The Prisoner’s Princess Chapter 77

Bryson

I had wondered the plain down a stone path thirsty, and hungry, though I didn’t loose my condition… if anything I felt stronger. I was on the verge of loosing my mind here, but I was also I was out of sync with my wolf…

Mentally this place was taxing. There was no day or night, as the sky was always a red orange cloudy day; so I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been down here.

I shifted, seeing a few of the souls in cages glowed a different color than the others. Up until this point, they mostly all looked a ghastly blue, but one was purple. ‘Saliaj the Butcher: Unredeemable.’ Said the stone’s inscription.

I walked up to it, but the soul had no fear in his eyes.

“You’ve come to devour me?” He said casually, looking at the empty cages. All were unredeemable.

“No? I’m just curious… what did you do?” I asked.

“Why don’t you touch the stone and find out?” He said as if he were bored. I hesitated, but I did it. I saw flashes of him killing and pillaging the innocent, and being unrepentant about it. He’s been here since men were Hunter gatherers…. And in all that time his desire was to be reborn to do it again.

I left him to continue to rot. It was where he belonged.

I saw another tree like I saw my brother eat from, but I was suspicious. It was on the road and full of fruit. Spirits seemed to eat from it, but they all made way, running away when they saw me, screaming as they did so. I ignored them, and I walked to the tree. They looked like peaches. They were a deeper red than I remembered, but I picked one. I clawed at it a bit, and the juice and flesh inside was red, but it had a seed like a peach. It was fuzzy like a peach… it smelled like a peach.

This was probably a trap.

I bit into the sweet flesh that tasted of fresh meat, and I realized why I shouldn’t have touched it. It was in fact, a trap. I saw what scared me most in life, and in death. I had left my wildflower to wilt, but I wasn’t seeing a memory or a fear… I was seeing what was happening right now to her. She was sitting on the back porch of CharredMoon’s packhouse sad and alone, while the pups blissfully played wagging their small tails. It broke my heart.

“I’m so sorry Isabelle.” I said quietly.

“Brother.” Said Xaxas the Horned Lion, but I was compelled to give him a small bow.

“Xaxas, if it isn’t how to revive me, I don’t really want to talk right now.” I told him with looking at the sky.

“Why have you not asked to be father’s champion brother? He will revive you, but you will lose your freedom.” He said with a small smile, but I shook my head. “He allows me here, though I and our brother live.” He said with a toothy smile.

“I don’t want to make a deal with the Horned One…. it sounds like something that would end in those I love dead in exchange.” I retorted, and he chuckled, putting a pat on my shoulder. Compared to him, I felt like I was a small child. There was a difference in strength that I could not understand, but I wouldn’t push it.

“Father would not do that to you. Even now, you are almost to his palace.” He said defensively, but he motioned me to walk. He could tell I wanted another peach, but stopped me. “He meant it when he said he wanted no part in the war anymore. Also, he is not like what you have heard. In life you were told stories doctored by Arviel. In death, you will hear the truth unedited.” He said as if he were remembering.

“I heard the war was started because both of he and the Pale Lady were locked away from each other.” I said telling pretty much all I knew. I was an outcast; I had never heard the old stories until later.

“Yes, but it wasn’t because of why you think.” He walked with me, but he became see through. “Ah, I am running out of time again.” He complained, looking at his hands. “Our mother and father were locked away out of fear. They knew I would be born, so they stripped me of my abilities by forcing her to birth me as a mortal, so I couldn’t have access to my birthright. They were separated too, because the Lord of Light detested that his only child was one of the night, but how could she shine in the day with the sun so bright?” He asked. “He hated that she loved his enemy. He hated that they were happy… it is why mother died again birthing you.”

“I guess she was never meant to be happy if it wasn’t how he wanted.” I said, and he agreed.

“She fell in love with those who dwelled in the darkness, and they were attracted to her light. In the night, she could shine, and those could see her for who she is. She is a pure soul, a good person that all love, and no one could question, for she does not lie. I miss mother…. She was a very good one. She struggled raising me as a mortal woman, and the Lord of light killed her anyway, then locked her away. I destroyed all he created. There was nothing that she wouldn’t do for me, and when they took me from her, She created all the shifters of the night to eat man afterwords, because he was so proud of them.” He said crushing what was left of the peach, he had only taken a bite.

“What are you looking for?” I asked him, seeing him fade a bit more, but his face was stern.

“Events. As well as my niece and nephews. If they are in danger, I will break my oath for the sake of blood already born.” He said vanishing. I understood what he meant by being short on time now. He wasn’t dead… so he couldn’t stay here.

I wondered down the road, knowing that I had to be close… I saw more and more souls. In this desolate place, there was a city, or at least what could be described as a palace. It was enormous, with fountains, and coins glimmering inside it. I could see the sparkle.

The wall was high and the gate was guarded by winged monsters, who held spears in their clawed hands. They had snarling bear faces with the ears of a bat. They were creatures of my father’s creation.

“Halt.” Said one, breathing fire slightly. I stopped in front of him, being at his eye level.

“State your name, and your reason to see the master.” Said another, and I figured he meant the Horned One.

“I am Bryson the Beast, and my reason is my own.” I said sternly, and they laughed at me.

“Look at the mortal; he thinks he’s people. Listen up, and listen well; no one sees the master unless they got a name an’ a reason. I don’t see no ‘Bryson the Beast.’ Scram.” Said the slightly taller one, and I growled. I was tempted to shift and force my way in, but then there would most likely be an endless swarm of them to fight, and I was too hungry for that.

“Look, I’m stuck here, and the only person who can get me out of here is behind that wall, so move.” I demanded, and they laughed harder.

I was punched by one, and I immediately fell to the ground, spitting blood. “Mortal move along.” Snorted the shorter one, and I had a hard time getting up.

I got up, and I punched him back. I landed a good blow to the gut, and he too spit blood, falling to his knees. The souls at the gate, all watched in horror as I grabbed him by the throat and snapped his neck, but that wasn’t my intention. He laid there a while, and got up, wiping his mouth. “I thought the horns were fake…” He said, and I didn’t realize I was so fucking strong.

“Don’t tell master, we’re just doin’ our jobs.” The taller one whispered, passing a small bag with some gold coins inside. It was a bribe. I didn’t know if I would need it, so I took it, going inside of the grand, wide pathed palace. The walls and stone were all a sunset orange with red accents, and I was immediately greeted by more healthy-looking servants. I could tell that these were supernatural creatures in life, though some were human.

These looked better fed than those who were on the other side. Though to be on this side, meant that they would have to serve the Horned One, and I didn’t know how he treated them. They seemed to be happy, though it was all speculation. A well-dressed servant in a red robe came to me and bowed to his waist, then rose again. He had black hair, though for some reason it looked to me as if it were dyed or gelled.

“Young Highness, follow me.” He said and turned, walking away as if he was expecting me to follow him, and I did. The palace was grand, and there was food, along with water, but I chose not to partake.

I followed the man, getting bows of respect, and somehow, I felt a false peace that made me worry. There was no reason to feel this way, yet here I was almost not caring that I was dead. “Son, your journey here was very long, I only wished to make you more comfortable.” He said at normal speaking volume, but my body didn’t quake. “Though I would be lying if I told you I liked whispering so much. Sit.” He commanded, and I was somehow in a red padded chair.