12

Wrong Footing

I woke up in a place that wasn’t my bed, and frighteningly enough, I couldn’t see. Childish as I was, I quickly understood the horrible situation I was in when I compared it to the characters of my books. Arms and Legs bound, check, blindfold, check, unable to speak, check. There was no way I could have slept through my own abduction, I thought. Not that I eagerly awaited it, mind you. My food must have been drugged however panic started to set in when I realized I fed such a thing to Alais. Uhm… no, not panic, what I meant to say was rage. Rage set in when I realized the sandwiches I fed my friend was poison. And I fed her three times my share, so she would surely be in chains or worse killed. She might have been cursed with life but it didn’t mean she couldn’t have her head cut off. My rage fought against my restraints to no avail, unless you count the bruising I created for myself. I wanted to lash out against, not necessarily those who kept me in this situation, but those who drugged my best friend’s meal. Do to me what you want, but lay not a finger on her. And yet there I was, not only bound and gagged but also begged by my oldest sister not to soil myself with the blood of another. Needless to say, I was alone with my thoughts for quite some time. I felt the warm embrace of sleep, surely due to the meal I consumed. The sudden burst of rage being long gone now, all I could do then was rest. Though to make matters worse, I had to use the restroom.

“This meal seems a bit… too fresh.”

I heard someone say with a soft voice. It pulled me from my sleep, well, that and the sharp pain in my ankles and hands. That was fine I suppose, because I was gonna beat them in the face with my bloody stumps if I had to. Luckily for me, I didn’t have my hands and feet bitten off. Umm… not at… that point in time. I’ll… share with you my story of being eaten, later. I might even have a photo somewhere. Given my vivid memory of things, I sometimes draw traumatic moments in my life to help me face such things, but I digress.

I remained motionless, in a small daze as my blindfold and gag were removed. A soft glow of light filled my eyes as my tired gaze focused on a large bowl of water and a bit of wine to the side. Hah, at that moment I made a mental note to try wine. That thought faded when I saw large well-crafted silverware. It finally dawned on me that I was on a dinner plate. Quickly sitting up with a gasp. My eyes were wide as my mind tried to make out what I was looking at. A sea of white fluff sat before my eyes. Actually, more like a wall of white feathers. I finally focused on a set of big baby blue eyes that gazed upon me with a look of exhaustion.

“Such a pretty owl,” The words seemed to slip from my lips and before I knew it, my right hand went up, caressing the side of its head. Its large baby blue eyes stared, unblinking for a short time before closing, leaning into my palm ever so slowly. “Snow owls aren’t really supposed to be in such warm weather you know. You could get a nasty fungus in your lungs.”

“And what is one to do, to remove said fungus?”

“Well, normally you don’t. Once an owl gets it, they slowly die. Caring for an owl is a big responsibility. Needing all the love and affection you can give with plenty of food and room to spread their wings. However, I’ve never seen an owl this big before. Where did you find one of such beauty?” I asked, turning to speak to whoever asked me the question. The room was a tad dark with the only light coming from two candles that sat on the table that… I seemed to be sitting on while naked.

“I’ve never had a meal… with such a way with words.”

My gaze quickly turned back to the large snow owl. A winged beast that looked to be as tall as Alais. I quickly shoved her name from my thoughts for fear of being overcome with concern and anger.

“Oh dear, you’re talking, aren’t you?… That is absolutely amazing!” I shouted with excitement. “Can you fly?”

“A little,” She said.

“Do you have great eyesight?” I asked.

“A little.”

“Can you lay an egg?”

“What is your name, child?”

“Adam Hall, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Are you of royal blood?”

“Yes, I am, Lady umm… Lady Snow Owl.”

I gave her the biggest smile though became puzzled as her gaze traveled down and between my legs. Before I could say anything else, her wings gracefully reached out, covering my world in warmth and darkness. She lifted me and while I couldn’t see where we were going, I could hear a bit of talk.

“Lady Of The Snow, how was your meal?” The voice asked with a bit deeper tone.

“While death beckons me, I fear it has already fallen upon this manor,” Lady Snow Owl said.

“I beg you not to say such things, Lady Neve. I have faith that your health will be better after your meal. I’ve reason to believe that boy has the power to give life to those on the brink of death.”

“Be that as it may, what is life without a head? The boy is of royal blood, and the fact he was on my dinner plate promises a painful end to us all,” She explained.

“A male of royal blood?!” The deeper tone scoffed. “That’s simply unheard of.”

“Do you claim I’m unable to tell what is to be true from a fairy tale?” She asked.

My thought was none of this seemed possible if you asked me. Huge talking bird people, half-human and horse hybrid, magic. If this was real, then what in the world is a fairy tale? I kept all of that to myself of course.

“Of course not, Lady Neve. But how could you know?”

Her feathers parted from my field of view. Turning my head I could see a dome-like room lined with large owl-like creatures. I would say about fifty or so, and they all seemed to be in a panic. Looking up a bit more, I could see the room had a large hole in the ceiling. Supposedly so they could fly in and out. I noticed the stars were out and some of them seemed to be moving a tad faster than others.

“He was as cold as a mouse.” The deeper toned owl said. With how he was dressed in a vest, he must have been some kind of Valet to the snow owl that held me. He went on to say, “His now beating heart proves his worth. You are the last of your kind after all.”

“I get to live to see another day?” She began. “To live to see all in this room have their feathers plucked and dropped from great heights?” Neve asked.

Though her words were beginning to upset the owl folk in the room, her composure remained gentle.

“Then we lie, we speak nothing of it,” The Valet said. “Eat the child and be done with it.”

“If we wish for a fair trial, we must be honest, and pray for mercy from the royal blood,” Someone said from the crowd.

Something massive fell from the sky, crushing an owl into a red mist, right in front of me; It was a massive dragon. Surly made heavier from the blue thick metal it wore as armor.

“There will be no trial. There will be no mercy.”

I recognized the voice that sat on top of the dragon; It belonged to my sister Violet. The owl folk panicked and flew away. However, they didn’t seem to get very far as the sky was filled with dragons and their riders that were dead set on burning everything that moved. Their horrible screams penetrated my very core, almost stopping me from noticing Violet’s dismount and the unsheathing of her sword; a thin blade called a Rapier.

“Release him and I shall grant you permission to die by my sword,” Violet said aiming her blade at Neve’s head.

“Don’t, please,” I whispered to Neve before directing my words toward my sister. “I am not worth all these lives. It’s as if you planned to burn the whole city to ash if I was found as a corpse.”

“The city will be burned, either way, dear brother.”

“A city I’ve yet to truly admire?! More importantly, why blame so many for the actions of the few?” I asked, tone trembling.

“Then who? Speak their names.” Violet demanded.

“I don’t know, This senseless violence clouds me,” I said, trying to hold back tears.

“Think brother, who is to blame? If not the city for allowing such things to conspire, then who?”

I hesitated, my eyes filling with tears as I glanced around the room. I flinched when Violet took a step closer.

“I am!” I cried, trembling the rest of my words as the last bits of my composure began to shatter away into nothing. “If I had stayed home, I wouldn’t have killed all of these beautiful creatures. Now their deaths are forever burned into my eyes and their screams, my ears.”

“… Once again you cut me so deeply,” She said as her blade slowly lowered toward the ground. “However… the best way to remove an infection is to remove the leg. Hell will rain on this city until there’s nothing more.”

“Then let it come! So that I may burn with it… for I am unclean… I feel it to be true.”

I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. The day was supposed to be something wonderful, and yet it ends with me witnessing the grim reaper.

Morning came and I was back home in my bed, alone this time; I made sure of it. There I stayed all day replaying the events in my head as I still do to this day. While it’s wonderful to be able to remember things in great detail, the downside is never being able to forget. To this day I remember all those who’ve died before me. And sometimes I find myself wondering… if I would be allowed to go with them. A new day had finally come and in bed, I planned to stay once again. Violet entered my room informing me Alais, Apple, and Mr. Henry were safe. While such news was a breath of fresh air, it was still nothing more than a breath in a sea of charred bodies. I did not reply to my sister and after a moment she finally left. Some time had passed as I lay there trapped in my own thoughts. I barely noticed my door open nor the heavy thud of feet. However, I did notice when my body was forcibly pushed across the bed.

“Move over, I’m tired.” With a thud, the bed flung my small frame into the air before coming back down. I rushed to remove the covers from my field of view only to find Alais resting comfortably, with her hands behind her head. My eyes were wide with rage and confusion. “Don’t pretend you’ve never had a naked woman in your bed.”

“I have never,” I snapped. “Nor am I interested. Remove yourself from my bed this instant!”

“Ah, I see.”

“You see what?!” I barked.

“You would much rather have Apple in your bed. Or perhaps just a normal horse? I’ve seen how you swoon over them. Is that why you’re sad? Someone told you that you can’t make a horse your lover?”

“I’m in no mood for your teasing,” I said with as much venom as I could.

“At least I’m not the one fucking horses.” Rage overcame me causing me to lunge at her. With a palm, she kept me from grabbing her face. I wanted to squeeze it like a grape. I finally grabbed her index finger to bite it but tears filled my eyes. “You’re going to cry like a bitch? Understandable, back in my day children and dogs made the same god-awful sound when you boiled them alive.”

“My eyes will never shed a tear in front of you!” I barked, blinking the tears away. My chambers fell silent as my conviction bounced around the room. “How do you do it?” I whispered, hiding my face in her large palm.

“First you spread your legs and,”

“How do you forget… Last night I had to listen to the screams of so many and watch as their bodies fall from the sky like balls of fire.”

“You don’t,” Alais said. “Those owls were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s kill or be killed. The only difference is, I hear they taste better than most species… And I believe, someone wants you dead.”

“Do you want me dead, Alais?”

“I’ll always want you dead… you and the rest of your bloodline.” She grunted, pulling me to her breasts with one arm. “But maybe… I’d prefer that you be the last to die. Maybe when all is said and done, I’ll hunt you like a dog… maybe I’ll just throw you off a cliff or rape you to death. Whatever’s more painful for you of course.”

While I’m sure she enjoyed breaking the rule of touching a royal without permission, I feel like she had been ordered by sister Violet to cheer me up. And believe it or not, somehow it was working. This was the first time she had ever been in my room and I couldn’t help but feel excitement wash over me.

“Why must every word from your mouth be vexing, yet comforting?” I paused before asking; “Could you tell me a story now, please?”

“Hmm… a story?” She closed her eyes to think for a moment and said; “I was once called Alais The Merciless. There were those that begged and cried for me to spare them but you know what I did?”

“You found kindness in your heart and set them free?” I asked with a smile.

“I ate them alive, slowly.”

“That’s truly sickening to hear.” I cringed before letting out a small chuckle. “They may as well have called you, The Gluten.”

“That was my sister,” She said.

“You had a sister?!”

My eyes grew wide, staring up from between her breasts.

“I’ve had many brothers and sisters. Though because I was the best, I got to be the ruler.”

“You were stronger than all of your family?” I asked, truly amazed by her every word.

“Did I say I was the strongest you shit stain? I said I was the best. It takes more than strength to rule. I’m probably one of the weakest in my family.”

“But you’ve never been defeated, Elyon said.”

“She told you that? Huh… well she’s not wrong, that’s because I’m skilled at winning. I’ll always win, no matter what,” She said confidently.

“That’s a lie,” I scoffed. “Nobody can win all the time.”

“I don’t know who the hell this Nobody is but I’m Alias The Unbeatable.”

“I thought it was Alais The Merciless?” I asked.

“I thought I told you to shut the hell up two days ago?” She asked.

“I thought I told you to remove yourself from my bed!” I said. I lunged at her face, squeezing it as hard as I could before I relaxed, down to her breasts hearing her powerful heartbeat that seemed to calm me so. The room fell silent once again as I soon went on to ask, “Do you miss them?”

“Hell no,” She grunted. “being the ruler of my kind meant you had to fight for dominance. Though it wasn’t all bad, aside from all the fighting, you got to eat, fuck, kill whoever you want, whenever you want.”

“It… still sounds like a horrible life. By the way, what are you doing in the palace? If Mother finds out, oh goddess, what if Violet!”

“That shit-stained white knight of a sister begged me to come to your chambers.”

“What for?” I asked.

“To help you forget.” Before I could really think, my lips pressed against hers. The last and first time was with Violet who surprised me with this new way of showing affection. However, it was my doing this time. And this time I felt as if my body wanted to melt away in total bliss. A feeling I’ve never truly felt before. Well, that and the pulling back of my hair as she parted our lips. “Who taught you how to kiss, a horse?”

“Violet,” I said, swatting away her hand from my hair as I sat up

“I’d stay away from that if I were you.”

“That… is my sister, you brute. While her actions are questionable she… still has a good heart.”

“A heart best roasted over a fire I’m sure. I’m talking about getting your sister pregnant. I had a young brother, a tiny little shit like you but he was well-versed in medicine.”

“A doctor?!”

“Shut up, and he found that the closer the blood, the greater chance of a dead or deformed spawn, and why in the hell are you staring at me like that?” She asked with a glare.

“We must find your brother!” I said.

“What makes you think anyone from my family is still alive?” She asked.

“What makes you think the royal family would allow them to die? Regardless, I can’t for the life of me see why they would want them to live but you’re still alive. So why not your family?”

“And why do you want him? You plan on collecting my family like a bunch of skulls?”

“No, I just… You collect skulls?” I shook my head to focus. “Your brother might cure the owl woman I met last night, erm… two nights ago.”

My eyes shifted to the side as I corrected myself.

“Oh, so you’re getting old enough to want a concubine?” Alais mused.

“To try and repay her for not eating me… I woke up on her plate and yet she did not stick a fork in my back.”

“She had you on her plate and still she didn’t? I admire her self-control. I would have boiled you.”

“My blood already boils, I feel. I believe her loss of appetite had to do with her sickness. Though I would like to believe she would stay her hand even in her prime. Not only do I wish to save her life but also repay her for taking away the members of her home. However, if I’m being honest, she might not really wish to live. And if that’s the case, is it really my right?… I must go speak with my sister and Elyon. Stay here and remain unnoticed. This is the first time you’ve been in the palace and I would very much like to keep that from changing.”

Her reply came in the form of a snore as she was fast asleep. While my bed beckoned those who lay upon it to sleep, her sleeping in the middle of my words was but another reason to deplore her. From my standing, it was nothing more than a drop in a sea that was my admiration. She’s my friend even though there were those that claimed otherwise.