships? Learn something new every day…Well thank God it was only a dumb crap…
While the redhead tried to regulate her heartbeat from the fright; she nearly missed the sounds of feet coming from the stairs.
“I heard something down here” said a male voice.
Clara quickly flattened herself in the wall beside her... taking care to keep her breathing to a minimum. She couldn’t see the men, but she could hear them. Thankfully they seemed to be on the opposite side of the hull.
“I didn’t hear a thing, lad. Ya sure you didn’t drink too much?” asked an older male voice.
“I ain’t drunk…I know I heard a woman scream from down here…” argued the younger sounding male.
Double shit on a stick!
“There ain’t any women down here, lad. Wish there was, tired of being surrounded by a bunch of pricks” muttered the older.
“I know what I heard, old man!” protested the other.
“Perhaps ya heard the calls of ‘Azrin’s Brides’ lad” offered the elder.
“…Azrin? You mean the ‘Sea God’ Azrin?” asked the youth
“One in the same, lad”
“He’s just a myth” assured the youth.
“…A myth! Be careful what ya say upon the sea, boy! His brides will hear ya and go tell him! He’ll sink this ship for sure!” growled the elder.
“What do you mean by ‘brides’?”
“The maidens that used to be sacrificed to Azrin to become his brides…he takes them beneath the waves and turns them into Sea Maids…They say they roam the waters calling out to sailors when bad things are about to happen…If ya heard the scream of a Sea Maid…that there is a bad omen…” warned the older man.
“You full of it, old man…may…maybe it was just my imagination…” offered the youth, his voice giving away his nervousness.
“Mark my words, boy. Best keep your eyes peeled for the days to come…something wicked is bound to appear…” insisted the man.
“You old sailors and your, your stories… I should have joined my brother and became a soldier…” grumbled the youth.
“Come now lad, the sea will make you a man faster than Arcania can. Come let’s be off and have a drink. Best get our merriments while we can”
“Will you stop with all this nonsense about prophesied doom, it was just my imagination” growled the youth.
Soon the voices moved towards the stairs and faded into silence…
Clara let loose the breath she was holding…
Thank God they didn’t go searching the place…Azrin the Sea God, huh? That’s a new one…but I guess there probably all kinds of tribal Gods that I never heard of…Well, Brides of Azrin… thanks for saving my ass…
…

The second night was when Clara saw her first scorpion. She almost had stepped on it! The hull was difficult to navigate in the dark. Clara had only glimpsed a reflection from the creature’s armor plating, allowing her time to alter her movement at the last second. The little bugger nearly stung Clara on the foot if she hadn’t danced away at the last moment.
For four nights she battled with these nocturnal menaces…till she made an observation. All the pests seemed to avoid the barrels containing rum like the plaque. Considering how strong the stuff smelled, Clara couldn’t blame the creatures for avoiding it. However, the rum made an excellent repellent.
A couple of hand-full’s of the stuff spread around Clara’s corner and the things didn’t come near, allowing the redhead to rest without fear of being trespassed by her fellow roommates.
During the first few nights upon the ship, Clara made another bizarre observation, which she couldn’t explain away; When Clara would gaze out of the porthole from time to time, No matter the time of day, the sky was red. Red like at sunset. Granted that Clara had no idea what time it actually was, but no matter when she looked out the porthole the sky was always red. It was starting to freak her out.
How the hell can it be always sunset…or rise when I look outside. It doesn’t make any damn sense! Bet…better not to think about it Clara…just ignore it till you’re off the ship…
…
Another bunch of days passed, leaving Clara disgruntled and wanting off the ship. The thought of showing herself to the crew crossed her mind a few times, but every time she chicken out. Who knows what the crew would do to her. No Clara would wait out.
In the meantime Clara wondered about home. Had she been reported missing yet? Were her parents worried? How about her friends?
I wonder if they suspect Doug of anything to do about my disappearance. I mean we really got into it at the restaurant before he left! Leaving me with the bill I might add! Jackass! I hope the police give him hell! It’s his fucking fault I’m in this situation! If I hadn’t been alone, I wouldn’t have been kidnapped! (If you had hailed a taxi instead of walking alone down an empty street, you wouldn’t have been kidnapped) Shut up voice! It’s Doug’s fault, it’s my story and I’m sticking to it! (Blame will not do you any good) Shut up!
People in bad situations tend to blame someone or something else for the bad luck, Clara was no different. It was ashamed her ex wasn’t here so the redhead could beat his face in.
…

More days passed and Clara was getting fed up. It had at least been over a week since Clara had stolen away upon the ship…over week stuck in the musty smelling hull, over a week with no bathing, over a week of dried jerky and plain water. The redhead was getting to the breaking point! This madness couldn’t go on…
For fuck’s sakes when with this fucking ship dock already!? I can’t take this anymore! I smell and feel disgusting! I can’t stomach that dame jerky anymore! I want off! I want off! I want fucking off! Something has got to give!
With that thought the ship gave a harsh jerk! Followed by shouts and hurried footsteps from above.
“What the hell! What now!?” voiced Clara alarmed? She strained her ears for any sounds that might shed some light on what could be happening.
I guess this is what I get for wishing; thought Clara sarcastically God, I hope we didn’t run a ground or something…that would really suck balls!
She could hear the crew shouting and running about above decks. A loud boom was heard and then the ship shook again.
“Are we under attack!” yelled Clara surprised. Panic was starting to set in.
Fuck! That sounded like a cannon or something! The hell is going on!?
“…Pirates! Damn them!” shouted a voice.
“What!? Pirates!? Are they serious?!” shouted Clara alarmed!
Fuck! Get out of one situation and thrown into another cluster-fuck! Triple shit on a stick could it be Somali Pirates!? Fuck, fuck, fuck, shit, fuck!
“Look alive men, we are being boarded!” scream a voice that Clara.
“Double shit on a stick!” muttered Clara in barely repressed hysterics.
Get a hold of yourself Clara…you can handle this…hide your- fucking -self and pray that these fuckers don’t find you; reasoned Clara.
The redhead slapped herself in the face and forced her body to move. She grabbed a sheet from an open box and hightailed to her hidden corner.
The redhead wedged herself tightly in the back end and covered herself with the sheet. By the grace of any higher being she wouldn’t be discovered and all this hoopla would go away.
The furious sounds of fighting could be heard above decks, the clang of swords echoed down to the hull.
“Come on then, lets loot while we have, the chance” called a male voice by the stairs.
Clara’s heart began beating fast, ready to burst out of her chest. She struggled to control her breathing. To make a noise now would mean giving her hiding spot away.
She heard heavy footsteps come down the stairs. She heard the moving of objects and rummaging; apparently, while some the thieves kept the crew busy, others came to loot the hold of its goods. They wouldn’t get much, but enough to please their Captain and return to the hideout.
There were shouts from the thieves (for some reason, their calls were in English). She heard things being dragged up the stairs and the clang of metal against metal. Clara remained still as stone, hoping to whatever god that her hiding place wasn’t noticed. Pirates could be worse than slave traders. Clara held her breath as sweat gathered on her brow.
Oh god, oh god, oh god, the phase repeated in her head. She was scared, Clara didn’t know if this experience outweighed her others, but in the last week she had gotten many scares.
I sense a life time of therapy in my future, she thought off-handily.
That’s when she felt it…
Shit!
The sheet she had grabbed had held a thin layer of dust; dust that had made its way into Clara’s nose. A sneeze was in the making…not good!
Shit! Don’t sneeze, don’t sneeze, for all that is holy don’t fucking sneeze! Hold your breath!
Clara did just that…she held her breath. She felt the sensation slowly leave…she dared to take a shallow breath to replenish her oxygen.
Big mistake…
Clara could swear that was the loudest sneeze in all of history…the redhead sat frozen in fright.
There’s a lot going on up there…what are the odds of them hearing me?!
Creaking from just beyond her corner answered that question.
Fuck!
Holding her breath once again, Clara gave her best impression of a stature as she could. Not a single muscle or nerve moved. All became still. No creaking or footsteps…just the background noise and the beating of Clara’s heart working in overdrive.
Did I fool them?
The sheet was ripped off and Clara was hauled out of her hiding place!
The redhead let out a scream before she was slammed into a stack of boxes, her vision swimming in haziness
“A woman?” asked a male voice.
Clara’s vision cleared enough for her to turn her fearful eyes on her capturer.
Black eyes, dull with weariness gazed down at her. Oily strands of black hair obscured his face, but not enough to hide his dead looking eyes with heavy bags beneath them. His face was handsome looking with a milk tea complexion; accompanied with simple, black tribal symbols tattooed on his right cheek. He was tall, really tall; at least seven foot tall. Board shouldered; a well muscled bear upper body with more intricate tribal tattoos.
The dark haired male gazed down at the redhead confused, but once he saw her eyes and torrid of emotions took over; mostly hate.
His sizable hand came to seize Clara by the throat, making the girl claw at his hand. It did her little good.
“Kakonia royal filth!” he hissed out.
Clara managed to gasp out a weak, “let me go!”
The male in turn tightened his grip on her throat; “Why are you on a merchant ship, Kakonia?” growled the man lowly. “Answer quickly”
“I…I…I’m not a…Kakonia!” gasped Clara out.
Her reward was being slammed into the boxes again.
“Don’t you lie to me, woman!” he roared.
“…A…American…” uttered the redhead in pain, “I’m…a …American…” she tried again.
“What?” the enraged man growled.
Clara only whimpered in return.
Deciding against his better judgment, the pirate let the redhead go. She slumped heavily upon the toppled boxes. He observed her.
She’s small…too small…yet she could be a Kakonia…The hell does Am-er-i-can mean?
The pirate was at a loss till something caught his eye, he captured the woman again.
“No! NO! Let me go!” she screamed.
“Stop your screaming or I will snap your neck!” hissed the male. Clara became still.
She flinched when his hand came to rest on her shoulder…calloused fingers played with the twin indentions placed there. Clara shivered at the intensity of the tingles rushing through her body, almost erasing the pain of being manhandled by the brute.
“You’re not Kakonia…just human…” muttered the male. He pulled away from Clara, giving the woman some space to breathe.
“Huh? Of…of course I’m human…you’re human” whispered Clara hoarsely. She was scared and confused.
The male glared at Clara before make a statement that froze her to the bone; “I am not a human…”
“…W-what? You are…” Clara was cut off,
A crash, Sounded behind them as another person stumbled upon the scene. Blood was dripping from his mouth as he reached out towards the dark haired man.
“Zan….help me…” he gurgled before falling to the floor. From behind the falling man the shine of silver came darting out.
“Die pirate!” roared a large male, thrusting a short sword towards the remaining pirate identified as Zan.
Clara screamed and drove out of the way, leaving the pirate to deal with the attack.
Clara crashed onto the floor hard. She curled up trying to make herself look as small as possible. She heard the ruckus of fighting going on a foot a so away, but she dared not to move. She shut her eyes tightly.
Why does this shit happen to me!? What have I done to deserve this!? She questioned herself.
A scream; made the redhead’s eyes shoot open; Clara dared to peek up to see what was happening; she wished she hadn’t looked.
The pirate named Zan, had his arm buried within his opponent’s stomach! The impaled man was rigid; his eyes bulging with horror and hanging limply onto his sword. Blood started to gurgle up from his partly opened mouth.
Clara watched on, transfixed in dread …
Crunch!
The sound came from within the impaled sailor. The pirate had plunged through the Kakonia man and had closed his fist around the man’s spinal column. Zan, with the length of bone within his grasp merely squeezed…till the bone buckled under his grips pressure.
Crunch!
The bone snapped! The sailor gasped and then began to sink to his knees. Zan slowly retracted his blood covered arm, the limb retracted with a sickening squishing sound. He then let his victim sink to the floor with a hallowed thud.
A horrified squeaked alerted the pirate to the female he left to fight; She was on the floor looking at the corpse in utter horror…
“Like I said before, I am not a human…I am Aadrine” repeated.
No words escaped from Clara; only a strange wheezing sound.
“How fortunate for you that you are merely a human, if you had been Kakonia you would have shared the same fate as him” the dark haired male stated calmly.
Boom!
More shouts came above deck, a forest green smoke was slowly creeping down the stairs.
“Shit! They had sulfur gas! Fucking Kakonia!” cursed the pirate.
“…Zan! Come on we’re going, yo! Fuckers pulled a fast one!” roared a voice from above decks. “Forget the shit and get up here!”
The dark haired male flinched at the volume of his Capitan; but prepared to retreat. He began to tie a bandana around his face. He did spare Clara a cold glance; “I will say that you should not expect any kinder treatment by those filthy Kakonia, human. You were better off with the Demons…they would have at least kept you alive…”
“…Zan! Where the fuck are ya! I’ll leave your slow ass! Fuck this gas! I’ll pay you fuckers back later! Nobody screws with Artan!” roared his Captain again.
“…idiot…” muttered the dark haired male. In a flash the man known as Zan turned his back on Clara again and fled.
Clara was left there on the floor, confused, and scared out of her wits. The corpse of the sailor lay a few feet away, slowly leaking blood.
The hell is going on…
Clara was still in a state of shock at witnessing the brutal murder committed by the pirate. The woman wouldn’t come out of her shock till the chaos above receded and things settled down.
On some autopilot, Clara’s body remembered to go hide herself. Just in time, since the remaining sailors came to check the cargo and fan away the foul-smelling green smoke. They removed the body of their fallen fellow comrade along with the body of the dead pirate.
Clara was left alone with her thoughts…the murder scene still haunted her, but the redhead couldn’t help but think about her conversation with the pirate.
Not…human…how is that possible!? He looked human…they all look human! It can’t be true! The fuck have I gotten myself into! Aadrine…Kakonia…Demons…just who the hell are these people!?

Above decks, the ship’s crew (what was left of them) counted their lucky stars that the ship was spared from the sea floor. Only some of their shock was stolen and few of the crew was killed. Artan the Pirate King and his crew had been merciful this day, though the sulfur gas did help. At least the damn Demons knew how to make useful items. The ship could continue its journey, thankfully, only a day away from the safety of the Kakonia capital.
“Told ya, lad, The Sea Maid warned us that something wicked would come” croaked the old sea dog.
“Should have been a fucking soldier like my idiot brother, Frey” cursed the younger sailor bandaging his arm. “At least you don’t have to deal with fucking pirates on land!”
…
The seaside city of Arcania came into view. Arcania, was the capital city, and it was home of the royal family as well as, one of the busiest sea ports in all the Fire Realm. Its banks curved like a half moon pointing towards the sea. The city was also on incline, with the highest point positioned at the north and ebbing down as it went south.
The city was enormous, with towering buildings of stone and gothic-like architectures. Smoke poured from thousands of chimneys making the skyline look like a forest of stone and smoke; Markets, homes, shops lined the numerous paths that cut through the city like a massive maze, with hundreds of thousands of citizens going about their business; happy to soak up the sunshine, smell the salty air, and feel the cooling breeze from the sea.
In the northeast part of the city, overlooking the Spirit Sea, sat the majestic Castle Damien upon steep stone cliffs that marked the peak of the incline. The imposing fortress of black stone containing walls, gates, and towers was true testament to a true medieval-gothic castle. It had stood for as long as any could remember. No army had ever taken the castle, and during a time of peace few believed that event would ever happen.
Clara saw little of the great city; instead the redhead had opted to hide in her barrel she came aboard on.
Clara had figured her best bet was to go where the barrel went, and when all was clear, sneak out and figure out how to get back home.
So far so good, the sailors weren’t aware of her presence within the barrel; they loaded it up on a lifting platform and deposited in upon the dock with the other barrels. A merchant paid for his shipment and singled his workers to roll the barrel onto a waiting cart. Clara had no idea what was going on since she was too busy trying to keep the contents in her stomach down as the barrel rolled up a plank into the cart.
“Where does this bunch go?” called the driver to his boss.
“This goes straight to the castle kitchens” replied the merchant. “Make sure not to dawdle, we got many more deliveries to make this day!”
“Ay” called the driver; with a crack of his reins the Kunas began to move forward.
The barrels were pressed tightly on one-another on the cart. Sadly, for Clara, her barrel was now blocked and she was trapped till she got to unknown destination.
It just keeps getting better and better, thought the disgruntled redhead, now where the hell am I going now?
…
The trip by cart wasn’t a pleasant one, the road was bumpy and the barrels shifted from side to side. Clara had to brace herself on the confines of the barrel or risk having her head bang from side to side. This joy ride seemed to last for ages but in actuality about forty minutes, either way, the trip was far too long for the human to take. Thankfully, the cart and barrels reached their destination; that destination being the kitchens of the royal palace.
Once again Clara found herself in a stomach turning state of discomfort as her barrel was rolled before being up-righted.
Enough is enough! I’ve had it with this fucking barrel! I don’t care where I am! I’m out of here!
With that thought Clara forced herself out, the barrel’s top flying off before making a noisy clatter upon landing on the stone floor. It was then that Clara found herself what could only be described as a large medieval kitchen with at least eighty people buzzing around. Needless to say, a bunch of the workers did witness the strange redhead spring forth from the barrel…from Demon country.
“Um…Hi…I’m kind of lost…How do I get to the United States” spoke Clara, giving a friendly smile.
What happened next could be described as pandemonium; as one of the cooks cried out “Demon” and the whole kitchen erupted into a riot. Previous oblivious workers were now swept up in the mayhem as cries of a Demon invasion swept through the kitchen.
In an instant a large woman was coming after Clara with a butcher’s knife. Clara wasted no time in hopping out the barrel and dodging the blade for her life.
“Hey! Whoa! Take it easy I’m not a Demon!” cried Clara, holding her hands up in a disarming fashion. The gesture was in vain, the large female cook was not about to take the word of a filthy Demon in her kitchen. The woman once again made a swing towards the redheaded invader. Clara somehow managed to elude the swing with a girlish scream before abandoning all hope of civil communication and making a break for it. Pushing and dodging the other workers, Clara spilled out of the kitchen and into a hallway.
“Double shit…no triple shit on a stick! What did I do to deserve this shit!” shouted Clara; tearing down the hall like a bat out of hell. The large woman from the kitchen, managed to also fly out of the kitchen intent to catch the Demon girl. It didn’t take long for the cook to be hot on Clara’s trial and gaining fast.
Through a maze of corridors Clara finally broke into the largest room she had ever seen, that’s if she had stopped to look around her.
The cathedral like ceiling must have went up ten stories with cress-crossing stone beams along with wooden hammer-beams decorating the top in awe inspiring fashion. Majestic pillars lined the walls of the chamber; as they rose to the ceiling they dispersed into numerous ribs. Red and black banners draped down, boldly displaying a twin serpents linked by their tails with a blade going down the middle. Around the base of the walls were detailed moldings, depicting eight serpents tangled together but making a sun pattern. Natural light poured into the chamber from medium sized red stain-glassed windows. The window tracery featured complex geometric patterns that boggled the mind with how it manipulated the light to reach the darker corners of the massive room.
However, Clara didn’t notice the structural beauty, she did however, noticed a man walking straight in front of her. She didn’t know why, but to the redhead he screamed ‘safe’
Without a moment hesitation she crashed into the man. The collision knocked her silly for a moment since it was like crashing into a stone wall.
“Dear lord! Help me! She’s trying to kill me!” screamed Clara clinging to the man desperately.
Behind Clara the cook had stopped in her relentless pursuit. Her eyes bugging out and slack jawed; the cook fell to her knees.
“A thousand pardons, Milord! A…a…Demon has…” began the groveling woman.
“I’m not a Demon! Are you all crazy?!” screamed Clara hysterically.
“It is! It came from the barrel that came from Demon country! It is a spy!” yelled the woman
“I am not!” screamed Clara back.
“Silence!” boomed the male; his roar echoing powerfully in the large room.
Clara felt her shoulders be seized as the man turned her to face him. Clara found herself facing a colossal specimen of man. He towered over her, his height grossing least seven- feet. His face was young looking to Clara to be at mid or late twenties. He was incredibly handsome with high cheek bones, oval shaped eyes, a strong Roman nose and a slightly pointed chin. His eyes were beautiful shade of ice blue decorated with a light dusting of wrinkles at the corners. His had Smooth white hair cascaded down to his broad shoulders in which Clara couldn’t hope to ever wrap her arms around. The shoulders were attached to massive arms, no doubt chalk full of muscle beneath the thin black tunic he was wearing. Undoubtedly, the rest of him was just as impressive as his upper body. However Clara only noticed a few things as a thick finger was stuffed her mouth.
“No fangs” comment the man. He lifted her hand, pushing on her fingertips, “No claws and she has no demonic aura” commented the man in a smooth baritone. “She’s no Demon”
“But…but” stuttered the woman.
Regaining her wit, Clara recovered from the bizarre examination, “Ha! Told you! You got to help me buddy” replied Clara once again throwing herself at the man, “Thank you! You have no idea what I’ve been through!”
“Will you get off of me” growled the man, pushing Clara off of him. The simple push was enough to send Clara crashing to the floor…hard.
Pain exploded in Clara’s lower back, causing the female to hiss in pain.
“Ouch! Watch it bastard!” yelled Clara.
“Gasp!” The kitchen woman sat wide eyed on the floor. “Oh Keeva help us!”
The silvered haired man smirked down at Clara, sending a cold shiver down her back. Something told her she had made a grave mistake.
“You have a smart mouth, girl. I don’t know if your boldness is brave or just stupid, considering to whom you’re talking to” stated the man.
“Um…” supplied Clara dumbly.
“You have no clue to who I am, do you?” asked the man, narrowing his eyes.
“What...of course not!? I just popped out of a barrel! I have no fucking idea who you are or where the hell I am!” shouted Clara, frustration clear in her voice.
“Clearly…” supplied the man annoyed. “You may return to your work cook, your presence is no longer needed” ordered the man to the still groveling cook.
The cook bowed before shuffling away. With the cook gone, the silver-haired man focused in attention back on Clara.
Clara was about to address the man again, but the words died in her mouth as another voice broke out, “Your Majesty, is everything alright?” questioned one of many of the armored guards now approaching the duo.
...Majesty? He’s…he’s royalty! Triple shit on a stick…I’ve insulted a king or something…thought Clara franticly. Fuck! Why didn’t the bastard say something sooner!?
“Who is this peasant?” a guard with long black hair asked, he looked coldly down at Clara.
“Good question, Capitan. We’re about to find out” replied the man, now indentified as royalty.
“Look, sorry for busting in like this but could you point the way to the American Embassy or something?” asked Clara calmly.
Perhaps politeness was a little late, but better late than none…right?
The redhead picked her-self up with as much grace as she could manage and looked directly at the white haired man. The party in turn, looked back her confused.
“American what?” asked the black haired guard; voicing the question on everyone’s mind.
“America…you know the United States…North America…above Mexico and under Canada” replied Clara getting rather nervous.
“Never heard of it, is that your village?” asked the black haired guard.
“…Village? Hell no it a freaking country!” yelled Clara, starting to get scared. Don’t tell me they have never heard of America before!? How…how is that even possible!? I mean a third-world country would know what the United States is!
Instead on addressing the impossibility that these people hadn’t heard of the United States, Clara thought it best to start explaining her situation and how she got there; “I was minding my own business in New York when…” Clara then started spilling out her adventure, thus far, in a near frenzied way. Before the woman could finish her tale of woe and confusion the blue eyed man interrupted.
“Okay…I get it now” replied the man a tired tone, rubbing in forehead anticipation of a headache. His blue gazed narrowed upon her shoulder where the indentions were.
Well this is new, nothing sort of luck allowed this human to get this far up the coast; thought the male. Still what a pain in the ass…And she has no idea where she ended up…
“Well human, I hate to break it to you, but you not in your world anymore” announced the man.
“What the hell do you mean!? Where the hell am I!?” screamed Clara in aggravation.
“If you shut up for a moment I’ll explain!” growled the man. Today wasn’t his day. “You are currently in my castle in Arcania the capital city of the Kakonia Empire in the Northern part of the Fire Realm. I’m King Aiden Von Arcania and I ruled over this empire. From what I can gather you’ve been captured by Demons, which I assure you they are not human, for the slave trade or food…” all color dropped out of Clara’s face at that statement.
“In any case, it amazing you got this far…” commented the King.
“So…So what…what you’re saying is that I’m in another world?” asked Clara in a shaky voice.
Is that why those guys were weird looking!? Why those people were boiled alive!? Why the sky is always at sunset!? Why that dark haired pirate said he was not human!? The fuck! This can’t be happening…so not happening!
“World, dimension…same difference” supplied the King listlessly.
“Okay…” Clara was visibly shaking at the implication of what the King had said. Keep it together Clara; keep it together…Okay so you are in a completely alien world! Okay calm down…you can handle this…Okay if you got here, you can get back, right? Of course you can! Just ask the nice King guy to help you…
After a moment the redhead spoke again, barely above a whisper; “How…how do I get home?”
The king chuckled at this, with some of the guards joining in “Well human, it’s through a portal that’s three thousand miles that way (the king pointed in southeastern direction) in Demon territory”
“But that’s so far…” uttered Clara, the woman trembling in shock.
“Indeed, as well as, dangerous; if you did make it to the border the Demons would just recapture you and, well, do whatever they had planned for you…You do carry a mark of a Demon, you’d be returned to them quickly enough if their a big shot in smuggling” stated Aiden calmly.
“The fuck…That’s what this thing on my neck is! This mark…from a fucking Demon!” cried Clara alarmed.
“That’s what they do…they bite those that they claim ownership…” explained the King.
“…Ownership! Bite-mark! The hell does…” wailed Clara in hysterics.
“Stop screaming! It won’t help your situation, human!” spat Aiden
“Won’t you help me!” pleaded Clara, turning her watering eyes towards Aiden.
“You’re not my problem! You’re welcome to make the journey on your own. You’ll most likely die but whatever” sneered the King.
“Please, I can’t do this by myself” pleaded Clara tears beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes.
Aiden gazed at her coldly; he parted his mouth to say something, till he was interrupted…
“…Majesty! Please a moment, my King!” cried an older man’s voice.
A pudgy, balding man broke upon the scene, tripping over his own feet. He fell into an undignified heap at Aiden’s feet.
“Please a moment of your precious time, my King! Let me plead my case to your merciful nature!” the man groveled.
“…The fuck! Who the hell is this!” growled Aiden.
The dark haired guard glared down at the man before turning his head to yell behind him; “Cadet! Didn’t I tell you to secure this man!” he roared.
A small, young blond soldier came jogging up. He looked down to his feet in shame; “Sorry Capitan…he got away from me…” supplied the blond.
The dark haired Capitan was not amused, he looked like he wanted nothing more than to back hand the brat. “A thousand pardons, Highness, this is the tax official caught embezzling funds…” explained the Capitan
“…Lies! Lies I tell you, my King! It was not me! I am innocent” wailed the man grabbing at Aiden’s boots.
“He was caught red-handed, Milord” supplied the Capitan dully.
“I see…if it’s not one thing it’s a fucking other” Aiden mumbled annoyed.
“They are lies, Milord! I would never dare steal from you! You are my beloved King!” the man pleaded desperately. Snot was running from his bulbous red nose. He relentlessly pawed at Aiden’s feet.
“Off me, maggot!” hissed Aiden; he then swiftly kicked the man. The plump worm was sent flying several feet.
Clara for her part, had remained rooted to the spot, her eyes widened as she saw the pudgy man fly.
Just…just how strong is this Aiden guy!?
The accused official crashed upon the stone floor harshly. He then became motionless, though whimpers could be heard.
“Next time you have the gall to beg at my feet like a rat, I’ll kill you…well, I suppose that’s a false statement” Aiden chuckled humorlessly, “After-all for the crime of stealing funds from the Empire, means death by beheading…so there will be no next time…”
That got the down man’s attention. He struggled to his knees and looked back at the king with horror painted on his round face; “No! No, please, please Milord!” he stuttered.
“Do shut up and face your death like a true Kakonia man…what is wrong with people today!” huffed Aiden in mock exhaustion. “Now as for you human”
Clara flinched at finally being noticed; “Um…please…help me, there is no way I could make it back by myself…um…your Highness” offered Clara trying to offer a shy smile.
“I…” began Aiden.
“I won’t be put to death! I will not!” screamed the doomed official. He had picked himself up and was making a mad dash for the large archway just in front of him.
“For the love of…Capitan Jarard put your soldiers to good use please” snapped Aiden.
“Yes sir; Cadet recapture that tub of shit! Make sure he doesn’t escape this time!” the Capitan roared.
The blond snapped into action, and began his pursuit of the official; “Yes sir!”
“Break his legs if you have to” called Capitan Jarard.
“Break his legs, got it…sir”
“Little brat” muttered Jarard under his breath.
“What are you training these kids, Jarard? They are by far the most undisciplined group you’ve ever had” asked Aiden ignoring Clara.
“They’re a difficult bunch this season, your Majesty” offered the dark haired male ashamed.
“Um…excuse me, your Highness…about me” interrupted Clara.
“Oh, yes you….” replied Aiden turning to Clara, “I agree; there is no way you could make it back to Demon Country by yourself and less of a chance of you getting close to the portal to your world…in that case…”
A glimmer of hope sparked to life within Clara at the thought of this imposing man helping her.
I’ll make it home, yeah! I’ll get back home to my world…and…and then I can put this whole nightmare behind me. I just had to reason with him…
“…Execute her” said the King in monotone.
The hope instantly died; “What!?” screamed Clara at the top of her lungs; the heart breaking sound echoing off the walls.
Aiden, winced at the intensity of the scream, but pushed through to explain his reasoning; “You won’t make it to the border and I sure as hell won’t do anything to assist you. You are nothing more than an eyesore here. Besides, it be more merciful of me to end your wretched life before is has time to grow worse or infect my kingdom with weakness” commented the King indifferently.
“You…you can’t…Oh God! Please… don’t kill me!” screamed Clara.
He wouldn’t….he wouldn’t…He WON”T HAVE ME KILLED!!!!
“Jarard, will you please do the honors. Don’t let the poor thing suffer with anticipation” remarked the monarch turning his back on the situation.
“As you wish, Milord” replied the black haired man “Hold her” he ordered.
Two soldiers took Clara by the arms. Clara of course struggled and screamed for her life, but the soldiers had a vice grip on her arms.
King Aiden spared one last look at the girl. “May your death be a quick one, human” Clara looked back at him horrified.
With tears streaming down her face, she once again pleaded with the King; “Please! Don’t do this! I don’t want to die! You can’t do this! YOU CAN’T! YOU CAN’T! YOU CAN’T!” repeated Clara over and over again; twisting and turning her body in a futile effort of escape.
The black haired guard approached slowly, his heavy black armor clanking as he moved. Two feet away from his intended victim the male stopped. In one fluent motion, he released his sword from his sheath on his waist. With his large hands, the guard gripped an even larger sword, taking aim. His intention clear; he would simply run the little pest through.
“WAIT!” cried a male voice.
Another soldier came onto the scene. He was much shorter than the rest of the men and his frame was more petite. Warm brown eyes looked at Clara with concern and urgency.
“What is it Lt. Andrew” spoke Aiden surprised.
“Your Majesty” bowed the small male, “Please spare this woman” he stated with conviction.
Clara stopped struggling to the stare at the new man. The black haired soldier known as Jarard gave an annoyed look.
“Lieutenant this hardly concerns you” muttered the superior soldier, “This pitiful creature isn’t worth your pity”
The lieutenant spared his superior officer a glare before turning back to the king; “Please Milord, the girl has been through a lot. She’s scared; certainly you wouldn’t be cruel enough to kill her when it’s clear that she wants to live” Lt. Andrew pleaded.
Clara found herself nodding in agreement. Keep talking buddy, thought the redhead; trying to fight the hysterical thoughts and emotions churning within her.
“She’s useless, weak, has no clue about our society, and human. Why would I want her around?” asked Aiden staring down at the bold soldier.
“She doesn’t deserve to die, sir. She couldn’t be that weak if she managed to escape from the Demons and make it all the way here” reasoned the soldier.
“That’s enough, Andrew!” shouted Jarard; “Stand down this instant! That’s a direct order!”
“I shall not stand down!” growled the brunette male. The soldier moved to stand in front of Clara in a protective stance.
“Why risk insubordination for this creature, Lieutenant? Makes little sense for you to stick your neck out” asked Aiden, curious.
“Please Sire; I know this is unlike me…”
“You’ve always been a bleeding heart” muttered Jarard rudely.
Andrew glared disapprovingly at his Capitan before resuming his explanation “…I just think it’s wrong to kill her when she wants to live and has done nothing wrong. Surly her bravery should be commended” stated Andrew.
“What am I to do with her then?” asked Aiden tiredly. The headache had finally bloomed and the situation wasn’t helping.
“At the very least make her a helot” pleaded the soldier. “That way…she…she can repay Your Majesty for his mercy”
King Aiden looked down at his soldier. Andrew was a strong warrior; clever, and had put in excellent service. He’d been a loyal soldier for a good part of a hundred years; and one of the only people Aiden could trust completely; too bad his only flaw was that Andrew was tender hearted when it came to people in need.
Damn it all, thought the King. Aiden spared the red-haired woman another glance. She looked terrified and desperate; …Well…fuck me… Keeva damned, doe eyed, whimpering weaklings…I swear I’m losing my edge…
Aiden took a deep breath. Andrew tried kept the smile from appearing on his face. Over the years the soldier could easily read his King. With the small physical change in his demeanor the King was going to give in.
“Very well Andrew, the girl won’t be killed. Let her be branded as a helot and under servitude to the castle…” announced Aiden defeated.
“Thank-you Milord” interrupted Andrew enthusiastically.
“I wasn’t finished. She’s your responsibility, Andrew” stated Aiden.
“Me…?” questioned the soldier
“You made the plea to spare her…so set her up with a job or whatever I don’t care” muttered the monarch, massaging his temple.
“But” He wanted to save the poor woman, but to give her to him was not what Andrew expected.
“You have what you wanted, now just keep it far away from me” muttered Aiden turning his back on the group. “Get her set up, have that tax official tossed into the dungeon give him our best. He should learn a painful lesson before he dies… and no one bug me for at least an hour!” barked Aiden walking away, hoping to find some peace in his office.
“Yes Sir!” echoed the soldiers letting Clara go, and leaving the scene to fulfill their own duties.
“Should of kept you mouth shut, Andrew” replied Jarard looking down at Clara with distaste “She’ll be more trouble than she’s worth. All humans are pests” remarked the man.
“Well…Capitan at least she isn’t your problem, if you excuse us we’ll be going” replied Andrew glaring at his Capitan. “Come on honey, I won’t hurt you” said Andrew gently extending a hand to the girl.
“…Whatever” Jarard muttered.
“…Capitan!” called the blond soldier from before. He was dragging the tax official who was wailing. “I got him and I broke his leg like you told me to” explained the blond with boyish glee.
Jarard smacked his hand to his face. He swears that these damnable cadets would be the death of him. “Fine, Cadet Frey…then drag him off to the dungeon, then”
“All the way down there?” whined the cadet.
A sharp glare from Jarard made the cadet squeak in fright. The blond then began to drag his burden away with no further complaint.
Clara, in the meantime, wasted no time in throwing herself into her savoir. “Thank you, thank-you, and thank-you!” Clara repeated over and over again. She had never felt so grateful to someone in her life
Andrew just hugged the girl and petted her head like she was a child. Clara at this point, welcomed the comfort. Anything to make her feel safe since this whole ordeal had begun.
“She has to get branded Andrew, don’t forget that” mocked the Capitan before walking away.
“Bastard” muttered Andrew under his breath.
“What does that mean? ‘Getting branded’ and what’s a helot?” asked Clara the panic returning to her voice. The poor redhead couldn’t deal with anymore surprises today. It was a little too much when she was almost put to death.
“I’m sorry…but rules are rules. Please forgive me…” said Andrew, his eyes full of sympathy.
“Huh?”