Hearts of Hell: Abandoned

There weren’t always dragons in the valley, not since the Powers of Great fell in the hands of the North, leaving the Valley a cursed place for the Abandoned. They will not believe him I recited to myself over and over again, trying to calm my nerves. Unsure if the bile rising in my throat was from the fear of the deal about to be made, or the pungent smell coming from the drunkards who sat near.

“There is supposed to be none left. And I’m somehow supposed to believe you have brought one right to me?” a man said with scepticism etched in his voice. I could feel his eyes trailing my chained body, my gaze unwaveringly focused on the grim mould of the tavern floors. Thump thump thump, my heart beat as my capture sat opposite to the man. There were rumours throughout the years, an infamous boy who swindled the nobles of their gold and diamonds, who learned to pick peoples intentions just as easily as he could pick a lock, a man who commandeered a ship and founded the fiercest crew, the Hearts of Hell.

“Alieas, you believe me a liar?” my capture said in a mock offended tone, adjusting his worn-out coat trimmed with mud, then nervously moving his greasy raven hair out of his face. “Took me a whole month to find this one,” motioning behind him as he lightly pulled me closer. Alieas leaned back into his seat, his comrades too entertained by the drink and ladies, paying little attention to the conversation. He sighed drawing the drink to his lips before he spoke again, “I’m a reasonable man Keefe really, but all the Abandoned from the Valley were tortured and killed decades ago, no dragons left.”

Keefe tightened his grip on the chains as his eyes nervously wondered to the men and women, fiery heart tattoos on display. “I thought so too, till I heard rumour of a boy, a thing that crept through the night. Eyes of the devil they said. An Abandoned I believed after I gathered what I could, a powerful one.” The crowd quieted as Keefe’s story drew them in. “I found myself at the village nearest to the Valley when they told me of this thing, a monster that killed the village elder. But what I heard from the children of this village held a different story.” He scootched his chair, leaning closer to Alieas. ”What they told me was of no monster, but of a saint.” Alieas lifted a brow urging him to go on.

They will not believe him; they will not believe him.

“I spent countless hours searching, day and night, with no luck of this so called saint who protected the children from those they believed to be the real monsters. I was about to give up, until I was struck with genius. Why look when it could come to me. All it needed was a chance to play hero” His confidence growing as members of the Hearts attention drew to him. “I found the perfect people to play victims. Young, weak, innocent. Surely he would not let poor children die. So, I scared them a bit.” My heart quickened, and memories of that night rushed back to me. No one looked for me there, I was safe., finally. Why couldn’t I just look the other way.

“They screamed as you can imagine,” he said as if it was an inconvenience to him.” But as if clockwork he revealed himself. Talons five inches long, dug into my chest.” He said revealing a scar I regretfully placed in my attempt at heroics. “I tried to push him off, but his strength was inhuman.” He continued exaggerating details. “Luckily, I in anticipation, had Wista handy. Knocked the monster right out.” He said with a crooked grin as if he was so clever. Probably the only clever thought he had.

“And then I- “Keefe was interrupted by the raised hand of Alieas. The music stopped and a tense air filled the tavern. His mere presence had demanded silence, and he got what he wanted. “And then you, the ‘Great’ Keefe found and caught a dragon” Alieas slow clapped. Relief flooded me; they will not believe him.

“How very impressive, but I am yet to see proof of such a claim.” He said coolly. “Unless you mean to tell me that weakly peasant boy behind you is a dragon. Where are the talons, eh? Those look like the course hands of a laboured child. If he were to be an Abandoned, he would be low grade at best. You waste my time, and my time is costly” Alieas said, gesturing to the woman beside him to unsheathe her dagger. A hunger burned in her dangerous eyes.

“The collar- he wears the collar to nullify his dragon form, I would be simply overpowered if he was allowed that freedom” Keefe said as panic started to raise in him, a tremble in his voice. “Overpowered by a child, now that I can believe” Alieas spoke as his sharp face broke into a smile. Laughter erupted from every corner of the tavern, surrounding Keefe. His demeaner changed. A tense anger now crossed on his face as he shot up from his seat, pulling at my chains, jerking me forward.

A pathetic cry escaped me as the rusted collar cut through my skin. He yanked my head back pushing my matted hair out of my face. “See! the boy has them eyes. Slits in the pupil.” He yelled wildly. He was met with unamused quiet that engulfed him. “All we see is a scared street boy, leave before you make more of a fool of yourself Keefe” a woman spoke. I could hear pity in her voice or was it deeper? “What, why-“ Keefe began baffled by the lack of reaction before he turned to look at my trembling face, eyes closed shut. I would not let them see my eyes, I couldn’t. They will not believe him. They will not believe him. Furious, he slipped a corroded pocketknife into his hand before placing it on my neck, pressing hard.

“Open those eyes right now boy or I won’t stop and think before I slit your throat!” he spat at me. Pain seared through my body as I felt a liquid trail to my collarbone. Memories of when he first captured me, the lashes each time I refused to turn. The moment I gave up because it was too much, too weak to fight back. Not like I could do much before.

Without realising, my eyes sprung open, exposing my obscure evergreen eyes, and I was met with the gaze of the people suddenly sober, the smiles wiped off their faces. “An Abandoned!” The people murmured in shock. “So, there is truth to your words Keefe, I’m surprised,” Alieas spoke smoothly not taking his eyes off me, seemingly calculating how much each eye could get him. Besides the occasional beatings, I was beginning to think my luck was better off with Keefe. “Told you so,” he said hysterically, eyes trailing around the crowded room. “Like snakes they are!” The murmurs continued. “They glow!”

“No, not like a snake” Alieas remarked rising from his seat, walking towards me. I could feel Keefe’s heartbeat quicken every step Alieas drew closer. He halted Infront of me. He stared, inspecting, and I felt an eerie sense that my fate had been sealed.

“Eyes like the dragons.”

My heart dropped.

They believed him.