The Servant, the Student, and the Slave, Pt. Two

I gawked at the hateful man. We can’t go home? I didn’t mind staying here but I still missed my half brother, Pat. After Gatrue said this we all broke out into complaints. I told them I still wish to see my brother. Ayesha was broken. She wanted to be with her family. Rodrick, like me, didn’t mind but wished to see a girl named Maya. Gatrue just waited for us to finish. His grin never faded. Krome put his hand up in silence. We eventually calmed down but Ayesha still had tears in her eyes.

“It is true you can’t go home. You have all been chosen as the new Heirs of the Keepers. You must follow the prophecy.”

“What prophecy?”

I asked. Krome put forth his staff. The wood opened at the top and formed a small hole. Within the hole was the Sapphire. Suddenly light was projected into the air. Gatrue rolled his eyes. Above each of us were the symbols of the Heirs. Words were cast out onto nothing. The first line was blue. The second, yellow. The rest were pink and cyan. They read:

One to watch in the day,

One to watch in the night,

One to lead us their way,

One to lead us right.

“Every Heir in history has followed the prophecy.”

Krome added as the words faded.

“Even though we can’t leave, does that mean we still can’t see them ever again? They could come to us.”

I said shooting a glare at Gatrue. He frowned.

“I’m sorry little one, but no. They are not allowed in the Palace.”

Ayesha glared at Gatrue with tears in her eyes. Then she ran to her room. No one stopped her. An idea was forming in my mind.

” I’m sorry little ones,”

said Krome.

“With every action, there is a consequence. This is the unfortunate curse of the Sapphire.” Rodrick walked right up to Krome and said,

“Your the one who makes it a curse.”

With that he took my hand and lead me down the hall. Once we were far from the main room, he turned to me.

“That look in your eye.”

He said.

“You were thinking of something. Something I think is important.”

I looked at his hand were it squeezed my wrist. I looked back at him.

“Ow.”

I said with a small smile. He let go immediately.

“I’m sorry.”

He smiled sheepishly as I rubbed my wrist.

“Who is Maya?”

I asked.

“She is another slave. Before I was “chosen” she had a heatstroke. She is only ten. She is like a little sister to me but we aren’t related.”

I nodded.

” I understand that. My half brother, Pat, was locked in the cellar for the hundredth time.”

I missed him.

“Anyway, back to business. What are you thinking?”

I gave him a look.

“ I’m working on an idea. I might have a way to get out and bring our family and friends, to us.”

****

Stupid Gatrue with his stupid smile. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! My sobs ran in perfect rhythm with the word as I chanted them in my head. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I got up and stomped to the bathroom. My face was a mess. I brushed my hair and wiped my tears away. Sadness faded into anger. I rubbed the stupid hourglass in the middle of my forehead. I rubbed the skin raw. It didn’t come off. I looked at it like it was a scar. A brand. I banged my head down on the counter. Just then there was a knock. I was ready to punch whoever it was in the face. As I thrusted the door open I was startled to see Rodrick and Kathleen standing there. I gestured them to come in. We all sat in a circle in the middle of the room.

” What to you want?”

I asked. My mark was throbbing from where I rubbed it fiercely.

“I have an idea.”

Said Kathleen.

“We disappear. We escape. Once we do so, we lay low until Gatrue is practically begging us to come back. Then our wish is his command.”

I brightened at the idea of Gatrue begging.

“How long will it take?”

I asked.

“Two hours.”

Said Kathleen. I smiled.

“Okay what’s the plan?”

Rodrick explained.

” First we figure out the best escape route. Second based of that route, we pack and prepare. Third, after we escape, we follow Kathleen to the base of the mountains. She once lived by them. On the way to the mountains, however, means we have to cross the fields. I know how to get through those but neither of us know how to get through town. You will have to help us there.”

Rodrick nodded to me.

“Okay. No problem. I can do that.”

“Great!”

Said Kathleen. She stood up and looked out my window.

“We can’t use your room because it’s a shear straight drop. We can’t use mine either because there are too many people that walk below. Rodrick? What about your window?” We walked to Rodrick’s room. When he opened the door, Krome was waiting. Me and Kathleen hid behind the pillar of the doorway.

“Rodrick!”

He said.

“I was wondering where you were. I’ve come to fetch you for lunch.”

Rodrick tilted his head.

“Why you? Why not a servant?”

Rodrick asked. Krome glared.

“I’m not dependent on servants like others.”

“But you depend on the Stone.”

Rodrick countered. Krome stormed pass him.

“Kathleen feels sick, and Ayesha is still upset. Don’t bother asking them. I’ll take my food in my room please.”

Rodrick shut the doors. Krome muttered crossly under his breath. He stomped off to the kitchen. Once he was gone, Kathleen and I snuck into his room. Rodrick was looking out his window.

“Yes we can use mine.”

We all looked out. There was a small drop then a pathway that lead to the outer walls. Kathleen and I hid while Rodrick received his food. He shared with us. Once we finished, he put the plate outside the door and we went to work. I made rope out of the curtain string while Kathleen packed three bags. Rodrick went to the kitchen to sneak food. It was past noon and the sun began to set once we were done. Kathleen gave us each a bag and we climbed down the rope. Then I gathered the rope back up to use again on the outer wall. We walked the path and scaled the wall in a matter of minutes. With Kathleen and Rodrick behind me, we ran through town, hiding in the shadows and never in the light. The sun almost passed the mountains by the time we cleared the town. We came out on the east side, where it was the shortest length of fields before the mountains. Rodrick took the lead and we passed the fields just as the sun disappeared. Kathleen hiked up the mountain until she found a suitable place in a cave. We gathered there too exhausted to talk. We didn’t take a break for we didn’t want to be found. Rodrick made a fire and we ate our small dinner. That night as we slept, I could hear the riots breakout. I shivered.

****

When the sun shone through the opening in the cave, I woke. My legs were a bit tender. I was kind of used to standing for hours on end. I ate my breakfast with Kathleen and Ayesha. We talked about how long we would wait. We would each take watch at the opening of the cave. It was sunset once more and my shift was almost over. I watched the clouds above. I wonder what it would be like to be a cloud. My mind started to drift. Suddenly in my dream, the baying of dogs could be heard. I opened my eyes to find four mean hounds racing up the mountain to greet us. Behind them was the guard. I ran inside.

“Kathleen! Ayesha! Wake up! Hounds!”

Kathleen sat straight up. Ayesha was a little slower. Before we could react, the dogs cornered us in the cave. Guards poured in. A taller guard, who looked like a captain, said,

” By order of King Gatrue, you are given a choice. Either you become his advisors, or you become his prisoners.”

Ayesha gawked.

“King Gatrue?”

She hissed. Lunged for a small opening, hoping to escape. The opening was quickly closed. It took three guards to grab Ayesha and knock her unconscious. Kathleen dove to the side when they grabbed for her. She rolled on the ground and tried to run but they kicked her to the floor. I ran towards my only chance. I slid under the guards but one yanked me back by my hair.

“Not so fast boy!”

He growled. Blistering pain shot through the back of my head my vision faded into darkness.

****

Waking up, I felt groggy. Little white spots danced in my vision. I was in a dark cold room. The only door was one of bars. My head and back throbbed. Those steel-toed boots hurt. Water and food were set out for me. It didn’t look very satisfying. Bread and cheese. Stale and moldy. The water was also bland. I looked out the door of bars and found a narrow hallway. Across from me was another cell. It was dark down here. I tried to peer in. Once I found out what was in there, I got chills. A dead skeleton. A tray of food and water were still in there with it. The cheese had a small chunk missing from it and the water wasn’t full. Poison. It was the only explanation. I kicked my tray into the hall. The sudden clatter of it all made me jump. It was so quiet. It was so dark. It was so cold. I laid in the corner away from the door and sighed. I fell asleep curled into a tight ball.

I didn’t know when I woke again. It could have been days. I lifted my head and peered out of my ball. What woke me up? My question was soon answered. The sound of steel footsteps came echoing down the hall. Keys rattled a few cells down. More footsteps. More keys. Until a guard stopped in front of my cell. He unlocked the door and hauled me up. My legs were numb from sitting still for so long. My whole body ached. I missed Pat. He glanced at the untouched food and water.

“Smart girl.”

He muttered. Then he dragged me down the hall. All the curtains were shut in every hall. The entire castle was cast in darkness except for a few flickering tapers. I was thrown to the ground in the main room. Ayesha was next to me and Rodrick was next to her, both stiff and sore. A dark throne sat on a raised platform. Gatrue sat on the throne with a black, ruby encrusted crown.

“Hail king Gatrue.”

The guards muttered then they departed. Once we were alone in the room, Gatrue smiled.

” Welcome, Heirs.”

He spat.

“Have you decided?”

None of us spoke. Something black slithered across the floor and twisted around my neck. I gagged and choked. It was dark magic. Ayesha and Rodrick jumped up, suddenly full of adrenaline.

“Put her down!”

Cried Ayesha.

“So you can still talk! Good. Now answer.”

The black magic cut into my neck and started to spread in my veins. The veins in my hands turned black. I started to scream.

“No! No! We haven’t! We’ve each been alone! We all might have a different point of view! We need to talk together! Put her down god damn it!”

Screamed Ayesha.

“Give us a chance to decide together!”

Rodrick yelled. The black creature released my neck and I fell to the ground. My mouth was dry and my throat was on fire. My veins slowly faded back to normal. I choked for a second then sat up. Ayesha and Rodrick gathered around me.

“You okay Kathleen?”

I nodded slowly. I couldn’t speak. My vocal chords were ripped up. I mouthed,

”Prisoner….not advisor.”

Ayesha nodded.

”Yeah, I know.”

Rodrick was also thinking the same thing. We stood together and faced Gatrue.

“You cannot tame us. We are wild and will act out. We cannot be withheld like animals. We cannot be kept like pets. We cannot be forced to do something we don’t like.”

Ayesha said.

” Slave, servant, student. We are free to choose what we do with our lives.”

Rodrick said. They both looked at me and nodded. Together they said,

” Prisoner,not advisor.”

Gatrue was enraged. Suddenly he fell to the ground like a rag doll. Behind the throne, a shadow emerged. Krome. His eyes were solid black. His staff was open and the Sapphire was corrupted.

“How dare you!”

He yelled in a voice that was not his. Gatrue was dead. Krome used him like a puppet. Years of being forced to watch the Stone rotted his heart. Poor Ben wasn’t alive inside him now. Only Krome. He wondered why should he be the only one to suffer like he had when they took him from his home. Every Heir will suffer like he did. He used the black creature to thrust us into the air. As he squeezed the life from us, I noticed a spark of change in his eye. He threw us back to the ground.

“No.”

He said with a smile.

“An execution. What perfect timing as well.”

He went behind the throne and used the black magic to stab Gatrue. His eyes glowed with faint life. He was a puppet once more. He called the guards in.

“Prepare an execution. Sunrise on the Fortune Solstice, Ayesha Kingmen, Rodrick Daniels, and Kathleen Rink. I sentence you all to death for defying the king.”

****

Cold. Dark. Damp. Those are the top three things that describe my cell. Poisoned food sat on a tray in front of me. I’m glad I took so many lessons. I could tell it was poisoned from the eerie black tint. I had to at least be close to sunrise now. Sunrise. I remember when I would wake up at sunrise and beg my parents to go to the festival. There would be no festival. Only death. My death. Our death. I was lightheaded as I thought about dying. I didn’t want to die, yet no one really does. I heard the familiar rattle of keys. A guard hauled me up and shoved me into a slick stone room. There, a gruff looking old lady, scrubbed me down. Once I was clean she dressed me up in Fortune Heir robes. A sick joke. I was then dragged into yet another hallway. This one lead to the front gates. The entire town square was dark and empty. The sun had not yet cast away the shadows of the mountains. Kathleen was in front of me. Rodrick, behind. Bound for the gallows. The platform was makeshift other than the raised part where a familiar throne sat. “Gatrue” sat waiting patiently.

The rope was itchy as it was draped over my head and around my neck. The sun started to peak from behind the mountains. The light was blinding. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, now this. Doors opened. People woke and watched. The flowers strung above the street were all wilted. Suddenly the floor beneath me fell. I was blind and choking. Just to make it worse, a black creature stabbed into my back making my veins dark. I screamed. As I thrashed around I felt something. Something like peace. Peacefulness. I focused on it. Peace. Then a bright light that was not the sun, cast into my eyes. Moonlight. Moon and sun and.. fortune. The future. Leading our people. Guiding them towards a better future. The rope broke. Air filled my lungs.

“What?”

Screamed the puppet. Kathleen and Rodrick’s ropes also snapped. Sunlight glowed onto Rodrick. Moonlight shone onto Kathleen. The light of balance shimmered on my skin. Balance. I faced the panic-stricken Krome with his dead eyes. I grabbed his staff. The power washed over me. My veins turned black and began to burn. Rodrick grabbed the staff and the pain fell over him. Kathleen grabbed it with both hands and held tight. Together we took it from Krome. He screeched. I dug out the Sapphire geode and crushed it. The shadows and darkness were no more. Krome was gone and poor Ben Keegan sat on the platform it front of me. I grabbed his hand. He smiled then disappeared. Ben was dead.

“Let’s celebrate!”

Kathleen cried. Everyone cheered. The flowers were restrung and the shops reopened.

****

Sun shined in the valley. The birds called to one another. The most perfect day of the year was sailing by. Everyone was at peace. Ayesha was releasing slaves with Rodrick, Maya, Pat, Kathleen, and her family. Suddenly the ground began to shake. Everyone could feel it. Buildings started loosing bricks and windows shattered. That’s when boulders fell. Every size and shape. That’s when the mountains began to crumble to reveal the outer world.

Author’s note:

You made it to the end! Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope you enjoyed.