The Prisoner’s Princess Chapter 128

Bryson

I awoke in a field of wheat that was black as onyx as small flaming meteors rained from the sky…. And it smelled good. It reminded me of the fields I’d come across before cars, and indeed, there were souls harvesting it. A strange, massive beast pulled an enormous harvester behind it. It held the body of an ox, with broad scaled shoulders at least twice the size of a regular bull. Its thick scaled hide was complete with a dragon’s head and horns, though the animal was placid.

It grazed as it plowed, but no one seemed to mind it doing so. The yoke on its back and bull’s ring in his nose guided him the straight line he needed to go, while a short man held a thick black rope that looked as if it were hemp. He and the other human soul with him wore robes as you would see in ancient Rome or Greece, though the female looked younger. He looked in his mid-40’s while she was no older than 19. She hopped on the beast’s back not seeing me at first, but again where I thought it would buck or become angry, he didn’t care instead. She gasped and pointed my direction when she did see me, getting the attention of both the man and the beast.

The yoke on his back jingled as he halted more swiftly than I thought possible. It bowed its head slowly as he chewed his cud.

“I’ll be damned….” Said the man when he noticed me.

“…. We already are grandpa.” Said the girl rolling her eyes, but she looked pretty fearful when she locked eyes with me. She reminded me of a teenager by her build and mannerism, likely one who died in more modern times too now that I thought of it.

“Master forgive the young one, she is from the modern times.” Said the man confirming my suspicion, and I nodded for them to rise.

“I already figured that.” I said staying my distance. “About how far away am I from my father’s palace?” I asked and he flinched at my words.

“About a day’s walk my lord…” He said grinding his teeth, and I looked at my hands. There was a slight glow on them, and I reached for the space that would be between my horns. The small candle flame felt much larger, and slightly ringed, but I didn’t get burned. I must be too powerful to be in the presence of others, but I had no idea how to tone it down. What I did normally didn’t work. My horns would not retract.

I was also completely naked…. My father had a sense of humor.

“Get me some breaches, and just point the direction to the city.” I said seeing the girl run as fast as she probably could to a house in the distance. While she did that, I did have questions. “Are you two related?”

“Yes, young master, I died with the fall of my village during the Reign of the Great King, she is from 1985 I believe.” He said bowing again. “I sold my soul that my daughter live…. And she did the same for her son.”

“Mind telling me How you died?” I asked, I felt I could trust them, but you could never be too sure in a place like this.

He cleared his throat. “My town tried to cheat the Great King by putting rocks at the bottom of gold filled bags…. She died in a terrible accident and traded her life for her sons’. I took my punishment…. I deserved it, but she’d done nothing, so she only got a few lashes. The Master put us together here on this farm because I was a farmer. Life’s peaceful here, save the raven-rats getting into the grain at times, but this beasty here eats those too.” He patted the beast’s hide, and he nodded as if it understood our conversation.

“It gives me joy to know that in death you serve in peace.” I said looking down on the mortal. I don’t even know why I saw him like that. Not that I was better, but that I was more. I didn’t like it. That kind of attitude can get you killed because having a big pride filled head makes you careless… This place changed me.

After I said that…. I ‘knew’ his life’s story now and why he wasn’t being punished, but I knew he was a good man who did desperate things during desperate times to allow his line to live… Xaxas ordered them to give tribute, and they were poor. They scrapped what they could together and figured to try that, then escape. My brother killed them all, and I knew he’d killed probably half the souls who cowered freely without chain nor cage.

He bowed lower this time, afraid that I had some cruel punishment in mind for them, but that wasn’t the case. “Of course, young master.” He said silently asking permission to leave me to my ‘adventure’ and I gave him the nod he so fervently wanted.

The girl got within ten feet of me, and her galloping run slowed to a trepid tiptoe. It was almost wolf’s submission if not for her posture being a little off. “I don’t know if this will fit.” She said quietly, and I took it. It was akin to an ancient roman robe. But the young woman was damn near the height of a child to me. I was used to being taller than most, however she went about to my waist, and the male was no better… he probably went to my belly button.

I was confused, but I rolled with it. It would probably fit like a tight shirt. I don’t know why I didn’t put it around my waist, but I felt compelled to try and wear it correctly.

I slung it on without issue, but the hemp clothing became a black satin lined robe with nearly glowing red, Greek keyed trim. It became long enough that it went to my ankles, draping over me as if it were made for me. I also somehow got sandals made of black leather to match…. My chest burned a little, and I figured that whatever power I held was at work here. I was in the realm of the dead… Tartaron, Hell. It would only make sense that here it would reveal itself.

I could also feel Ven, though he said nothing. He was asleep here, and I wouldn’t wake him as I felt that I could. This place wasn’t good for him, and I would probably think clearer anyway.

“Thank you.” I said leaving.

The souls looked at me in utter terror, though I walked away from the fearful silence to a road that wasn’t too far away. It was black cobblestone, and the sidewalk was a dark gray and black mosaic. This place had its own beauty. I didn’t really catch the direction of the city, but I figured after they saw my robes change, they were too fearful to tell me.

There was also the fact that for some reason…. I ‘knew’ the direction to go now…. I didn’t quite understand where this clairvoyance came from. There were times that I would just know something, and this was one of those times. My only guess was that it was that I was linked to Tartaron.

The aura of this place crawled under my skin with each step, adding with it more knowledge that I shouldn’t know… I felt taller, stronger, faster. I had a familiar bloodlust here that reminded me of when Ven was active, but this was dulled. Here that feeling was more of the desire to be groveled to, and my enemies smashed by specifically a hammer…

I almost felt like I could use some power lying just under my skin to get me to the palace and return home… but if I did that I don’t know what would happen.

----Isabelle-----

All I saw in my dream was darkness. It looked as if I hadn’t left my room, but there was a crimson, swirling portal where the door should be…. The sky outside was blood red, and the moon was as well. The eerie darkness didn’t make me uneasy, however.

My mate was the son of Tartaron, an actual prince of hell. To any other, seeing your loved one’s soul leave his body and go to hell would scare anyone else, but I knew it was his father calling him. He didn’t look back at me, nor did he talk… he just left.

I could hear the Horned One call his name, and then he appeared in front of me. “I see you are awake, how surprising.” He whispered, patting my head.

It was then that I felt the unnatural dread he caused. “What are you gonna do to Bryson?” I asked and he chuckled.

“You sound as if I am a villain.” He said snorting hot ash.

I could literally feel the heat in the room from that, but I said nothing. What could I say? I didn’t want to offend.

“Worry not wife of my youngest son.” He smiled lightly. He looked at me as you would a small child who’d done something funny, but you didn’t want to laugh at them. “I hold a feast; one which you too are invited, but someone living must attend my only grandchildren.” He chuckled. “Maybe when they’re a little older all of you can come to my palace.”

“Are you the one responsible for the nearly full moons and the coming eclipse?” I asked and he shook his head.

“The moon and the realm within it belong to Lulliba. I am only the poor love-struck fool awaiting her words of wisdom, patience, and passion. Every eclipse is the only time I can truly send or receive tokens of more tangible love from her, and it is bittersweet… as I only get a moment every few years…. Even centuries to simply tell or show her how I feel.” He grumbled a rumble that shakes the soul in your body. There was no way to explain the power he expressed probably on accident… but it didn’t stop me from feeling out of sync with my wolf.

“You will see her soon, I know it…” I said to reassure him. I don’t know how I could even talk right now...

He smiled a sad smile. “Even in her false flesh she said the same… to see even that little of her gave me encouragement, but my heart aches, giving that bastard Arviel joy…. Cherish the love my son gives you, for without you, he would already be Birrai’shivaal, God of Retribution and Just Punishment.” He said vanishing.