Hello! I’m the author of this book. I just wanted to clear up a few things. This story is placed in fantasy medieval times (Castles, dragons, magic, etc.). If this story line or the fantasy creature types resemble something from other books, it is coincidental. Anything of that sort, I did not know or intend. This story begins in the Empire of Echodor. The main creature is what the Empire and other kingdoms call a Half-blood. Half-bloods are half human, half animal. The half-bloods were seen as traitors five-hundred years before this story’s placing (And still are seen that way) and were killed off. The main character is Derek, a 23 year old who lives in Echodor. Anyways, I’ve said enough. You can figure the rest out. One last minute warning: I do NOT support some of the darker themes in this book. I hope you enjoy this story!

. . .

Prologue

          Compass. Book. Blanket. Each of these were all that was left to pack up. A young boy took each and carefully laid them in a pack so that they didn’t take up too much room. He set the pack down and ran out of his room with excitement. His sprint down the hall almost caused him to trip over the other two packs laying outside another room. The boy ended his run at a window, where he pushed open the shutters. He stared out at the sun, getting close to setting. The sky was covered in a beautiful mix of milky orange and dark violet. A hand reaching towards the boy’s head caused him to turn around, still holding a smile on his face.

          “There you are Derek!” The hand ruffling the boy’s black hair belonged to a man who had shaggy brown hair framing his handsome face. He was wearing scuffed leather armor and had a bow hanging from his back. The man then lifted him off the window sill and closed the shutters. “You excited yet?” The young boy, Derek, laughed before answering.

          “Excited? I think I’m way past that point! My first midnight hunt! A whole month in the forest learning how to be a real hunter! What could be better?” The man chuckled, running his hand back over Derek’s hair, flattening it.

          “Well, you are ten today. I was ten when I did my first midnight hunt. But it’d not that easy. You learn to pull your own weight out in the forest. You’ll learn everything you need to know. But…” He paused for a moment. “I think there’s something we’re missing.” He placed a hand on his chin in thought.

          “What? What is it?” Derek stared with a frown now. Had he forgotten to pack something? The man kneeled down and smiled.

          “I think we’re forgetting your Birthday presents.” Derek smiled, looking straight into the man’s eyes.

          “What are they? Are they something special for my first hunt?” The man chuckled, beginning to walk away.

          “Well come and see for yourself!” Derek ran after him, following until they came to a room with the door open. Inside was a woman sitting on a bed. She had black hair that complimented her green eyes. She was also wearing leather armor that matched the man’s. Beside her on the mattress were three items, each that made Derek even more excited when he looked over them.

          “We hope two presents is enough this year.” The woman spoke in a soft voice as Derek ran up and hugged her.

          “Of course it’s ok! I’d have been fine with no presents!” He looked towards the items. The first was hilt that looked like it was made of leather. Beside it was a dagger with a blade the same size as the hilt. The gleaming iron reflected Derek’s face in it as he picked it up by the handle. The handle had a golden shine. On the end of the handle was a sculpted wolf head with a small ruby as the eye. Derek sheathed the blade and held it for a moment. I can’t believe it! A real dagger! He did his best to hold in his laughter before attaching the hilt to his waist. The second item was a small box. The woman held it up and opened it, revealing a silver medallion. The medallion had darker and lighter circles on it, causing it to look like the moon. In the center of it was a sapphire gem that reflected light onto Derek’s face. The woman took the medallion and put it on him.

          “With this, you’ll always have the moon to light your path.” Derek looked up at her and hugged her again.

          “I love it! I love all of this! Thank you.” He stood up again, holding the medallion. The man walked up behind him.
          “Well we have some last-minute preparations to make. I want you to go get some rest. We’ll wake you when it’s time to go.” The boy smiled.

          “Alright! Hurry up though, so we can leave sooner!” He ran out of the room to his bed, leaping onto it. He curled up in the covers, setting the dagger on his bedside table. He then looked down at the medallion, holding it in both hands. Even through the coldness of the silver, he could feel warmth on his hands. He closed his eyes, comforted by the feeling.

. . .

          Derek could still feel the heat on his hands. Only now, it seemed to have spread all over his body. He tried to open his eyes, feeling sweat on his forehead. His eyes opened, revealing an unsightly orange flickering on the floor. Upon further inspection, he saw that the orange was flame, eating away at the wooden floor. Derek immediately stood on his bed, grabbing his dagger and bag that he’d packed. He carefully made his way across the room, making sure his feet didn’t get to close to the fire. Once he made it to the doorway, he ran out of the room. As he ran down the hall, one of the walls collapsed, sending a shower of sparks onto his face. He slid forward, just in time to see the wood collapse on the ground behind him. Derek continued running, feeling heat everywhere. The smoke in the air caused him to cough every few moments. Once he made it into the main part of the house, he looked around. The front door was covered with a burning beam that had originally supported the ceiling. After looking around the whole room, he saw that the only place left to get out was the window. He ran towards it, bracing himself for the pain he knew he’d feel. He jumped through the glass, feeling some of it cut him as he fell to the stone pathway below. Derek held his arm as he tried to stand up, feeling a gash on it. Once he was on his feet, he turned around, facing the house. He then looked around for his parents. Surely they’d made it out too? When he saw no one, he looked up to the window that connected to his parent’s room. A movement in the shadow caught his attention and he smiled. They were still alive. The face in the window had the shaggy hair of his father. He seemed to be climbing up to the window sill. Then, he seemed to be drawing away from the window, slowly walking away. Derek frowned, looking around for somewhere to run back in to help them. Suddenly, a loud creak startled him before the roof collapsed onto the house. Derek backed away as some of the logs that served as the roof fell into the space he’d been. He looked up, seeing the smoke billowing out of what now looked more like a bonfire than a structure. The figure in the window was gone. He felt tears flowing down his cheeks.

          “…No…but…but we were supposed to…supposed to go hunting together…” He tried to hold back a sob, only for it to turn into a cry. He fell onto his knees. A clatter almost interrupted his tears as he looked up. His dagger had fallen out of its hilt and was laying on the ground in front of him. He slowly picked it up, inspecting the blade. A few sparks were falling onto it, becoming small black dots on the iron. “…Maybe we still can…” Derek held the dagger by the handle, aiming the blade towards his neck. He looked up at the burning house in front of him, feeling a sob escape him. It was then that a hand grabbed his, knocking the dagger from his grasp. He looked up to see a man in steel armor pulling him away. Another man grabbed the dagger and put it in the sheath that had been laying on the ground.

          “It’s not your place to do such things, young one.”

2: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

            Many smells wafted through the air, sending great scents to Derek’s nose. Baked bread, ham, and even the sharp tingle of Ale splitting through it. All enticing, but all out of his price range. He simply had the smell to enjoy as he sat in the Tavern with his eyes closed. No eye contact. Don’t stare at anyone. He tried to tell himself. Slowly, he opened his eyes, glancing around at the other people sitting at tables. Each table was made by a carefully carved birch wood. The walls of the tavern were made by smooth stone with wooden beams to support the roof. Above were many other beams going across the roof. On each beam was a lantern, carrying a candle to illuminate the room. None of these features mattered to Derek yet. He was more interested in the people sitting at each table. He studied each of them, making sure not to look at them for too long. He looked at their clothing mostly. They all seemed to be wearing rough cloth. Farmers. Derek scoffed in annoyance. His plan couldn’t be worthwhile if the only people were farmers. He glanced around at each of them, trying to think of what to do. As he stared at their equipment, he saw exactly what he was looking for. A coin purse was next to one of the farmers, larger than the others. Derek glanced up at the farmer once more, trying to identify him. While he could not identify him, he could see that someone else was sitting across the table from him. A larger man was wearing the same clothing, ragged and torn slightly. One thing set him off, however. This man, unlike the other people, had a large sword with a steel-encrusted hilt hanging from his side. My, oh my…seems this goes deeper than it seems…ah well, I don’t need a sword, nor do I think I could steal it. That coin purse is what I want. Derek confirmed this with himself, standing up from his seat. He’d played this scam so many times, he knew exactly where to place his feet. As he passed the table with the man, he listened for the few moments he had to their conversation. They got quieter as he passed, but he could make out a few words from them.

          “…screw this up! I need it done properly. If you can’t do it, then I’ll leave your corpse there while I get someone else-“ Derek faked a trip, falling onto the man ‘accidentally.’

          “Agh! Oh my, sir! I am so sorry about that!” Derek stretched his words out properly to sound sincere. He placed his hands carefully on the purse, holding it firm enough that the coins wouldn’t rattle. “Don’t you just hate uneven floors?” The man scowled at him, shoving him off his shoulder.

          “Watch it, boy! I don’t appreciate scum like you near me.” Derek bowed his head slightly, hiding the coins behind his leg. He speed walked away, making sure to not show the bag. He walked outside, sighing with relief. He scuffed his shoes on the grey stone that stood as a walkway outside. On either side of the road were homes or market stalls selling various items. He looked up slightly seeing the large building that stood as a palace. The towers that protruded from the palace seemed tall enough to touch the sky. He looked back down at the walkway, scoffing.

          “I’m scum…? Pfft. How about you?” He murmured to himself, walking away from the tavern. He stared down at the bag, about to open it. A harsh voice interrupted his actions.

          “There! That’s him!” Derek whipped around to see the man from the tavern pointing at him. Next to him were two guards, each wearing matching armor and carrying matching swords. On command, they drew their swords and ran towards Derek. Dammit! He stuffed the bag into his pocket and bolted away, nearly stumbling as he began running. He could hear the pattern of footing behind him that belonged to the guards. Based on the fact that he could hear the footsteps growing louder, he could tell that they were gaining on him. He looked to the sides of the street ahead of him, seeing a few crates from one of the market stalls stacked on top of each other. He reached out a hand, knocking one down behind him. He didn’t dare look back, knowing it would slow him down. He did, however, hear at least one of the guards stumble and fall. His pace quickened, hoping to outrun them. I just need to make it home…I can do this! It was hard for Derek to keep a steady pace on the uneven, rough pathway. He knew that the guards would have the same difficulty as well, but he still tried to push his legs faster than he knew they could go. The pain rushing through them from the extra work caused his heart to race, sending loud beating through his ears. Almost there… He looked around for another crate or barrel. Anything. On the side of the street, he could see a fruit stand where the vendor was helping a woman. Derek rushed between then, making sure his hand hit the fruit. He heard the vendor yelling at him, but also heard the fruit land on the ground. Without looking back, he darted into an alleyway between two buildings. At the end was a fence, as Derek knew. On one side, a few crates were stacked up to block a window. He darted behind them, granting himself a moment to breathe. The clank of steel interrupted his rest. Holding his breath, he listened to the voices of the guards just outside the alleyway.

          “He was just here, wasn’t he?” It took all of Derek’s strength to not gasp for breath as the voices became louder.

          “He must have gone towards the homes of the citizens. We may be able to cut him off. Come on!” Their footsteps faded away as he let out his breath and rested for a moment. He stood up and turned, facing the fence at the end of the alley. He carefully began to climb it, placing each foot carefully. Once he was at the top, he climbed the building as well, stopping on a window sill to sit. Looking into the building, he saw the familiar dusty shelves and scraps of curtains blocking the windows. Home sweet home. He thought as he pulled himself in through the window. He looked around the room, seeing his bed in one corner. He walked over to it and sat down, opening the drawer on the bedside cabinet. Inside was the familiar hilt of his dagger, not gleaming in the dark room. He pulled it out of the way to set the coins into the drawer. As he shifted the items in the drawer, a light protruded from it, blinding him in one eye momentarily. He angrily pulled out the source, his moon-shaped medallion. He pulled out the cloth he’s been using to cover the untiring light that came from the necklace. As he put the cloth on, he saw that it was shining even through the light. He growled, trying to cover it more, but to no avail. When his attempts failed, he angrily threw the medallion across the room, hearing it clink at it fell to the floor. He covered his eyes, hearing blood pump through his ears along with many thoughts. Stupid thing! It’s practically useless! He thought like this for a few moments, letting the anger rush through. As these thoughts ran on, he felt liquid on his cheeks, running down. He opened his eyes seeing his vision blurred by tears. Why am I crying?! I don’t even care about the damned thing! As these thoughts went through his mind, he immediately regretted even thinking them. He looked up at the light emitting from the circle. He stood up walking over to it, feeling more tears on his face. He picked it up by the string, staring down at it. He went to sit back down on his bed, holding the silver in his hands. He could still feel the familiar warmth coming from it, warming his arms from the touch. As he laid down, his eyes never strayed from it, inspecting each detail. He held it closer to his body, feeling it begin to warm him more. He saw his mind drawing blank as he began to drift off. Before falling asleep, he uttered the most truthful words he had said in a while.

          “Sorry…”

 

Just another day…

3: Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 

          A bright yellow aura clouded Derek’s thoughts. He couldn’t remember what he’d been dreaming about anymore, but the light only annoyed him now. He could still feel the heaviness on his eyelids and sensitive limbs he always had when he woke up each morning. Slowly, Derek opened his eyes, trying to lift his arm to block the sun shining in through the window. He got up to pull the fabric over it and heard a clink as something slid off his stomach. Looking down after blocking the window, he saw the silver gleam of the medallion he had fallen asleep holding. He picked it up, brushing the dust off of it. He looked at it for a moment longer before setting it on the bedside table he had. Next to the necklace was a piece of fabric he had been using to cover bread. There was one slice left on it, just becoming stale. He’d gotten lucky when an innkeeper had offered it to him, but he knew he’d have to buy more with the bag of coins he’d taken the day before. Bread was often the least expensive thing, so it made it easier to save money. Sometimes, he’d buy cheese for a little more flavor, but the thought of it only made him hungrier. He took the last piece and scarfed it down, being sure to chew slower to enjoy the taste. He knew now that it was the fun part of thieving, for him anyways. Taking his medallion and dagger, he walked over to the one mirror in the room. It had dirt around the edges, but he hardly ever used it anyways. He usually only looked at himself when he had to change his appearance. It surprised him, though when he saw himself. His face had dirt on both sides and his hair was almost to his shoulders. He didn’t particularly like his hair long, as it made it look messier than he liked it. Taking his dagger, he cut off pieces of hair on the edge, simply making sure it didn’t hang more than four inches. He didn’t care if it looked a little messy, as he liked it that way. His only concern at the moment was that he looked different. What shall I be today..? Derek thought carefully as he looked at his new haircut. Something had to make him look more innocent. He looked down at his “props”, a medallion of the moon and a golden dagger. Sometimes he wondered why he didn’t sell them. He knew, however, in the back of his mind that their sentimental value was important to him. I’ve got it! He took the medallion and put it on, centering it on his neck. He then looked through his drawer, finding a spare bit of charcoal laying in one corner. He ground it up with his hand, and rubbed the dust on his face, creating several markings and spirals on his cheeks. In the Empire, many priests worshipped gods such as the sun god, the moon god, the god of nature, and plenty more. His medallion might make him look like one of these priests with the correct markings. He also knew he had a robe he’d found thrown in an alley once. A traveling priest title would make his dagger more understandable. Anything could happen in the woods and plains outside the city. While Frinas was the Capital in the Empire, it was still dangerous just outside the walls. It had been named after the first Queen, but the current Emperor, Claude Clanatius, was far more firm than that queen. As were the five emperors before Claude as well. Many years before, the Emperor had made a proclamation that all creatures known as half-bloods would be killed off, since they’d seen them as traitors. Derek had seen executions in the street just because someone was suspected of being one. Pushing this thought aside, he looked at himself in the robe he’d just put on. It was just torn enough that it looked like he’d traveled, but not too dirty that he’d doubt his place. This just might work… He nodded, looking at his work. Then, he walked over to the window and jumped into the alleyway below. Once he’d landed, he tightened the clasp on his belt which held his dagger. He made sure no one saw him coming out of the alley, as it would only make him look suspicious. He threw the hood on his robe up, hoping it would hide any familiar aspects of his face left. A face paint and a haircut wouldn’t change everything. He started walking down the road, passing by familiar shops and homes. He saw two children running around with wooden swords, batting at each other with them. Derek had never really played with other children when he was their age, nor had he ever needed a wooden sword to fight someone. He could make better use of a branch. He turned away from them as he began to smell the familiar scent of bread with the tingle of sweetness. The baker had always made a few sweets since the district he was in was mostly residential. Any shops were general stores or sold food. Even though they were in the capital, this district had fewer food options than nobles or higher class. It was part of the reason the tavern was the more popular destination for meals. They had the best food choices. All these thoughts seemed to melt out of Derek as he opened the door to the bakery. The smells that flooded into him brought comfort. There weren’t too many people in the shop, which meant there might be more options. He realized at this moment that he had forgotten to look at what money was in the pouch. Carefully, he took it out and looked inside. It was stuffed to the brim with silver coins and even an emerald. Where in the world did a farmer of all people find an emerald?! With this, I could buy half the produce in this shop! He never would do this, as he’d taught himself self-control and he often refrained from buying special foods such as steak or glazed cakes. Looking up, he could see one in the shop. The sweet smell of sugar tempted him, but he looked away and walked to the counter. A young man with red hair walked up.

          “Hello! How may I help you today?” He smiled at Derek, but he could see it was only out of friendliness.

          “I just want three loaves. Any bread will do.” Derek tried to hold a happy expression, but he was hardly used to it. His voice still seemed monotone as the baker nodded and responded.

          “Of course! One moment, I’ll go get you the freshest ones we have.” The man walked away from the counter, going to a room in the back. A creak stopped Derek from looking around and instead drew his eyes straight to the door. Two boys, both looking about his age, walked in. Something seemed…off about them. They both had the same features, leading Derek to believe they were brothers. However, they both looked like opposites. While both had a reddish-brown color to their hair, one wore the biggest grin. He made a quick glance around the shop before landing his eyes on the glazed cakes.

“There they are, James! Come on, hurry up!” He ran past Derek to the end of the counter, looking down at the desserts. The one Derek presumed was ‘James’ walked slowly across the shop to stand beside the other. His look made Derek feel uncomfortable about how close they were to him. James had the same copper hair as his brother, yet his hair also had grey streaking through it. Derek could tell that it wasn’t a natural color from a small clump of what looked like war paint in his hair with the same color. He didn’t have a grin, like his brother. Instead, his face seemed almost expressionless. He looked toward the other boy and spoke in monotone.

“Matthew. We just need to choose one. The others won’t care what flavor.” Matthew looked towards James, still holding his smile.

“I know! How about we just get them all?!” James held his expression, but raised his hand behind Matthew’s head. He smacked him, making his hair dishevel slightly. “Ow! Fine let’s just get this one!” He pointed at one, rubbing the back of his head. Derek could tell from his expression that he was holding in a laugh through his pain. The creak of the door he had heard a moment before sounded once more. He turned towards it, wondering if one of the boy’s companions would be wandering in as well. What he saw made him want to run. The face of the person who walked in and headed straight towards him made his stomach lurch. It was the very farmer from whom he had stolen, and Derek was guessing his disguise wasn’t working on him. He folded his arms and glared, pausing for a moment before speaking.

          “Hello, priest. Is this day treating you well?” Derek did not want to attract the baker’s attention, but he didn’t like being alone in a room with this man. What do I say?! He thought for a moment before smiling and standing straighter.

          “It’s treating me very well! And you, kind sir?” He knew the man wouldn’t play along like this forever, but he needed to try something.

          “It’s a fine day. Seems like there may be a storm later, though.” His firm glare didn’t wipe from his face as he spoke to him. As he prepared his next words, Derek could feel a set of eyes on him. Not the man, as they seemed to be sending heatwaves through his spine. Is one of those boys listening…?

          “Ah, rain! The gods bless us with such water! Perhaps it will help us have a surplus in food supply.” Derek nearly gagged. He wasn’t particularly religious, since no ‘god’ had given him much reason to be. He needed to act as a priest. He could not break character.

          “Yes. They do bless us so.” Derek saw the man’s eyes wander behind him. Footsteps led him to believe that the baker had returned. He leaned in closer to Derek for a moment. He spoke in a hushed tone, making it almost sound like a hiss. “Meet me outside. We need to talk. Now.” He walked away quickly, nearly slamming the door behind him. Derek took his time paying, as he wasn’t quite sure what would happen outside. When he opened the door, he could immediately feel his feet guiding him to the alleyway next to the building. Even this farmer wouldn’t be dumb enough to talk in the street. Hold on…is this really a good idea? I took his money. He must have something up his sleeve! He couldn’t stop his curiosity, however, as he walked up to the man in the dark shadows.

          “I believe you have something that belongs to me.” The man’s tone sounded almost like a growl as he stared at him. “And I plan on getting some of it back.” Derek snickered slightly.

          “You? Please. The only way you’d get your money back is by prying it from my dead hands. And where would that land you? In prison for life.” He hoped the man wouldn’t call his bluff, as he was slightly scared just standing near him.

          “I don’t plan on that. How about we strike a deal instead?” Derek wiped his smile from his face and listened. “I was planning on paying someone to protect me with those coins. You can keep it if you take his place. Refuse and I give you to those guards over there.” He gestured with his hand to a pair of soldiers standing across the street. Think carefully…don’t be stupid… He smirked once more, placing one hand on his dagger.

          “And what’s stopping me from taking you down with me in that time? I’m not afraid of a little prison.” He could see the man’s face become pale. He took a moment to think before placing one hand in front of himself.

          “Now hold on! H-how about…I’ll pay you double the amount of money in the pouch! You just have to help me first!” Derek placed one hand on his cheek in thought for a moment.

          “I’m not sure…how much is a life worth again?” The man waved his hands for a moment, anger settling in with the fear now.

          “Fine, fine! Triple!” He could tell that that was all he’d squeeze out.

          “Alright, deal.” He could see the man’s relief wash over his face. “What is this assignment, anyways?”

          “An artifact…in the woods. I need your help to find it. And while you’re at it, you need to act as my bodyguard. Do this, and I’ll pay you afterwards.” This artifact is worth that much…? He wasn’t completely sure about this, but he nodded.

          “Alright then. You’re leading the way so hurry up.”

. . .

          Derek wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been walking. He remembered passing the rest of the homes and walking out of the town gates, but he forgot to keep track of time, it seemed. The man was still continuing to walk, causing Derek to wonder is he even had senses in his feet. His own were killing him with each step. He could tell they had been walking for some time since the sky was turning a creamy orange. Suddenly the man stopped and turned to him. They were surrounded by trees, each of them the same kind, but none looked the same.

          “This is where it is. Find a tree with a hole in it.” Derek scoffed.

          “A hole? Seriously? Any and all of these trees could have a hole.” He stared at him, awaiting his comeback.

          “This hole is a certain shape. You’ll know it when you see it.” Derek rolled his eyes but did as he was told and began walking around the trees. He could see the man was doing the same. He lost count of the trees he’d examined after ten. The sky was darkening and stars were beginning to gleam overhead. Derek rested his head against the trunk and took a deep breath. It was while he was taking this break that he felt a cold, thin object press against his back. A deep voice spoke and footsteps rang in his ears.

          “Derek Smith, you are under arrest.”

4: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

          Derek felt the rest of his body going cold, not from the blade held against his back, but from the sense of fear looming in his mind. How? I would have heard them…the farmer would have… He slowly turned his head to one side to see the farmer standing behind the guard. He was smiling a wide grin that caused bumps on Derek’s arms. Dammit…I should have known. I did know and yet I let myself get caught. He saw at least four other guards as well as the one arresting him. Stay calm. You’re a ‘priest’ here. Just stay calm. No matter how many times he ran this through his head, he could only feel his heartbeat quicken.

          “If you don’t resist, the Emperor might give you mercy.” The guard behind Derek spoke as he pulled a rope out. Emperor?! He doesn’t deal with petty thieves.

          “I assure you, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Derek spoke in as calm a voice he could muster. “You have the wrong man.” A chuckle to his left surprised him. He turned to see a man, perhaps ten years older, sneering at him. He had dark brown hair that was smoothed back as well as unusually green eyes.

          “And I can assure you, we know exactly who you are. So, unless you wish for me to tell the Emperor to behead you, I suggest you come quietly.” In this moment, Derek figured out who the man was. One of the traditions of the Calantius family was that the first born son would become Emperor. Then, any other sons would be allow to become the Generals. Derek struggled for a moment to think of the names of the sons. While each helped to contain different parts of the kingdom, he knew two sons watched over Frinas together. The first was Emperor Claude, the second was Vincent. There were two others, Damien and Nicholas, as well as their sister Eleanor, whom were the youngest, but Derek was certain the one standing before him was Vincent Calantius himself. A General was here to arrest him. He couldn’t understand why, however. He had stolen a few things before this bag of gold, but he couldn’t figure out why that would be so important for a General and six guards to come for him. The guard behind him began to tie the rope around his right wrist. The rough material brought Derek back to reality. Turning, he saw the guards as well as the General going towards a few horses through the trees. He thought one moment longer. I can’t just…give in! They can’t do this! Derek felt himself shudder just thinking about a dark cell, stone walls surrounding him, and the only light coming from the door. He couldn’t go there.  Wouldn’t go there. He could hear the ringing in his ears as the guard held the rope towards his left wrist. No! Derek jerked his right arm towards himself, pulling against the man’s force. When he felt the guard beginning to pull back, he let his elbow go back with extra speed, ramming it into the man’s side. Hearing a grunt and a thud, Derek pulled away from the weakened hand and sprinted into the trees. He didn’t dare look back, as he heard many shouts and orders. I need to hide! But where can I? He tried to look around but realized it was getting darker and darker by the moment. The moon began to rise over the horizon, becoming Derek’s only means of light. He heard a strange crunch sound on his left, but saw nothing. When another sounded just next to his foot, he realized it was arrows. He veered to one side, knowing he’d have to dodge now as well as run. The dim light shining down from the moon made it difficult for him to see the forest around him. After a few moments of running through darkness, he felt a root hook his foot, and he fell into a bush. He felt a few scratches on his cheek and arms, but he stayed still, knowing the guards were right behind him. He barely dared to breathe as the footsteps approached and began to speak.

          “Wasn’t he just…never mind. But what now, General?” An extra set of footsteps grew louder and a deeper voice spoke.

          “Spread out. Try to surround him. Even the most agile need rest, so he must be here!” With no delay, many pairs of legs and clanks of armor got quieter. Derek sat up, brushing a few leaves off his arm. When he tried to stand up, a yank on his right arm notified him that something was wrong. Looking down, he saw that the rope was still tied tight to his arm, and remembered he had never had time to take it off. He also saw that one end was wedged underneath a root. Derek growled to himself and pulled. Feeling immediate pain, he ceased, seeing that the knot was made to tighten if he squirmed. My dagger! He felt his side, where his small blade normally was. When his had fell to his hip, a shiver went through him. Where is it?! Did I drop it somewhere? He looked around until his eyes fell behind him. He realized at that moment that one person had not run to surround him, and that they were standing just beside him. He looked up to meet a pair of light green eyes, glaring down at him and baring into his skin. Vincent knelt down beside him and whispered to him.

          “I believe you left this back there.” He held in his hand a slightly dulled blade attached to a golden hilt with a wolf head carved onto the end. “No matter. I don’t believe I’ve told you your charges. It’s slipping my mind…” He trailed off a moment, leaving Derek in a moment of silence that gnawed at his stomach and made his heart only beat faster. Vincent held up one hand, counting with his fingers. “I believe it was thievery and treason. Oh! And as of today, resisting arrest.” Derek clenched his jaw. Treason?! I’ve never once even thought of plotting against the Emperor.

          “One of those is falsely accused!” Vincent closed his hand into a fist and turned to him, holding his gaze perhaps a few inches from Derek’s.

          “Oh? But I have proof of all three. Two of which you just confessed to, and one has corrupted you since birth.” What?! Corruption at birth is impossible. Derek held his gaze, trying not to shake. “Your treason lies within your blood. It’s flowed throughout your bloodline for thirty years.” Derek could hardly hear at this point. He was innocent. He knew that he was not disloyal to the throne, no matter how many other crimes he may have committed. His ears were ringing so loud, he was wondering how the General couldn’t hear. “The Emperor believes that once someone has made themselves impure, their real punishment is knowing that the rest of their kin will be rotten as well. And just look at you. You’re practically a rat living on the street. While my brother may not believe that, it’s what I see. Your accusations have been made clear and you have been sentenced to death.” …Death..? He felt so suddenly lightheaded that he couldn’t even think to scramble. He tried to get up, but the rope made it almost impossible just to move out of the way. Vincent stood up, putting one hand on his sword. “It’s a shame, really. If you hadn’t run or confessed, the Emperor was going to save you. I did try to warn you.” He pulled the blade from the sheath, the tip glistening in the moonlight.

          “Please…Just listen! I’ll be loyal. Even if…even if it…means…” Derek couldn’t understand how his mouth was moving at this point. His brain felt fuzzy and it seemed to spin as he spoke more. What’s wrong…? Something’s wrong! He could feel himself swaying slightly, but he tried to hold his head up to Vincent. Something changed in the General’s face. His mouth moved, but no words came out. His eyes widened and he seemed to be lifting the sword. Pain spiked through his head. He lifted one arm to his forehead, trying to rub away the pain. It seemed as though the other one was attempting to move, but was interrupted by convulsing. He saw his vision go dark as well as feel his mind go blank. He felt the grass against his cheek, beginning to tingle more than soothe.

. . .

          Derek wasn’t sure how long he laid there. A moment? A day? No. Everything still felt the same. He could hear something. It pierced his range of hearing, beginning to open up and grow louder. He tried to open his eyes, but felt that everything seemed a heavy as a rock. Sentences began to form from the noise, processing in his head.

          “…we do? I mean…I knew something was up from earlier, but this is hardly near what I was expecting.” Wait…who…? Thoughts. Thinking. That was good. He questioned once more who that voice was, as it didn’t sound as deep as Vincent’s, but it sounded vaguely familiar. He could sense feeling flowing back into him. It felt strange, as his body suddenly felt tingly all over. A tug on his arm sent a shiver of pain through him. “I feel bad for him…to be tied up like this.” Relief was sent through his wrist as the rope slipped off. “They did a tight knot. But what should we do, James?” James. James! Confusion went through his head. He remembered the two boys from the bakery, but why were they here?! Had they followed him? A second voice sounded, telling him it was the two from the bakery.

          “We wait for the others to get here. They’d better hurry. We were lucky to get rid of those guards. I wonder why the General was here…” James’s voice trailed off into thought. Matthew, as Derek remembered, spoke again.

          “Do you think he knew we’d be here? Maybe this guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!” They had reason to hide from the law? Derek tried to move, out of worry that they might do something to him. However, the only movement he managed to make was slightly opening one eyelid. Light flooded in and he saw two shapes. One was Matthew, kneeling just in front of Derek. The other was James, standing just behind him.

          “No. The General was saying he was charged with something. Treason and thievery I think he said.” Great…now they know I’m a thief… Matthew turned to James, questioning him.

          “I didn’t hear that. When did you have time to hear that?!” The brother answered immediately and spoke with confidence.

          “I got here before you, dummy. He said he was charged with resisting arrest, thievery, and treason. I can see the treason part…but I can’t figure out why the General ran away.” Wait…What?! How can one see treason? Especially when it’s never been committed. One figure, Matthew, moved closer to Derek’s face.

          “Wait! I think he’s opening his eyes!” James grabbed Matthew by the shoulder, pulling him to his feet and away from Derek’s body.

          “Get away from there! Do you know how dangerous that is?” James stepped in front of Matthew, pulling a long sword out of a thin scabbard slung around his back. I think I’ve seen some of those before…was it a…rapier? “You! You awake?” He held the sword towards Derek’s face, but protected his brother carefully. After another attempt at moving, a twitch went through his leg. He managed to sit up, but found out just how tired he was. His eyes began to droop once more, but he looked up at the duo in front of him. Something felt strange about his body. His back legs and spine mostly. They didn’t feel as in pain as his head, but they felt almost like they weren’t bending the right way. “Don’t get up! We’re going to help you, but you need to wait for our friends.” No fear showed in James’s eyes, but mostly curiosity shined in Matthew’s. Derek opened his mouth to speak, but heard a strange sound come out instead of his voice. A wheeze? No, it sounded more like his voice had failed. He couldn’t tell why the two seemed so jumpy. They obviously had the upper hand. After a moment, his head flopped back down, and he yawned. It felt as though he had been running all day. Every limb was hurting or sore. A figure knelt in front of him. He assumed it was James because they set a sword down. He could feel them squeezing his hand or tapping his head slightly. What the…? The voice spoke to the other. “I don’t think he’s actually changed like this before…” Matthew spoke after a moment of thought.

          “Really? Maybe that’s why he seems so confused…” What on earth are they talking about…? Derek tried to think for a moment before speaking. When his mouth opened, no words came out. Instead, a low bark came out. What just…? He tried to look down at his arms, but didn’t have enough time to think of what he saw before passing out. Instead of hands, he saw two black-furred paws.

5: Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 

          A forest at night time. A General. A set of paws. This was all Derek could remember as he began to regain his consciousness. He felt a pounding ache in his head, causing him to have to wait a moment before taking any action. He opened an eye slowly. He shut it immediately when he saw a few figures just beside him. He could tell he was on some sort of bed from the covers on him and the way the figures had been elevated compared to him. When the silence faded away, Derek found out someone had been talking the whole time. Four voices, two recognizable, told him there were more than the ones standing beside him.

          “…isn’t going to like this. Maybe we should just wait until he finds us.” This voice belonged to a female. He could tell it wasn’t elderly since it spoke with confidence and clearly. A few footsteps sounded, and a wooden creak, before someone responded.

          “You know that’s a bad idea. While Aiden has his off moments, he’ll see this isn’t some ordinary situation where we grew too soft. Besides, just look at this guy.” The footsteps grew closer, stopping just beside him. This voice did sound familiar. Why is it I only hear this voice after blacking out? He could tell this was one of the twins he had spoken to. Wait…how long have I been asleep?! He couldn’t recall. He remembered they had said waiting for someone to find them. Hopefully not that long then… A hand rubbed his shoulder. “We couldn’t just leave him in the woods, could we?! Even if we did, he looks like he understands how to keep a secret. We’ve got dirt on him too.” Wow…thanks.

          “Will you two shut up? I can’t concentrate on this spell if you’re talking over me.” This voice was also female, but it was much softer than the other one. When silence came again, Derek heard the voice begin to murmur. After it finished, he felt a strange tingle, almost a tickle, go through his arm. He then remembered the tight rope that had been there. Was it that bad…? “There. It doesn’t look as red as it did before, at least.” A softer hand touched his arm before it guided along one of his veins. “Hold on…his heart is going faster.” A hand brushed his forehead. “Goodness! Matthew, could you go get some soaked cloth?” A quick pair of footsteps sounded in the distance. “I think he may be having a night terror. His breathing has quickened and he’s sweating a lot more than when you brought him.” I didn’t know my nervousness was showing that much. The footsteps approached once more.

          “Maybe he’s waking up!” This voice was Matthew’s, Derek knew that much. “That’s good, isn’t it? You’ll be able to tell what’s wrong with him then, Violet!” The soft voice returned, a hint of worry ringing in it.

          “While it’ll be good to know he’s alright, what would I say? It’s not easy explaining that we’re half-bloods who wouldn’t hurt him. And like James said, he may not have transformed before. How would I tell him that?!” These people are…half-bloods?! What do I do? Derek found it difficult to control his breathing now. The wet cloth that ‘Violet’ has spoken off was laid on his forehead. That actually…really helps. The cold relief sent from the water helped his head ache ease away. “There. Ivy, Matthew. Could you both watch the door? I need to go get some of the herbs to help with a tonic for him. Make sure that if Aiden comes near to explain what’s happening before letting him in.” The other female voice sounded.

          “Sure thing, Violet! Just hurry back, alright? Aiden would go into those speeches about how we need to make decisions as a group if we tell him we did this without asking.” A creak sounded, telling Derek that Violet had stood up.

          “James, watch him, alright? On the off chance he does wake up while I’m gone, keep him calm.” A grunt from James and the shut of a door told Derek that it might be safe to open his eyes now. He peeked one open and slightly turned his head. He saw no one. That’s odd…Where’d he go? Derek sat up, looking around. Still no James. The room looked odd. Instead of wooden or stone walls, he saw dirt. While he did see a door, it looked like one of the most secure things here. There was a fireplace on one side of the room. A fire was lit and glowed vibrantly. This is some of the best architecture for a dirt room I’ve ever seen! Derek joked with himself in his head before setting his feet on the ground. The ground was the only thing not made of dirt. It was wooden and planked sturdily. There were multiple other beds in the room, leading Derek to believe that this may be a healer’s room. None of the beds had people in them, however. A nightstand stood next to his bed. Multiple plants that Derek had never heard the names of stood on it. His dagger also shined brightly, even though the room was dimly lit by candles. Wait…where is it?! After inspecting the table, Derek saw his medallion wasn’t there, nor was it tied to his neck. Did they take it from me?! How dare they? He stood up, taking the dagger from its sheath. The moment he did so, a strange noise came from just behind him. A hiss. He was certain that was what it was. This didn’t sound like a cat’s hiss, however. He turned slowly, looking towards the ground. A few feet away from him sat an uncoiled snake, staring viciously at him. Its tongue flickered from its mouth every few moments. It was colored with spots and had strange horns protruding from the top of its head. No matter how long Derek stayed still, he couldn’t think of what to do. He wasn’t wearing shoes, so it could easily bite his feet. He slowly moved his hand that held the dagger, raising it slightly. Immediately, the snake raised its head, standing on its body slightly, and hissed. In fear, Derek threw his aimed blade at the slithering body, but heard it clink slightly on the wooden floor. The snake had easily dodged and threw itself at Derek. He screamed as the moment flashed by. He fell to the ground, laying against the bed. The snake was on his chest. The end of its body was wrapped around Derek’s neck, cutting off his scream. It drew closer to his face, sending a rush of adrenaline through him. The door burst open and a girl, perhaps a bit younger than Derek, with golden blonde hair rain in. Behind her was the familiar face of Matthew, his copper hair looking a bit more messed up than the last few times Derek had seen him. Immediately, the young boy marched over and grasped the head of the snake in his hand. Derek drew away, pushing himself against the wall. He took his blade from the floor, aiming in a defensive stance. What he saw next confused him.

          “You big jerk! You think it’s nice to just scare people like that?!” Matthew screamed at the snake holding it shockingly close to his face. “What if he had transformed again? Violet’s hard work would go to nothing and it’d be bad for him with the little rest he’s had! Now, I’m going to put you down and you’d better apologize to him the moment I do!” Wait…Don’t put him down! Matthew gently threw the snake onto the bed. The form of it seemed to darken into shadow before morphing into a different form. It grew larger until it was about the size of a boulder. The shadow faded away and instead of the viper, James sat huddled on the bed, looking up at Matthew. Wait…that’s how a half-blood transforms? He’s a half-blood that can turn into a snake?! He didn’t have a smirk on his face, but instead looked annoyed or pained.

          “You know how much it hurts when you throw me like that? Besides, he was going to hurt you guys! You think someone just picks up a dagger and does nothing with it?” He didn’t even look at Derek, who was now crouched against the wall, clutching the dagger he had grabbed from the floor.

          “What did I just tell you to do? Apologize right now!” Matthew spoke with a harsh tone, leaving the girl Derek presumed was Ivy behind him, confused. James growled for a moment, standing up from the bed. He slowly turned to Derek, glaring slightly, but also holding a bit of suspicion in his eyes.

          “…Sorry.” He mostly mumbled it, but didn’t take his eyes off of him. Quick approaching footsteps sounded at the door, and a girl with brown hair and a hooded cloak walked in. She spoke in the same soft voice Derek had heard not long before.

          “Honestly! I leave you all here for a minute and you wake him up and scare him? James, I told you to keep him calm!” In her arms she carried an herb that Derek did know. Lavender. The small petals were a vibrant and creamy purple that He normally only saw in paints. James began murmuring once she’d finished, stepping away from the bed.

          “He woke himself up, you know…” The girl stepped towards Derek, kneeling beside him.

          “Hello. I know this may be a lot to take in, but right now, I need you to work with me. Can you try that?” He didn’t say anything back, but instead just stared at her. When no response came, she held out a hand and introduced herself. “I’m Violet. This is all scary, I know. But could you get back on the bed?” Derek didn’t respond this time as well, but slowly took her hand. She pulled him off the ground and helped him to lay back down on the bed. “I’m the healer as well. That’s why I need you to trust me to help you get better. Alright? This is James and Matthew.” The gestured to the two copper-haired boys who were standing next to each other. “And this is Ivy.” She then gestured to the blonde girl. Upon inspection, Derek saw she had a bow strapped to her back. “We are all half-bloods.” Seeing his discomfort when she said this, she went on. “Would it make you more comfortable to know what animals we are?” He didn’t know what to say at that point. What could he say? Neither sounded like wise answers. “Well then, I’m a deer, James is a viper,” Before she could go on, James interrupted her.

          “A horned Viper, thank you very much…” Violet didn’t pause for long before continuing.

          “Matthew is an otter, and Ivy is a Cheetah. Now you know who we are, so I’d like to have a name to call you by.” She spoke with confidence, but showed a little strain on her face. He hesitated for a moment before murmuring his name.

          “…Derek Smith.” He didn’t like people knowing his name. It felt like a weakness, a point from which he could shatter. Identity was a powerful thing from all the links attached to it. However, he found that when he told it, he preferred people knew his last name as well.

          “Alright, Derek. You’ll be staying here for a while. At the moment, our leader is Aiden. I’d ask that you stay calm while around him. The magic from your transformation normally doesn’t have bad side effects like this, but I can-“ Derek realized he hadn’t asked yet.

          “What are you all meaning by transformation?” He remembered what he had seen in the dark. He remembered how confused he had been, but he doubted the thoughts being sent through him. Violet seemed almost confused.

          “James said you changed like we do. You know…into an animal.” Derek scoffed, glaring at her.

          “Then James saw wrong. I’m not a half-blood.” Violet was about to respond, but James cut in.

          “Well, hate to tell you this, but it’s hard to miss a four-foot tall wolf laying in the forest.” A wolf? Preposterous. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He wasn’t a half-blood.

          “Whatever. I’ll let you continue to believe that if you give me the moon back.” He knew they knew what he was talking about. There was no way they wouldn’t know. James scowled, almost growling at him.

          “Your moon? I don’t think it’s yours if you steal for a living.” Derek stared in awe. How could he say that? Just because he was a thief didn’t mean he had never earned something truthfully.

          “I’ve had that necklace for twelve years! The blade too. I’d prefer to have the two things that were always mine back, please!” James seemed to want to go on, but Violet butt in.

          “James! Just give it back. Even though it looks like the one described in stories or by the older members doesn’t mean it’s the same one.” A moment of confusion for Derek and silence for James led to him reaching into his back pocket and tossing the medallion to him. He immediately took it and tied it to his neck. No one said anything for a few moments. The only sound was Violet mashing some Lavender in a mortar and pestle. James suddenly turned to the door and began to walk out. Matthew followed and shouted at Derek before leaving his sight.

          “It was nice to meet you, Derek!” It echoed off the walls of the hallway they entered before finishing its repeat. Ivy walked over to Derek and sat on his bed, at the foot. She didn’t say anything, but seemed to be inspecting the moon tied to Derek’s neck. She swayed her vision to the dagger beside Derek then to Violet. The healer turned and handed him a cup. Inside it was a strangely-colored liquid.

          “This tonic will help you regain your strength. You’ll have to drink this for a few days in place of food, so I hope it tastes well enough.” Derek scowled at it for a moment before taking a large gulp of it. After a moment, he found it tasted sweet and reminded him of the smell of a garden. It wasn’t like a tea, which Derek normally found unpleasant for their lack of flavor. He finished it with a few more sweet gulps and licked his lips. Violet turned back. “I’m guessing it doesn’t taste foul, then.” She took the cup and set it on the table. Ivy waited until she was finished before speaking.

          “So, twelve years, eh? That’s quite a while to have those in such a well-maintained state.” Derek didn’t say anything for a few moments before looking up at her.

          “How long was I asleep?” The girl looked confused by his question, but answered surely.

          “Well…the guys found you last night, so all night you could say. It’s morning now.” He thought for a moment before correcting her.

          “Thirteen years…”

 

Just a Strange day...

6: Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

      Derek blinked open his eyes. Same dirt roof. Third time waking up to see it, as well. He almost didn’t want to wake up entirely. He buried his face in the quilted pillow. It was soft and plush, only supporting the thought of sleeping more. He knew, however, that the moment he fell asleep, Violet would walk back in. He had never seen someone check on a patient so much, especially one with such minor problems. He felt much better than when he had arrived, but he hadn’t left the bed. The most flavorful part of the day was when he got his tonic. Violet had been giving him facts about plants and herbs. An example was that she used Lavender in the tonic because it inflicted a bit of sleepiness or soothing to help him regain his strength. He knew what she said was true because it had nourished him more than any piece of bread ever had. Just as he began to drool, the door opened. Instead of Violet, this time Derek saw a man, perhaps a year or two older than he was. His hair was neat and a dirty-blonde that reminded him of harvest-time wheat that hung over his face. He seemed to have just the slightest bit of stubble growing on his chin and his eyes were a shade of emerald green. Violet stood just beside him, leading him into the room. From the angle Derek had, he could see he was quite tall compared to her. She seemed to open her mouth to speak before pausing. Then she looked towards Derek as he began to sit up.

          “Er…Derek. Good morning. This is Aiden.” This is the man with a bad temper? He looks so calm… The look on his face seemed to be thought for a moment, before turning into a friendly smile.

          “So this is the Derek I’ve heard of! Thank you, Violet. Would you mind if I had a moment to get to know him myself?” Violet nodded before turning to the door and leaving. Aiden didn’t move for a moment, staring at the doorway. Then, he turned and walked to the bed beside Derek’s, sitting down. He leaned his head on his palm. His eyes seemed to be traveling up and down Derek’s figure, studying him. He then stopped sizing him up and smiled, looking him in the eye. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you. I just don’t think I’m getting the same story each time.” He used his other hand to gesture a shrug. “Matthew says you’re nice, James says he doesn’t know if he should trust you, Violet says you’re a quick learner in the subject of herbs, and Ivy says that you may not be telling us something.” Perhaps I shouldn’t have corrected her the other night and kept to myself, then… “They said I shouldn’t speak to you yet, so I’m not sure what to think. Perhaps you can enlighten me on this subject?” Aiden shifted in his position, staring inquisitively at Derek. “I’ll make you a deal. Every question of mine that you answer, you can ask me a question. Deal?” What should he say? Agreeing would mean he’d either have to be a great liar or completely honest. Not agreeing would probably mean he’d repeat laying in the bed without a lot of answers.

          “…Deal.” He spoke firmly, but paused before his answer. Here goes this. Aiden sat up, pulling the pillows from the bed behind him to lean against. He didn’t seem to be smiling anymore, but he didn’t look angry either.

          “Well then, I’ll keep track of how many questions I ask and you can ask yours after me. Alright, here’s my first question. Why were the guards really after you?” When Derek didn’t answer immediately, he continued with his statement. “See, James said the General himself said you were charged with thievery, treason, and resisting arrest. Matthew said he wasn’t there, so I’m not sure who to believe, even though I trust James with my life.” Well, he asked for what I knew, so I’ll just tell him that part…

          “Well, the thievery and resisting arrest part was true. The General was also there, General Vincent Calantius, whom did accuse me of treason. However, I have never once committed treason.” That is true. That is true! Even as he said this, he remembered the strange tingling sensation surging throughout his body, supposedly caused by black fur. I’ll have to remember to ask about that…very carefully. Aiden didn’t seem to have changed his stance, but his eyebrows were raised as he processed this.

          “Well then, second question. What do you remember of that night? The one in which you were almost arrested.” When being confronted about it, Derek realized how little he did remember.

          “Well…at the moment it seems like a blur. I remember being chased and all that, but then it gets to the part where someone was threatening my life. I think it was the General…right? Then I woke up after not falling asleep and Matthew and James were there. It went something like that with much more explanation.” This time Aiden seemed to be nodding in understanding. Wait…does he know that feeling? Derek knew he had to be careful with his questions, but now he wanted to know how Aiden knew what forgetting so much of a moment felt like.

          “Well then, final question. What is it you stole?” Why would he care? He didn’t mind answering this one, but Aiden seemed to want to know how much trouble he was in.

          “I’ve stolen coins. This particular bag had a few gems in it, but I didn’t know that. The only thing I’ve stolen that wasn’t gold was a cabbage. And I was really hungry when I did that.” Finally I can ask some questions. Aiden leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.

          “Well then. You have three questions.” Derek knew two minor ones he wanted to ask first.

          “Are you the leader of the half-bloods?” Knowing a leader helped Derek to know how the community worked. Aiden, however, shook his head.

          “The half-bloods have no leader. They have routines and jobs, but no leader. I am, however, one of the most supported. Support is possibly the closest anyone would get to leader.” After hearing this, Derek continued with his next question.

          “What’s your animal?” He didn’t trust a lot of these people, but knowing their animals made him slightly more confident. Aiden chuckled at this question, looking up at him.

          “I’m a lion. Next question?” Oh great…a lion. This time, Derek carefully worded the question.

          “Why did you save me?” Derek didn’t know why they even cared to follow him. He’d hear people in taverns or on the street say that half-bloods were vile beings and traitors. That because their blood was half-animal, they couldn’t feel. He could tell already that a lot of this was lies. If they gained something from helping him, however, he’d want to know. Aiden’s face changed to a serious expression, not quite a glare, but far from happy.

          “I presume you mean my friends when you say ‘you’. They are much more determined than they seem. James and Matthew may be almost opposite, but they complete each other. Without the other, one wouldn’t exist. And if you haven’t learned, Ivy may be quite boastful at times. However, the reason she has things to boast about is because she doesn’t give up on anything. Even thought you were a stranger, they know more than many to judge a book by its cover.” Derek didn’t say anything. What could he say to that? He didn’t know these people, so he didn’t know the truth. Aiden saw him pause and spoke to him in a happier tone. “So, now that we understand each other more clearly, how about a walk? Three days is a long time to be laying in a bed.”

. . .

          Just looking outside the room gave clarity to Derek. He was presented with a hallway that had other tunnels with doors, most likely leading to rooms. He followed Aiden down this hallway until they reached the end. What the hallways opened up into baffled him. The ceiling rose up at least five meters, revealing large tree roots that hung down through the dirt. Many small ash piles led Derek to believe that they cooked here. Logs also lined the outer edge of the room, possibly for seating. This room, like the hallway, had dirt walls, ceiling, and floor. We really are underground! A large crowd of voices echoed through the room. Derek looked across the large cave to see a group of children, each wearing clothing lined with furs, cheering and looking up at the wall. He saw now that there was a boy, perhaps in his teen years, using a small lining of rocks to climb up the wall. It was at this moment that Derek hadn’t even thought of there being more half-bloods here. Perhaps it’s that the Empire had been searching for all of them. Seems a thief found them first. Aiden began to chuckle whilst watching. He leaned over to Derek and spoke in a hushed tone, so not to interrupt the cheering.

          “Normally the younger ones like to climb that wall and make a notch on the tree roots.” He gestured up at the large, dry limbs hanging down. “It’s like a test of courage, but it also gives them pride to know they did it.” There were a few older people walking into the cave whom were also watching, smiles spreading on their faces. The boy climbing the wall carried in one hand a small dagger, using it to gain leverage on his way. At one point, he lost his footing, leaving his only the hand holding the dagger hanging on the wall. He pulled himself up with such force that Derek wouldn’t have expected from someone his age. He then turned, putting his back to the wall, and leaped. His hands grasped one root in triumph, and the other youths below erupted in cheer. The boy quickly took his dagger and dug it into the root before losing his grip. What was left on the root was a large cut as the boy hit the floor. He laughed, however, pulling himself to his feet. The crowd ran to him, helping him up, and congratulated him. Derek turned to Aiden, commenting as the crowd ran into one of the other tunnels.

          “That’s an odd way for kids to show courage.” Aiden shrugged, sitting on a tree trunk that lay on the outer edge.

          “It’s a matter of opinion, I suppose. They enjoy doing it.” He leaned his head against the wall. A new voice rang in Derek’s ears. It grew louder as he turned towards it, but a figure almost rammed into him, grabbing him. Derek looked up, seeing Matthew smiling and hugging him from his neck.

          “I’m so glad to see you’re walking! It’s been terribly boring and now we can do stuff!” he tried to pull from the grip, but found Matthew was much stronger than he looked.

          “Let go before you strangle me!” Matthew only hugged him tighter.

          “I’m sorry, I just can’t wait to do all sorts of stuff! I can show you the training room! Oh, or the library!” Matthew babbled on as Derek finally loosened his grip enough to wrench himself free. Apparently this guy likes being happy…wait…they have a library? And here I thought they’d be drowned in poverty. Derek rubbed his neck as James also walked up, almost glaring at him. He then looked towards Matthew, speaking in an almost annoyed voice.

          “Matthew, if you do all that, you’ll tire him out so much that he’ll have to go lay down again.” When James finished, Matthew suddenly gasped.

          “I didn’t think of that! What’re we gonna do if everything would be too much?!” Derek raised one hand, speaking quietly.

          “I’m not that weak, you know…” Realization spread across Matthew’s face, but he didn’t seem to hear.

          “Wait! I have an idea! Violet said you like learning about plants, so let’s go to the greenhouse!” He grabbed Derek’s hands, pulling him along. James followed, but not as eagerly. Looking back, Derek saw Aiden smiling at them. Gee, thanks for the save!

7: Chapter 6

IMPORTANT: I will be very inactive on this book. It takes time for me to properly lay out everything, and I hope that all readers understand.

Chapter 6

 

          Derek began to question how he got into this situation. He was walking down another hallway in the tunnel system. Matthew was leading, practically pulling him, while James wore a smirk and seemed to be pushing him along. He probably knew his brother would act like this… He tried to speed up so that Matthew would stop tugging on his arm.

          “It’s just up here! I think you’re really going to like it in there! Violet works her hardest on the garden. She always makes sure that there’s a light source for the plants and waters them every day. There’s thistle, burdock, chamomile, and even some fruits. Maybe we can get you an apple!” Does he ever take a breath…? He simply smiled and nodded uncomfortably as an opening came up on the right side. Matthew walked through, first opening into a room with crates. Some were filled with herbal ingredients while others were filled with lemons and gourds. “This is the room where we store the produce until it’s needed. Sometimes, though, Violet takes some for her personal storage.” Derek sneezed when passing the dandelion.

          “The smells in here are…overwhelming.” He tried to sound optimistic when he rubbed his nose.

          “Oh…just wait until we’re in the garden.” James spoke in monotone, passing him on his left, opening a door on the far side of the room. Sunlight poured through and Derek walked through the opening. What he saw was the last thing he expected to see. He expected a small room with a few small planters. What he was met with was a large room with an open ceiling that showed Derek that just above the ground was a lush forest. Large roots covered the opening almost like a cage, but still let sunlight pour through. Surrounding the walls were countless flowers and trees. The wind whistled through the roots, giving Derek a moment of cool breeze on his face. Colors surrounded him and it smelled very sweet from all the plants. He couldn’t help but smile in awe at the sight.

          “Wow! It’s really nice out today! Hey, Derek. Let’s see who can find Violet first! I bet me and James will!” He began running off before Derek could process what he said. In response, he ran with newfound energy and passed Matthew.

          “Not if I do!” He couldn’t recall when he’d felt this uncaged before. He hardly had a moment when he could take in his surroundings and enjoy himself. He stepped into a part of the garden where there were countless trees that bore fruits or pretty blossoms. He looked around, hoping to spot the healer somewhere. When he passed one tree, he widened his eyes at what lay on the ground. A doe was sleeping on some tree roots, breathing softly. Derek approached cautiously. He’d never seen a deer this close before and felt rude for staring. The deer snorted and opened its eyes. It didn’t look scared when it saw him, but surprised. A strange shadow passed over it and it seemed to disappear from view for a moment. Derek stood up and took a step back before Violet stood up in place of the doe and looked at him.

          “Jeez! You scared me!” Violet spoke seriously for a moment. Oh…that’s right…I forgot. He laughed at himself for being foolish enough to believe it was a real deer. “I just didn’t expect to see you up and about today.” Derek folded his arms and leaned against the trunk of a tree.

          “Well, I wasn’t really given much consent…” Before he could continue his sentence, the sound of crunching leaves grew behind him and Matthew gave a groan of disappointment.

          “Aw, man! Derek found her first…” He walked up next to the two and looked around for James. “Hey…where is-“ The leaves rustled in the tree above Derek and James leaped down from a branch, grabbing them both by the neck.

          “Actually, I think that you’re the only one who lost, Matthew. I found her second.” Matthew looked at him in disbelief.

          “What?! No way! You should have revealed yourself second, then! I found her second.” The two bickered for a moment, leaving Derek to simply stare at Violet.

          “Ah, I see. These two have been dragging you around all day, haven’t they?” He nodded, watching James let go of them both and begin to try climbing the tree again. Matthew started chasing after him, running past a few plants to get ahead of his path.

          “By the way, why were you sleeping in deer form?” He tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow in question. She cleared her throat, putting one hand to her cheek.

          “Well, I just find it more calming to be in that form here. It’s more comfortable to sleep and makes me feel…at peace in a way.” Derek could see what she meant. This room was practically part of the forest overhead, and just standing in it made him feel calmer. “So, how’d your chat with Aiden go?” She took a few steps closer, looking up at him. He smoothed his hair back, feeling uncertain.

          “Well, I think it went good. I just don’t know how he feels. He just seemed really suspicious of me most of the time.” Violet nodded, continuing to smile.

          “Don’t worry about Aiden. He does that to any and all newcomers. Not that they come often. He’s just…very protective of our community.” This was understandable. No one really liked half-bloods in the Empire, and if they did, it was considered treason.

          “I could see that. Made me surprised when he said he wasn’t the leader.” This time, Violet shook her head and sat down on the tree roots.

“No, no one had really been leader since our last one. No one knows where he went, though.” Derek sat down beside her, intrigued by her words.

          “Last leader? Who was he?” The healer seemed to be thinking for a moment, trying to find a way to word what she was about to say.

          “Well, it was about twenty-five, thirty years ago when anyone saw him. His name was Alexander. Anyone who does remember what he looked like says that he was a really good leader. Then one day he just left in the middle of the night with his wife, Elizabeth. Not a word to anyone. Thing is, Alexander has a sister whom is still alive. Well respected too. Olivia. She said that he left her only a note, but she won’t let anyone see it. Alexander was all the family she had left, though…” She sighed, pausing for a moment. “Another thing, though. That medallion you have there.” She pointed at the moon-shaped necklace on Derek’s chest. “The reason James thought you had stolen it was because Alexander had one just like that.” Derek looked down at the jewelry, holding it in his palm. He looked away for a moment, remembering where he had gotten it.

          “Well, I’ve had this for quite a while. So if it was his, I wouldn’t know.” He hated to even think that this was once stolen from someone. Violet seemed to try prodding for a moment.

          “Where did you get it?” A look of worry crossed her face, but she still stared at him. He sighed, trying to say it quickly so he wouldn’t have to ponder long on it.

          “I got it for my tenth birthday. Had it and my dagger since then.” He knew his expression was showing some kind of nostalgia from saying this, but Violet continued to press on.

          “Who gave it to you?” He heard himself growl, just barely, and looking up at Violet, he could see that she had heard it too. She looked regretful for asking, so he tried to say it calmly.

          “…Doesn’t matter.” He looked away, feeling guilty for perhaps scaring her, but uncomfortable. She didn’t say anything, leaving the only sound heard to be the wind whistling overhead in the tree roots. He looked up at them, hoping to find a subject change. He was surprised when he saw two yellow eyes staring back from the branch above. James dropped down in front of him, pushing on in place of Violet. He didn’t try to hide the fact that he’d been listening.

          “It does matter. Do you just expect us to trust you on that immediately? Who’d you get them from?” He felt angry, no, furious that James would think he’d lied about this. He stood up, brushing his hands off and not responding.

          “James! Don’t be rude!” Violet stood up too, standing in between the two.

          “Rude? I’m being cautious. This guy just showed up with a General after him and you expect him to be completely innocent?” Violet opened her mouth to give a rebuttal, but he continued. “I don’t know what you see in him. I see a puzzle with not enough parts. We’ve given him plenty of answers. It’s time we got some too!” Derek huffed, trying to speak clearly.

          “It’s not your business. And you have no right to say that I’m suspicious when you spend every possible moment spying on me.” James turned away from Violet, walking up to Derek.

          “If you don’t like me spying, then tell me what I want to know.” He narrowed his eyes, speaking quietly, but not inaudibly.

          “My parents gave it to me.” He felt a feeling of adrenaline course through him just from saying it. A rhythmic beat rose in his ears as James folded his arms.

          “Was that really so hard to say?” Derek turned away and started walking towards the entrance.

          “Yes.” He spoke bluntly before moving out of range. He sighed, working his way back to the main room of the tunnel system. Along the way, he tried to figure out if any of the three would follow him. There were a few reasons why he’d expect some to, but also reasons why they wouldn’t. Once he’d gotten to the large, open cavern, he sat on one of the logs by the walls. Looking around, he saw many strangers and no familiar faces. For a moment he thought, then came to a conclusion. How was he not much more confident? He had absolutely nothing to lose.

 

Just a nostalgic day…

8: Chapter 7

Very sorry for the inactivity. I apologize for making you all wait this long.

Chapter 7

 

          Derek felt a prodding in his side and heard a voice begin to seep into his ears. He sighed, covering them with his arms, only to feel a hand grab one and yank him into a sitting position.

He opened his eyes in defeat and saw Matthew smiling back at him. “Derek, come on! Aiden came back with a shipment!” Upon hearing this, he simply sighed in response, pulling his legs over the side of the bed he was laying on.

The night before, Aiden had gone on what he called a supply patrol. He said that they did it to get supplies that they couldn’t make with their own resources or to replenish their own. It was dangerous, since it brought them close to the Empire’s people and territory, which if Derek hadn’t been lied to, was a small ways off from this hideout he’d been in for two weeks.

Derek merely nodded, trying to make it seem like he was trying hard to wake up. “Yeah, okay, Matthew…” He drew off on his sentence to yawn, stretching his arms over his head. He slowly stood up, seeing Matthew practically hopping in place.

Matthew was definitely odd. He seemed to get depressed any time he saw Derek by himself, and had seemed to make it his mission to make him his friend. It was a little new for Derek since he was used to being left alone.

When he finally stood up from the bed, Matthew began speed walking towards the door, looking back every now and then to make sure Derek was following. It didn’t take long for them to follow the long, narrow tunnel system to the main room, where he could see a few people near the center. He was surprised however, that no one else was around.

He walked to the edge of the crowd and saw the closest person to the edge was Violet. Ivy and James stood not too far ahead of her. He yawned again, covering his mouth. “What time is it…?” Matthew walked up beside him and looked around at the walls and candles that lit the area, waiting patiently.

Violet chuckled when she turned and saw him. “Almost dawn. Not everyone’s awake yet.”

Derek simply nodded and tried to rub the sleep from his eyes as Aiden caught sight of him. “Ah! There you are. Thought you might be interested in what I found.” This caught Derek’s attention, and he straightened up, staring into Aiden’s green eyes expectantly. “I mean…not much in the way of supplies, but we can still enjoy it.” He put one hand on a small crate beside him.

An odd logo was painted on one side of the wooden box that looked like it was meant to represent ale or wine. Aiden took a dagger out of a pocket on his pants and used it to pry open the box. After a moment of rummaging through it, Derek watched him pull out a bottle. The glass was an orange-yellow color, but he could see that it had contents of ale inside.

Aiden pulled the cork out of the top and put the opening close to his nose, sniffing carefully. He grimaced and pulled the bottle away, growling in dismay. “Damn it. Smells old. And here I thought we’d actually found something no one would miss.” He continued to hold the bottle, but only glanced at the liquid inside.

Derek put a hand on his chin, thinking over what he was about to do. “How old does it smell?”

Aiden didn’t seem too putt off by his question and looked closer at the liquid. “I don’t know. Not too old. But it definitely smells off.” Derek took a deep breath and sighed, shooting his hand for the bottle. Aiden stared in surprise but couldn’t think of his words quickly enough. “W...what’re you..?” He cut himself off in disgust as Derek put the bottle to his mouth and took a large gulp.

He paused when he finished the swig, licking his lips in thought. He stared at the ceiling, knowing that there were a good few sets of eyes on his back. He shrugged and drank again. “Tastes pretty good for being old.” He’d had a drink of decent wine before, but it was rare for him to find anything that wasn’t old or bad quality. To him, it actually tasted really good.

He heard Aiden gag and stand up straighter, trying to compose himself from the surprise. “Well, don’t blame me if you get sick from that stuff. How can you stand it?” Derek laughed but didn’t answer, taking another sip of the bitter liquid. He then sat on the ground and heard Matthew take a seat beside him. Aiden cleared his throat and turned to Ivy, James, and Violet. “Well then, I’m disappointed that this is all I could find. We’ve gone to that settlement for a while for supplies and whatnot, but if they’re weak, we’re weak. It means we need another supply source. So, what do we do?”

Derek smirked as he listened to Aiden, feeling the ale settle in his stomach.

Ivy spoke up, looking as if she knew exactly what to do. “We could try to make allies again. Towns always were stubborn, but we have a few things we can try.” She paused to chuckle. “Maybe we could take a page from Derek’s book and walk into town as priests. Though instead we could scream bloody murder about how the gods sent us to be replenished there.” This got a chuckle from Violet, but Aiden groaned in annoyance.

Derek laughed at Ivy’s words. Even so, he was distracted by the pinprick of pain.

Aiden shut the crate that sat by his feet, then stood up and shook his head. “That wouldn’t work, even without your…’brilliant plan’. Towns turn outsiders away, remember? We need something else.”

What was this? Derek cringed slightly and set the bottle down. Matthew looked towards him in concern. “You alright, Derek?”

Though Matthew spoke clearly, none of the group seemed to hear him but Derek. “…heh. Yeah. Guess that’s what I get for not listening. Shouldn’t have touched this stuff.”

James chimed in now, speaking quietly. “Could always make ‘em give us supplies.”

Aiden growled, whipping his head to look at James. “Are you crazy? Yes, our numbers are aplenty, but we can’t win a war even if we started it!” He turned away, putting a hand on his cheek.

It was definitely noticeable now. Derek had gotten used to the feeling that drinking old ale gave. Even so…why did it hurt so much? It was as if his insides were folding in on themselves.

He couldn’t tell he was trembling until he felt Matthew’s calm hand grab his. “Derek, are you sure you’re okay?” Derek looked up to respond to him. He was responding, right? He could feel his lips moving, but he didn’t hear anything.

Now Violet had taken notice and crouched beside him, putting one hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, it’ll go away eventually.”

This time when Derek opened his mouth, something did come out. It wasn’t words, he was certain of that much. He could feel it dripping down his chin. Whatever it was, it startled Violet because she immediately grabbed at his chin and seemed to be inspecting his mouth. At this point, Derek couldn’t tell if the trio of Aiden, Ivy, and James were even talking anymore. Why did they all look so scared? They were standing over him as if he was a monster. Some of the substance that had left his throat made it to his tongue and he immediately felt himself grow as scared as they all looked. Blood. He could taste his own blood in his mouth.

Now Violet was waving her hand in front of eyes. How long had she been trying to get his attention? Derek could only manage a gargled whimper in response, feeling Matthew put his arm around his back to support him. Violet said something to Matthew and disappeared quickly from his vision. Or perhaps she was still there and it was just his eyesight failing now, too. Even now, he could see small bits of black clouding his vision. He couldn’t black out now. If he did, he knew he wouldn’t wake up.

Just as he thought he would lose his last grip on consciousness, he felt a substance get shoved into his mouth. The hand that put it there held his jaw shut, seeming to gesture for him to swallow. Having not much left to do, he complied, feeling it run down his throat slowly. It took him a moment to realize that he’d either been holding his breath or been unable to breathe, as a relieving gulp of air filled his lungs and he opened his eyes.

Violet was back above him, waving her hand again. This time, instead of trying to say anything as he was too tired, he simply grabbed her hand and traced small circles around the palm before letting go. He eventually rubbed a clenched fist across his jaw and pulled it back, not too surprised to find a streak of red along his wrist.

 Violet grabbed his arm just above the elbow and used a cloth to wipe it away. “Well, that was certainly odd.” She then moved the cloth to his mouth and wiped the rest away. “But I can now conclude that the odd smell of the ale wasn’t caused by too much aging, it was poison.” Poison? Who on earth would poison ale?

James seemed to speak his mind aloud, growling between breaths. “Those sly bastards! How on earth did anyone think to poison this stuff? Did we somehow intercept an assassination attempt, or did they know we’d try to steal it?!”

Aiden raised a hand in an attempt to calm James down. “Perhaps it was just unlucky fate. We should consider ourselves lucky that Derek didn’t die.” James rolled his eyes in response, but shrugged.

Violet set the cloth aside and brushed Derek’s messy hair off his forehead. “How do you feel now?”

Derek huffed, realizing Matthew was still beside him, gently supporting his back. “Tired. Stomach hurts. Headache. What’d you expect?” He coughed afterwards, realizing what a chore it was just to muster out a few words.

Violet nodded, but rubbed his shoulder soothingly. “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to rest now, but you’re going to be in the healer’s room a little longer, I’m afraid.”

. . .

Derek stared at the blank, dirt ceiling. Everyone else was asleep. He was certain of it. Yet still he laid, head pounding. Perhaps it was because the only solid food he’d had for two days was a bit of bread, and that was only because Violet forced him. How could he eat when his stomach still felt like it was inside out?

He’d been trying to sleep for hours now, perhaps. Maybe this time, he’d be lucky enough to manage it. He closed his eyes, maybe for a moment, maybe for hours. He couldn’t tell. He could only tell his heart was pounding from surprise as he opened his eyes to a loud boom. He set his feet to the ground and ran to the door, knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea in his state, but wanting to find the source of such a noise. He didn’t make it far down the hallway before finding the cause. An odd barrel sat in the center of the row, strange substances leaking from it. He could tell it smelled foul from where he stood, and made a large stride to get over it. Now he was sprinting to the center of the cave system, knowing fully well what the substance had been. His ears ached from the blood pounding through them. He wanted very well for it not to be what he knew would be there, but it still met him face-to-face.

Once he made it to the main room, he was met with a bonfire, licking at the walls and the tree roots overhead.