Dive Deep into Creativity: Discover, Share, Inspire
"Please, Kai?" Lloyd clasped his hands together and begged.
"We've been through this, my answer isn't gonna change overnight," Kai explained again as he and Nya loaded the caravan with enough supplies for around a week's travel.
"Please!" Lloyd dragged out the word in a whine, flashing a wide-eyed innocent look when his big brother turned around.
"No." Kai smiled and gently petted Flame's mane. The stunning light brown colored stallion neighed. "Easy there, boy."
"Please!" Lloyd pleaded to flash his infamous pout that had even Flame whining.
"Lloyd, I grew up with you; that doesn't work on me anymore." He said calmly, causing his little jaw to hit the floor. Even Nya couldn't resist him when he pulled his stunning emerald eyes into a cute, pleading look.
"Ah, why not!" He pouted.
"Someone needs to stay and watch the shop, and since Nya's the one entering the fair's contest, she's out of the question, you're obviously too young to do it, so that leaves me." He explained smiling at Lloyd's cuteness.
"Or... or a third option, all three of us got and we can close the shop for a week." He suggested, hoping for some kind of an excuse.
"You know we can't leave the shop unattended that long, we already have at least five orders, and besides, I don't mind staying home."
"It's not fair."
"And here I thought I'd get to finally spend some time with my baby brother." Nya playfully whined mocking innocence, causing both of her brothers to snort in laughter.
"I still don't see why we can't just close the shop for a week." The youngest Smith pouted and crossed his arms.
"Because, even if Nya's newest creation wins the contest, we're still going to need some money for and after we move; unless, of course, you plan on starving, green bean," Kai explained smiling, stroking Flame's sleek, brown nose, affectionately.
"He's not going to give in, so come here and help me back," Nya told Lloyd. Groaning in defeat, he pushed himself off the side of the caravan and helped Nya load the supplies. Flame playfully rubbed his nose against Kai's neck and snorted in his hair and made the brunette laugh.
"You take good care of my little siblings, okay Flame?" Kai instructed as he turned around and nuzzled the stunning stallion. "And make sure Nya doesn't get lost again, you know how bad she is with directions." He teased.
"Hey!" Nya growled. Flame neighed in approval. "Even the damn horse is against me." She growled. Lloyd burst out laughing until she heaved him by his underarms and sat him on the driver's seat. "That's everything." She said, dusting off her hands. "We packed enough food, supplies, and medicine for at least a week, but we should be back in a couple of days; do you need anything from the fair Kai?"
"No, I'll be fine; the only thing I need to worry about is Morro and if all else fails Dr. Saunders is right down the road." He smiled. Nya smiled at her twin before climbing onto the caravan and grabbing Flame's reigns.
"We'll be back in a week." She promised.
"Bye Kai!" Lloyd exclaimed as he wormed his way to the front and waved.
"Don't get into trouble while we're gone!" Nya teased.
"I won't; good luck at the fair!" He called and waved goodbye watching Flame and the caravan trot off before disappearing down the road. "And don't get lost this time!" He shouted in a final attempt of teasing.
"Shut up!" Nya hollered, just before the caravan disappeared. That didn't stop her and Lloyd hearing Kai's laughter echoing after them...
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"Nya?" Lloyd shivered as he wrapped himself in a blanket like a human burrito.
"Not a word," Nya growled; hard blue eyes meticulously scanned the enormous map spread in front of her. The square-shaped map was large enough that if she held it to its full length it would stretch from her waist to past her hair and spread her arms to their full length.
"Nya," Lloyd said again, annoyed.
"Lloyd..." Nya responded in a testy voice.
"We're lost!" He shouted in anger, no longer carrying about the consequences of igniting his sister's temper. The map crushed in Nya's hands as she clumped it in one hand and slammed it down next to her. Her teeth gritted in a hiss and her eyes turned to her younger brother, bright with anger. "What did I just tell you!"
"We're lost; you can't read a map, and it's pitch black!" He snapped. "If you're not going to admit it to yourself, and since Kai's not here to, I will!" He growled in frustration. Lloyd may not have been as strong-willed as his older siblings but he was more than capable of holding his own if pushed too far. Nya opened her mouth to yell and argue, but the words quickly died in her throat. The confident, know-it-all smirk on Lloyd's face made it impossible to find fault with his argument, and the proud sister hated that.
Frustrated at her bruised ego more than anything else, Nya chucked the crushed map in Lloyd's lap.
"Fine then, you navigate." She huffed and smirked at the baffled look on his face before it hardened. If that was the game she wanted to play then he was more than willing to prove her wrong.
"Any idea's Flame?" Lloyd asked as he turned to the large brown stallion. The horse shook his head. "That's alright." He smiled before flipping his legs over the side of the caravan, slipped inside, and dug through their supplies, before reemerging with a lantern. The angry, orange fire, trapped inside the glass prison, burned vigorously in the darkness. "We're heading to World Fair, right?" He asked. She nodded, looking around for any type of landmark to help identify their location.
It was hard to tell in the darkness, but the moonlight illuminated their surroundings enough that it looked like a forest.
The dark trees stood, like enormous skeletons, their decaying leaves were black and brown without the sun to illuminate them. The wind sent a shower of them into the air. The road withered into a dirt path, filled with heavy stones and overgrown with weeds, worn down by travel. He sighed in relief that he remembered to change Flame's shoes before the journey began. No sounds flooded the forest except for the cooing of an owl or the hiss of bat wings.
The skeletal hands of the trees stretched and pulled as if trying to create a net of branches above them blocking out all sun.
"Well, look at it this way, at least it can't get worse." She said humorously. No sooner had those words left her mouth, a loud crack of thunder roared across the sky in a high-pitched shriek, followed by a waterfall of water, multiple flashes of lightning streaking the night sky, and heavy black clouds overhead, with flashes of white and lemon yellow. If looks could kill, Lloyd's glare would've sent Nya straight to the pits of hell.
"You just had to ask, didn't you!?" He snarled. Lloyd's mood failed to increase as the night dragged on. Even though he'd retreated into the cavern, the rain had soaked him to the bone and he'd given up trying to rake the water from his soaked hair. "Where are we anyway!" He screeched and jumped as another streak of lightning slashed across the sky followed by the crash of thunder.
"I don't know, but we have to get out of this storm quick!" Nya yelled as loud as she could. Unfortunately, her voice was barely a whisper over the freezing wind, hissing like a banshee, the rain hammering the muddy dirt into the ground and the crashing thunder above their heads. The night had bathed the entire forest in a cloak of blackness; the only light they had available was the streaks of lighting slashing across the sky like jagged white scars.
Flame neighed and jumped in fear, as the thunder roared and increase.
Nya attempted to coax him but it did no good. The storm was savage and dangerous and the horse knew it. Lloyd screeched, as he tried to move to the front, only to be thrown back and forth as the caravan shook, due to Flame's sudden outburst. A loud burst of thunder roared to life with the force of an explosion. The sound vibrations shook the entire forest and broke that last of Flame's calmness. The horse went wild and ripped the reins from Nya's hand.
The caravan shook violently causing Lloyd to scream until he suddenly flew from the caravan, crashing to the carpet of leaves and mud.
Ignoring the horse, Nya bolted off the caravan to her brother's aid. She scooped the boy into her arms, checking him over for wounds. The icy rain hammered their skin like a thousand frozen needles. Another roar of thunder and Flame took off down the road, back the way they came, leaving the siblings alone in the storm.
"Oh no! Lloyd!" Nya called, worried for her little brother. Lloyd opened his mouth to reply but coughed wildly instead. Nya's heart skipped a beat, eyes bulging from shock and worry. She ripped off her thick, black trench coat and wrapped it around the smaller before pulling him to his feet. The coughing continued. She dragged him by the hand, willing them both not to stop. She couldn't until they at least found some form of shelter from the storm.
Rain hammered in diagonal lines, making it impossible to see.
The storm blocked out the light of the stars and moon making the forest completely black. She pulled him closer to her, hoping to give him further warmth. She stomped in the mud until her boots hit something solid. Caught by surprise, Nya looked down and found they were no longer on the mud-soaked road, but a cobbled stone path. Her eyes followed the pale silver stone until her eyes caught sight of an enormous iron-clad gate. Despite the grotesque, almost haunted appearance, she scooped Lloyd up bridal style and carried him towards the open gate.
The hinges screamed their protest as she pushed through the rusted black gate, before slamming it shut, in case any hungry beasts followed them.
The cobblestone path winded and curved towards an enormous castle. Nya's eye almost bulged out of her skull at the sight of it. It looked like it was right out of one of Kai's Gothic novels. Thirteen slim, round towers dominated the skyline of this massive castle and were connected by fortified, firm walls made of dark grey stone. Scattered thinly across the walls in a seemingly random pattern were symmetric holes for archers and artillery.
The roof was a complex jumble of black-slate cones, spires, trapezoids, and gothic styles windows with iron frames stacked on connected and linked by flying buttresses.
Pointed arches, oval and arch-shaped stain-glass windows, and arches, and different sized balconies littered the entire castle. She was sure the stained-glass windows looked beautiful in the daylight. The entrance jutted from the front of the house, carved like a giant hallway of off grey-black stones, like columns, the hallways, hazy glass windows lines with faded silver. The darkness and lightning flashing behind it only added to its haunted appearance but at that very moment, Nya didn't care.
Feeling her strength fading her, and seeing Lloyd, already unconscious and shivering, she forced her body to obey.
She could feel the strength leave her body, and she fell to her knees. Blackness danced in her vision before she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she saw or thought she saw before the darkness finally claimed her were two small creatures staggering towards them...
Bansha remained silent as Morro ranted and raved in the privacy of the carriage. He had lost whatever grip he had on his temper as soon as the carriage started taking them back home. Morro looked ready to kill somebody, most likely Lloyd.
"That insolent little brat! How dare he insult me!"
"Lloyd or Kai?" Bansha spoke out of turn, something she instantly regretted when Morro's scowl turned on her.
"Lloyd, of course! If it wasn't for that little brat or their ugly sister, I'm sure Kai would be mine by now! Doesn't he realize those two are the ones who are holding him back?! I could give him anything and yet he still refused me!" He ranted, clenching his fists in rage. "I mean, how naïve can he be? What must I do to persuade him to pop the question?" He scowled critically. Bansha could only shake her head. Morro was without a doubt a prodigy, but he lacked the most obvious common sense.
Kai was a dreamer, it didn't matter how rich Morro was or what society deemed appropriate.
He wouldn't chase Morro like everyone else. No, he was chasing the foolish dream of finding true love. A frivolous illusion of course, but nevertheless Kai believed it. Bansha had no doubt Morro would never have his 'precious darling' unless he convinced him to love him. Something she knew would never happen. She knew Morro well enough. The duke always got what he wanted.
"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Bansha spoke aloud and Morro's attention turned to her. Bansha hadn't meant to speak out loud but Morro could tell she was only curious. "I mean, you could have anyone you wanted, yes, Kai's beautiful, but personality-wise, he's the complete opposite of the man you want; why do you keep chasing him when you could have people so much more charming, obedient, and wealthy! You're the Duke! You're wealthy, well-educated, people throw themselves at your feet every day! You could replace Kai in an instant! Why do you waste your time with him when you could have anyone else?"
Morro chuckled darkly, a crackling sound that would make even the bravest of hearts shiver in fear.
"You've just answered your own question, Bansha." He smirked. Everything she said was true of course. Kai's appearance was in every inch the way a fairy tale prince was supposed to look, but it was his personality that needed work. Kai was perfect, but he was too brazen, too wild. He needed to be tamed, and he was the only one to do that. After all, as a Duke, he needed not only the perfect partner but also someone who would never challenge his authority.
In business or in bed.
"Because I can have anyone else."...
****************
The enormous landscape surrounding the Smith home was a sight to behold. A wide golden field and stables with a large pond in the corner bordered on two sides by woods and a house large enough for a large family flew by, unnoticed by its two youngest occupants as both Kai and Lloyd bolted across the yard and up the stairs to their house. Both ran surprisingly fast for all the bags they were carrying. Then again, it was Nya who was in the kitchen.
That alone was cause for alarm.
Both practically broke the door down, causing more smoke to erupt from the house. Lloyd batted the inky wisps away and coughed harshly before Kai found him something to cover his mouth with.
"NYA!" Kai howled, furiously, before stomping towards the kitchen, with Lloyd behind him. "GOD HELP YOU IF YOU'RE IN THE FUCKING KITCHEN!" He warned as both brothers dropped the books and groceries on the dining room table and stormed inside. The kitchen was still intact, but the smoke was everywhere, pouring out the open windows now that it had an escape. Huge spots of soot and ash covered the floor, the counters, and the stove which was wheezing smoke.
The wood from the old-fashioned brick stove had burned itself out leaving only ashes.
The bowl on top of it was covered in ash and looked even more charred than the inside of the hearth. Nya, the younger twin, was on the floor, coughing and wheezing, covered from head to toe in thick soot. Her midnight black hair tied in a ponytail was the only thing dark than the soot as her stunning blue eyes seemed to light up her face. Her tanned skin was revealed through the ripped jeans. When she stood to her full height in an attempt to brush the ashes off her, she stood a few inches shorter than Kai.
She also had a small beauty mark on her right cheek.
Even in her ripped, paint-splattered jeans and the light blue shirt she wore when she painted or invented and hiking boots caked in oil, paint, and covered in soot, Nya looked ravishing.
"Nya," Kai said dangerously low with a clearly angry smirk on his face as he glared down at Nya on the floor. "When Dad said you were never allowed in the kitchen again, what made you think he was joking?"
"You two were late." She replied, crossing her arms and trying to look as casual as possible.
"We're always late! That doesn't mean you have the right to try and burn down the kitchen! AGAIN!" Lloyd scolded. "What did you do this time? Forget to take the plastic off?" He asked and Nya's eyes widened guiltily, assuring them both that was exactly what she did. Despite being an excellent painter and even better inventor, Nya wasn't so good in the kitchen. That's why cooking the family meals was Kai's job. The eldest Smith sighed and smacked his forehead.
"Nya, you can't cook to save your life!"
"Doesn't mean I can't try!" She smirked, rubbing the soot off her cheeks. "At least I didn't burn anything." She mumbled. Both brothers glared at her referring to the black soot covering the kitchen. "You know what I mean." She snorted, ego deflated a bit. "What took you so long anyway?"
"We stopped at the bookstore, and Dr. Saunders found Kai's writing."
"That's it?" Nya raised a cool eyebrow in disbelief. She knew full well that her brothers could live at the library if given the choice but even they always came home on time.
"We ran into Morro on the way back," Kai growled.
"That explains it." She rolled her eyes. "What did he want this time?"
"Same old shit he wants every time," Kai replied, tossing a bag into Nya's lap, which she hesitantly caught in her surprise. "Help us put the food away otherwise no one's eating until breakfast." He ordered. Nya was on his feet in an instant, her stomach winning over her pride.
"You should've seen his face when he thought Lloyd insulted his!" Kai chuckled, making their little brother blush. Nya only blinked in surprise before grinning.
"Well hopefully after next week, you won't have to deal with him anymore."
"You finished your invention!" Both boys asked with hopefulness. Nya smirked and grabbed both their wrists before pulling them out of the kitchen and upstairs, where their bedrooms were located, as well as the room she and their parents used as a workshop. Kai sometimes painted something if he was bored, but he hasn't done it in a while. Nya threw the door open, revealing the wooden floor covered by paint-splattered sheets and blotches of paint-decorated walls.
The wall opposite the door was made entirely of glass, like a giant window allowing air and sunlight inside.
Blank canvases and stacks of papers and scrolls lined the opposite wall while easels with trays of oil paints, watercolors and charcoals cups filled with pencils, pens, and brushes of various, shape, size, texture, and design covered the table by the sink where water cans and jars held paint-caked brushes. In the corner sat her newest invention, while a tray of oil paints in various colors rested on the table next to it. The machine itself took Kai and Lloyd's breath away.
It is a wooden machine containing various types of gadgetry, including an ax.
This machine was intended to be used to chop wood, supposedly making it easier than chopping with an ordinary ax.
"Wow!" Kai gasped.
"It's amazing, big sis!" Lloyd hugged her. "Now I know you're going to win this year!"
"Let's hope so." She beamed as she wrapped her arms around her two brothers and pulling them both close in a hug. "Then maybe we can get out of here."
"Finally!" Kai cheered.
"Now, I'm gonna get changed." She released her siblings before strolling down the hallway to her room. "Unless of course, you want me to help you clean the kitchen and-"
"NO!" They both said with such force she was taken aback. Nya meant it as a joke but it seemed neither Kai nor Lloyd were taking the chance.
"Oh and since Lloyd will probably be too busy cleaning the kitchen you'll just have to suffer pasta with my sauce," Kai warned teasingly, following Lloyd downstairs, smirking when he saw Nya cringe. Kai's sauce was incredibly hot and spicy. It hadn't taken too long to clean the kitchen, since Nya had only caused smoke and soot to cover the house and fortunately hadn't really burned anything. Still, it took at least an hour to clean the kitchen and make dinner.
Those were two things Nya was not allowed to help with since all her elegance and grace with creating and movement seemed to cease the second she entered the kitchen.
Once they finished, the trio spent the rest of the night the way they always did. Closing up shop and enjoying the night until Lloyd finally fell asleep, resulting in Nya carrying him upstairs and putting him to bed. Nya could only smile at the adorable sight.
"What?"
"Nothing." She shrugged her shoulders, still smiling. "Just wondering what you're still doing here?"
"What does that mean?" He asked confused, before turning back to Lloyd's sleeping form.
"I don't mean, here as in with the family, I meant here in general." She explained, sitting down next to her brothers.
"Let's face it, I don't fit in here." He groaned. "I mean, no one here gets me, and I have no one to talk to except you, Lloyd, and the librarian; and if you say Morro I swear to God I'll scream!" He threatened her and Nya burst out laughing.
"I wasn't going to, but remind me again why you don't like him?" She teased and Kai snorted.
"He's not my type."
"Poor Morro, maybe if he'd stayed the same, he might have a chance."
"I doubt it; honestly, I just don't wanna get married, I wanna be in love when I get married, not just settle down for the sake of it, or give myself up for money; I wanna travel and write and make my own happiness before I start looking for someone to share my happiness with." He explained. "Morro doesn't care about me, he just doesn't understand me! I want someone who loves me for me, and who can show me they love me like even without saying the words, I'll know they love me."
"Sounds cheesy," Nya replied with a teasing smile, before placing her hands on his shoulders. "Lloyd's right, you are a hopeful romantic." She giggled. Kai blushed before playfully punching Nya's arm. She just laughed before smiling sadly. "But seriously, Kai, that's a pretty amazing thought." She promised and Kai blinked at Nya's sudden change of tone. They sat in silence for a little while before Kai took a deep breath to settled his nerves.
"Nya? Do you think I'm odd?" He reluctantly asked, scared of the answer. His sister froze and looked at the brunette as if he'd suddenly grown an extra head.
"Is this because of what those idiots in town keep saying?" She asked angrily and Kai looked up to meet her saddened eyes.
"It's not that," He replied looking away. "It's just... I don't know, I obviously don't fit in, but sometimes I wish I did; then maybe I could find someone who actually understands me aside from you and Lloyd." He added and suddenly found himself wrapped in a warm hug by Nya before he was released. Nya's gaze rested on him with a look of firm affection.
"Kai, you're an artist like Mom and me, just with words, that means you see the world in ways other people can't or simply don't understand and it's your gift, to see the beauty and the horror in ordinary things, it doesn't make you odd, or strange, despite what the idiots in this town seem to think, just different, and there's nothing wrong with being different." She explained like it was a fact that needed to be memorized. Kai wasn't sure whether to smile or laugh at his silliness so he did both.
"Thanks, sis."
"Anytime," Nya laughed and got up before kissing Kai's forehead and then Lloyd's before turning to leave the room. "Night, big bro." She smiled and winked. "And remember, Lloyd and I are leaving tomorrow so we gotta get up early."
"I remember." He smiled, before getting up and retiring to his own room for the night...
Kai sighed in relief as he dropped the bags at his feet and plopped down next to the equally exhausted Lloyd on the side of the town square fountain. The large, glistening fountain outside of city hall in the dead center of the entire city. Built only a handful of years ago, this fountain at the old town center was there to represent the importance of all generations, both young and old, and what they have to offer. Its position within the city was meant to represent the strong mind and balanced way of life the city strived for.
It was designed by Nya.
She had wonderfully captured the natural beauty of the region and used a personal style to convey her vision in this piece of art. Every element was crafted and created with deluxe materials from local suppliers, ensuring this monument will remain an important aspect of the community spirit for many more years.
"Think we got enough food?" He teased.
"Well, we got everything on Nya's list." Lloyd smiled. "You remembered the chocolate right?"
"Yes, I remembered the chocolate." Kai rolled his eyes playfully. Lloyd smiled and dug into his big brother's bag before pulling out a folder and opened. He thumbed through the pages until he found a small back of stapled pages and pulled out the top one, smiling before placing the pack in Kai's lap.
"Care to show your favorite little brother what you've been working on?" He flashed a bright smile and his infamous pleading look.
"Maybe later," Kai replied calmly, earning him a look of pure shock from the blond boy. Kai could never resist Lloyd's babyface when he wanted something. Kai just laughed and scooped his collection of papers in his hands before looking at the one Lloyd picked out. The poem was written in his hand above the image of a field of roses. At the heart was an ancient castle that dated back to the early 18th century. The only difference was this castle was pure white, each stone chiseled from stabs of pristine marble.
Lloyd leaned over his brother's shoulder, immediately engrossed in the detailed sketch of his big brother's.
"Jeez Kai, you could give Nya a run for her money."
"It's just a sketch."
"It's still awesome! Now, can I see the poem or not?" Lloyd pleaded with a whine in his voice.
"No!"
"But it's amazing!" He begged and giggled as Kai blushed.
"You think everything I write is amazing." He smiled, rolling his eyes.
"Because they are!" He insisted, kneeling over the side of the fountain to dig through Kai's folder. "Didn't you say that one goes with another poem or passage? Here it is!" He cheered in victory pulling out another passage Kai wrote and placed in his lap. "This one! I remember cuz when you were reading you had this really dreamy look on your face." His smile almost split in half at the dark blush suddenly covering Kai's face. He snatched both things away and stuffed them back in his folder.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, green bean." Kai insisted with a small smirk. It would have convinced anyone else despite the faint scarlet dusting Kai's cheeks, but not to Lloyd and Nya.
"Yes, you do! You wrote that about the Dragon Lord didn't you?" He smirked playfully. The brunette's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull at Lloyd's innocently smirking face.
"How do you know that?!" He spluttered, completely flabbergasted. The youngest Smith almost burst out laughing at his older brother's panic.
"I didn't, but it's written all over your face!" He gasped in between laughs. Growling in defeat, Kai ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
"Yes, they were inspired by the fairy tale, but no it's not about him, I wrote them after I had a dream." He explained as Lloyd blinked in bewilderment. "I know silly, right?"
"No! I wanna hear it!" He insisted widening his eyes. Rolling his eyes again, knowing Lloyd wouldn't let the subject drop, he continued.
"Alright, well, every night, I dream I'm in a field of flowers outside the castle and while I'm there, I hear a song playing and I follow it; then I see a man standing there holding the most beautiful music box I'd ever seen."
"Is he handsome?" Lloyd asked, teasingly, but Kai chose to ignore that question.
"The music was so lovely; it reminded me of the songs Mom and Dad used to sing to us, but in the most amazing voice I've ever heard." He sighed in awe. "The second I woke up, I just wrote the poem down and then I just couldn't get that man out of my head; I kept dreaming about him more and more." He explained unwittingly, letting his hidden passions seep into his voice; something that didn't go unnoticed by Lloyd. His smile only widened until it nearly split his face in half.
"You're in love~" He sang and Kai almost fell off the fountain. "You're in love with your dream prince!" He teased, with a smirk that put even his siblings to shame as he leaned over his older brother. "And don't try and deny it either, that might work on someone else, but not someone who's known you as long as I have!"
"The Dragon Lord is only a fairy tale, he's not real." Kai sighed, saddened, looking heavenward for assistance to his dilemma.
"Don't worry, bro; I'm sure you'll find your true love." Lloyd encouraged, leaning against the brunette's shoulder. Kai chuckled and ran his fingers through Lloyd's blond hair.
"You're a hopeless romantic, green bean."
"Hopeful." He corrected mischievously. Both boys broke into a fit of laughter until they were interrupted by the sound of a carriage and horses pulling to a stop. Just like that, everyone in town stopped to carry out the weekly ritual that was as practiced and routine as everything else in Ignacia. Everyone was more than happy to greet the two people that were exiting the carriage. The first to exit the expensive, flamboyant carriage was a middle-aged woman wearing a simple but expensive pale green dress.
Her long black hair was tied in a high ponytail by a pretty dark green ribbon, while her toxic green eyes glowed against her deathly-pale skin.
She was a noble maiden without a doubt, but she was not the reason everyone had stopped to stare. The man she turned and bowed her head to was. The brothers recognized his walk before he even stepped out of the carriage. He looked nobler than the woman. The man stepped out of the carriage adorned in a black suit that looked like the most expensive embroidery anyone had ever seen and a necklace of the finest craftsmanship. The outfit was only a simple outing suit but it was still the most expensive thing either brother had ever seen.
The pants alone probably cost more than their entre combined wardrobes.
His white gloves were molded the man's perfect hand and the suit hugged his muscles tightly. The newly polished shoes shined as he stepped down from the carriage. Men and women became lovestruck at his appearance and some people were instantly struck with jealousy or admiration. That combined with perfectly smooth, unblemished white skin, a perfect face, long jet black hair with a green streak in it, and ghostly green eyes, Duke Morro Vento was in every inch a fairy tale prince.
After all, Morro's family had founded the town and still owned it to this day.
Kai never realized how rehearsed Morro's walk was. It was coy and arrogant, just like his glances and his audacious smile. Morro must have returned from a successful trip because he seemed more arrogant today. Kai's gaze turned to Lloyd who nodded in understanding. Both boys picked up their books and the groceries, ready to leave. But a second too late, the duke's gaze found them and he smiled, a seductive smirk that Kai hated more than anything else.
Again he strolled over, cutting off their only exit before the two boys could sneak away.
"Hello, Kai." He smiled sweetly, but the teen saw right through it.
"That's Mr. Smith, your grace." He retorted with a hard gaze. At one point he may have been allowed Morro to call him by his first name, but he had lost that right years ago. Morro's predatory gaze immediately hardened when the brunette used his title instead of his name, though he'd told him time and time again he was allowed to. Kai simply refused to. It was so hard to believe that this arrogant and pompous man obsessed with luxury and social position was the same sweet and free-spirited kid the Smiths knew as children.
Morro's grandfather and their father Ray had been close friends for years.
It was solely because of Morro's grandfather the family moved to this town in the first place. Morro's grandfather had been Duke of the city and the peasants for almost sixty years. He had made it perfectly clear he was just as much a citizen of the town as the rest of the valley. He never cared for social status or reform and only for the well-being of the town and the citizens. As a result, the two families had been quite close. Morro was only two or three years older than Kai.
Sometimes their parents joked about the two of them getting married one day.
This was something Morro's parents took to heart for the future, especially as the children entered adulthood. Ray never considered the idea, especially since he knew none of the children seemed to like Morro in that manner. But once Morro's grandfather died and Ray fell ill, everything changed. Once Morro and his family took the role of Duke and Duchess, and delighted in the royal lifestyle, the Smiths saw less and less of Morro. He'd become too comfortable in the position of his family.
"How many times must I ask you to call me Morro, Kai?" The Duke smiled sweetly, hoping for a romantic response. The brunette just rolled his eyes and gathered his papers together before tying his folder closed. He lifted it to put it away but Morro suddenly snatched it.
"What are these, beautiful?" He asked with mock curiosity, flipping through the papers.
"Your grace, please return my property." He said and it took every ounce of Kai's willpower to remain civil. It was for the sake of his family's good name that he didn't snatch it from his hands and scold him like a child.
"Did you write all these, darling? You must have way too much time on your hands if you waste it scribbling away and reading books." He laughed and Kai growled at the mockery in Morro's voice.
"That's not true!" Lloyd exclaimed and was on his feet faster than anyone expected of the young boy. "Kai's an amazing writer, if you even bothered to read them instead of spending all your time in that stupid shack you call a palace, you'd recognize some good writing." He growled at the duke. A few eyes widened and jaws dropped at Lloyd's comment, but Morro paid the boy no mind and snapped the folder closed, holding it as if it were a discarded garment.
"Oh darling, you have so much promise; don't you think it is about time you got your head out of those silly stories and started paying attention to more important things?" He asked and his voice held a seductive purr that made Kai shiver in aggravation. "I mean, the whole town is talking about it! You spend all your time working at that little shop or reading, it is such a shame." He spoke in such a dreary tone as if Kai's life was that of an unfortunate pauper.
Kai closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair.
He let the duke rant, knowing full well he wouldn't care if he was paying attention to him or not. It had been this way since Morro became the Duke. He accepted the position with a smile and had since turned his ambitions to accustoming Kai to the royal life. The trio lost touch with him as a result, especially Kai, who rejected the idea of the rich and nobility; preferring a life of freedom away from petty, materialistic things. After all, he was perfectly happy living with his siblings where the three could carry out their dreams.
Of course, Morro didn't notice or even care.
"Of course, if you were married to a more... privileged person you wouldn't have to work a day in your life." Morro grinned as his emerald eyes fixed in a cruel seductive glint and met Kai's amber orbs.
"Marriage?" Kai repeated as his eyes widened. "I don't think so Morro, I like working and besides, I don't want to marry just anyone; now, please return my folder." He ordered, attempting to mask the hostility in his voice, holding out his hand.
"Oh, but it wouldn't be just anyone." Morro continued, ignoring the brunette, and held the folder out of his reach so Kai's gaze was fixed on him. "You of all people deserve far more than just anyone; you deserve someone beautiful, wealthy, well-respected-"
"Those are all material things, Morro, not what you should be looking for in marriage." Lloyd cut him off, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
"Give me my folder back, Duke Vento."
"You need someone who's known you since you arrived in this town, who's courted you for years." He smirked as he leaned closer to the brunette, irritation marring the seductive charm.
"I won't ask you again Morro, now stop acting childish and give me my stuff back!" Kai thundered in a harsh tone. Taken aback by the scolding and the looks of the townsmen, he regained his composure and with as much dignity as he could muster returned the folder to Kai.
"Very well, we'll talk later than; come along, Bansha, let us return home." He smiled as he gestured to the raven-haired girl, who followed obediently. Kai's amber eyes were almost red with rage until Lloyd pulled on his arm a bit. Kai's gaze turned to his little brother's curious stare.
"Is he really so naïve that he can't tell you're ignoring his flirting on purpose, or is he just acting?" He asked as he cocked his head cutely, making Morro suddenly freeze in his tracks and Kai burst into laughter, his anger forgotten. Morro turned around with a mortified look on his face. Did Kai's brother just insult him? Without even trying?
"How dare you!" He snapped, pointing accusingly, his composure shattered.
"Now, now, my lord." Kai chuckled. "He's only joking, come on Lloyd, let's get home before Nya wonders where we've been." He smirked and Lloyd smiled as the two scooped up the groceries and books and strolled past the duke and the noblewoman and down the street towards home. Once they were out of earshot of town and Morro, Kai turned to his smiling little brother.
"Thank you for that, green bean; I swear I would have beat the crap outta him if he called me 'darling' one more time."
"I don't know why you put up with him!" Lloyd asked with a snort. "You'd think it would finally penetrate that thick skull of his that you're not interested!"
"I doubt that." Kai sighed, annoyed. "Morro never was one to give up." He added and he knew that was true from experience. Morro had waited and tried for years to coax him to his side. "Hopefully when Nya wins this year, we'll finally have enough money to leave this miserable place." He smiled, confidently.
"I hope so!" Lloyd cheered. "Even I'm getting sick of this town, but I'd miss Dr. Saunders and Brad." He admitted. Kai hummed in understanding as he looked at the large clock tower and his eyes widened.
"Oh shit! Look what time it is!"
"We didn't even make dinner yet and you know what happened last time we got home late?" The youngest Smith groaned as he turned to his middle sibling with concern.
"Don't worry, Nya's a smart girl; she's not dumb enough to repeat her mistakes," Kai assured him. No sooner had Kai said those words, however, an explosion erupted from the Smith home, and thick black smoke pooled from the chimney and kitchen windows...
Far off across the rolling hills and lush countryside, Kai caught sight of the woods, trees alight with leaves of red, brown, orange, and gold, like blazing fire. They were some of his favorite colors. The cliffside rumored to lead out of the valley and past an old castle that had been abandoned for a little over a century, towering over the green and flaming colored landscape. It was almost like it was beckoning the dreamer to join its life outside the sheltered ways of the town.
A smile played across Kai's face.
One day he was getting out of this lame provincial life, and he will never look back. Soon a small grey stone building came into view and both brothers smiled as they strolled up the stone path and through the small oakwood doors. Despite all he had seen in his youth of traveling with his family, Kai found no place more magnificent than Ignacia's library. The building's walls and shelves were lined with books from ceiling to floor like an enormous labyrinth.
Some were so high that tall ladders were placed on casters at different intervals.
Though small, books were everywhere and these were no ordinary books. These books were bound in leather or velvet with strong locks and clasps of brass and silver. Their spines were studded with jewels that glowed in the pale light of dozens of candles hanging from the enormous iron-clad chandeliers hanging overhead. The floors were polished wood. In the center of the room and the labyrinth of shelves sat several desks carved from wood with matching chairs.
At the head of the library stood a much more ornamental desk with vines engraved into the side of the wooden slab.
Sitting behind it with an eccentric smile, an elderly man rose to his feet, a long grey mustache falling from his face while his rich brown eyes gleamed from behind a pair with thin black glasses. When he saw them he gave them a friendly smile.
"I was wondering when you boys would arrive." He greeted on a loud, unusual accent. "I'd almost given up waiting."
"Sorry, Dr. Saunders." Kai smiled politely, "Just here to return the books I borrowed." He explained digging through his bag while Lloyd scurried off to find something to read.
"Finished already?" Dr. Saunders asked in feigned surprise.
"I couldn't put it down." The brunette replied with a chuckle, handing him the two books before strolling over and scanning the shelves. "I don't suppose you have anything new do you?"
"Not since yesterday, I'm afraid."
"Alright, then I'll just take this one." Kai requested before picking up a leather-bound book.
"That one?" Dr. Saunders repeated, his fingers dancing over the gold lettering. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you've checked this one out at least once a month since you moved here, haven't you?"
"Can't help it, it's my favorite." Kai blushed sheepishly. "No matter how many times I read it, it leaves me on the edge of my seat, the ending makes my heart race and I continue getting frustrated when I turn to the last page and I can never read the end; I really wanna know what happens." Kai voiced, unintentionally expressing his obsession. Dr. Saunders's grin couldn't get any wider. The librarian placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder before placing his favorite book in his hands.
Kai blinked in confusion but before he could voice his question, Dr. Saunders answered.
"If you like it all that much, it's yours." He said and Kai's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. He opened his mouth to protest but the words died in this throat. "I insist." Dr. Saunders answered with a wink before the boy could protest. "My job is to make sure each one of these lovely books finds the right person, and if you're not the one for this story, I'm a blind old fool." He laughed. Unsure what else to say, Kai said the only thing that came to mind.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" He beamed widely. The librarian smiled before starting in remembrance and diving behind his desk.
"I almost forgot." He pulled out a large folder tied with a red string from beneath the mess of his desk, before holding the familiar object out to the brunette. "You left this here yesterday, I couldn't put them down." He grinned as Kai's eyes lit up in recognition and he snatched his folder away and hugged it to his chest.
"Sorry!" The flustered teen mumbled in apology. "They're not very good, most of them are just drafts and such–"
"Kai," A single word from the librarian silenced him, and he looked up to meet impressed and encouraging eyes. "They're brilliant, even for 'drafts'; I've read so many books and I've never seen anything half as good as some of the things your imagination has conjured up."
"Uh, thanks."
"Honestly, Kai, what the heck are you and your siblings still doing in this backward town?" The librarian asked. The question was rhetorical, but no one could mistake the seriousness in Dr. Saunders's question. "You three have so much talent and so much potential it's such a shame you can't exercise your talents at a more credential location." He sighed in disappointment. Kai blinked, then nodded at the compliment.
"We're working on it." He replied. "Nya's hoping to win the Inventor's Contest this year, if this pulls through we might finally have enough to move."
"I'm surprised it's taken you so long." The librarian smiled. "Your parents left you everything."
"Yeah, but that's our savings, it's more than enough to live on but not move away and continue living in a new place." Lloyd chimed in, carrying a small stack of children's books of his own and placing them on the table.
"I tell you boys this place has changed since Vincent passed; FSM blesses his soul." Dr. Saunders sighed sadly. "I knew it was only a matter of time, since no one from that family seems to take after him, and then Morro rolls in–" He continued, only to stop when Kai suddenly growled under his breath at the man's name. Dr. Saunders decided not to press the issue anymore. It was true though. For the past year after their father passed away, the three remaining Smiths had put away their parent's inheritance and started saving their earnings until they could afford to leave.
But the shop hadn't been doing as well as it had when Vincent was the Duke.
Nya, being the overly ambitious and determined sibling, was dead-set on winning the fair this year. Then they could move to a place where they could finally pursue their dreams. Dr. Saunders finished checking Lloyd's books and placed them all in a bag for the little one to carry. Lloyd quickly followed Kai who paused in the doorway to let his little brother pass. He gave the librarian another smile and wave before running to catch up with his little brother...
"Shit! Fuck! Dammit!" Kai growled as he once again reached the last page of the leather-bound novel he had been reading. He turned the last crisp leaf only to find the last page, telling that the Dragon Lord still had to find his true love, so yellowed with age and stained that it was beyond readability. No matter how many times he read his favorite story, it frustrated him to no end that the ending remained a well-kept secret. With expert care, he closed the antique book, being extra careful with the antiquarian treasure.
Gold claps and hinders lined the corners so the leather would not wear out too quickly.
Red, orange, white, and blue jewels were embedded into the twists of each corner, while a gold clasp with a leather strap kept the book locked when it wasn't being read. Gold patterns adorned the exquisite cover while faintly glowing letters spelled out the title. The spine was equally studded with gold corners binding it together and studded with dully-glowing jewels. The pages were aged and yellowed but worn in a way that made it clear the book was not only well-used but well-loved.
Running a hand through his spikey brown hair, he gently placed the book back in his bag.
Then he interlaced his hands behind his head before leaning back against the trunk of the tree he currently occupied in a laidback manner before gazing at the clear blue sky above him. The teen had tall, thick spiky brown hair, shaped like fire, and bright amber eyes that shined like burning embers. He had a focused expression on his face, with a scar visible on his right eyebrow and a bandage above his left. He wore a red half-zipped-up jacket over a white shirt with some kind of Japanese symbol on the back of the jacket and brown pants.
Nineteen-year-old Kai Smith closed his eyes with a contented sigh before happily trying to drift off to sleep.
He wanted to escape the shackles of life outside the wide acres of land and forest surrounding the small home he occupied with his beloved sibling. If only to escape for a moment.
"KAI!"
"AHH!" He cried out as the sudden noise caused Kai to bolt from his serenity, and momentarily forgetting where he was, he maneuvered to see what it was that had woken him. The sound of giggling from above forced his eyes open, and he came face to face with the adorable face and sweet, innocent smile of his younger adopted brother. He had long, blonde tousled hair, and brown arched eyebrows with bright emerald green eyes that many people would state could sometimes glow in the dark.
He wore a dark green jacket with a white t-shirt and black pants and black and dark green sneakers.
"Good morning!" Twelve-year-old Lloyd smiled down at his older brother with a wide, bright smile and innocent eyes cutely shut. "Sleep well?"
"I did," Kai smirked with a tone of mock irritation. "Until a certain someone conspired to kill me by knocking me out of a tree." He answered with a mock glare, but his brother simply burst into laughter before taking a step back. Recognizing the game, Kai smirked and took a step forward. Lloyd took another step back, but Kai was quick to follow him until finally Lloyd turned and sprinted. The chase had begun. Letting him have his fun, Kai let his little brother win for a moment before putting on a sudden burst of speed and tackling the child to the ground.
The two rolled around for a few minutes before finally collapsing in a field of colorful flowers in a heap of laughter.
"You have been a very, very naughty boy, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon-Smith." Kai scolded playfully, wagging his finger in front of Lloyd's face as if punishing a small child. Lloyd pouted at this, succeeding only in making himself look cuter, but Kai had helped raise him and was immune to his little brother's tricks to getting out of trouble.
"Perhaps I should ask Nya if she could cook a veggie casserole for dinner instead of pizza?" He mused thoughtfully. Lloyd's reaction changed in an instant.
"No!" The younger boy squeaked in pure panic and quickly jumped to his feet. He tugged harshly on Kai's arms and ran around him to push him to his feet when that didn't work. "Let's go, please! We can go right now! I'll even carry everything home, I promise." He started saying quickly and desperately. It took all of Kai's willpower not to fall to the ground laughing at his brother's response.
"Alright, alright green bean, we'll go." Kai chuckled at his brother's relieved smile while reaching to retrieve the bag that he had lost during their play. "But you have to promise to behave." He added and Lloyd groaned in defeat but nodded, his love of seeing the town outweighing his pride. The siblings had moved to the sleepy town of Ignacia when Lloyd was eight and Kai and Nya had just turned fifteen. They had instantly begun rebelling against the role society had dictated for him.
The trio's father Ray, a retired blacksmith, had settled his family in the small town not long after the family lost their mother to illness.
When the Smiths first arrived in Ignacia, Maya, the trio's mother and a fantastic artist who was very talented with watercolors, and their father Ray shared a love of adventure and traveled around a lot, studying the different cultures they came across. They continued their adventurous life after they were married. They had settled down for a short time when they received the joyful news that Maya was pregnant with Kai and Nya. After the twins were born, the couple decided they wanted to adopt another.
It wasn't long before they adopted a one-year-old Lloyd.
Once Lloyd was old enough to travel, the family continued their adventurous lifestyle. Unfortunately, news of her mother's illness sent the family rushing back to Ninjago City for treatment, but sadly no medicine was enough to save her. Maya's dying wish to her children and husband was for them all to be happy and to never stop following their hearts. Shortly after, the remaining family members moved to the sleepy, provincial little town of Ignacia.
The town of Ignacia was built in a large glade of a mighty forest and was truly an ancient phenomenon.
Its appearance was matched by the backdrop of giant mountains which have helped shape the city into what it is today. The materials that these mountains brought were of great importance. The village itself looked elegant. With its seagrass rooftops, redwood walls, and native bird species, the place had a pleasant atmosphere. The main attraction in the town was the fountain, which was built thirty-nine years ago. Ignacia had an unhealthy economy, which was mainly supported by fletching, wood-crafting, and armorsmithing.
But their biggest strengths were sustainable hunting and advanced medicine.
In the town of Ignacia Ray set up a small shop selling glass objects, paintings, sculptures, and anything he could craft in his forge. Even though they were quite wealthy compared to the rest of the small town. It hadn't been too difficult for the family to settle into small-town life after almost four years of traveling. Nya, like their mother, adored all forms of art around the world, but she found the Japanese style of their home inspiring. Soon her own art flooded the shop.
As long as Nya had her art, she was happy.
Carefree and fun-loving, Lloyd found a new adventure in everything he could find and delighted in the woods and the fields around his home and the town and the many buildings. If he wasn't exploring, he was plotting to steal candy from the grown-ups. Kai, unfortunately, hadn't adjusted so easily. He missed those days. Traveling and seeing many exotic places and cultures, and learning about the world ever since the morning they came to this provincial, backwater town.
It was already mid-morning and the streets were alive with bustling people, carrying out identical routines to the rest of the week.
The smooth cobblestone streets lined the city, identical massive stones corbelled together. Identical red and brown houses on batches of dirt or elevate on hills lined both sides of the streets with windows for houses on top and shops on the bottom. They were smushed close together while stone chimneys lined each roof. An enormous wall surrounded the town, separating it from the lush woods and fields, already starting to change color in the late autumn.
Kai noticed every morning just the same.
The baker carried his tray like always, the aroma of baked goods filling the crisp autumn air as people opened up shop and carried out their daily routines. People were gathering their goods and running errands, the same routine, saying good morning and asking how they were and how their families were doing. Even though the Smiths were different, they were no exception.
"Good morning, Lloyd! Good morning Kai!" The baker called, carrying a tray of bread and rolls.
"Good morning!" Lloyd chimed and rushed over with Kai behind him. The child bounced from shop to shop, delighting in his favorite past time while Kai tried in vain to strike up a conversation with the baker.
"Where you off to?" The baker asked.
"The library," Kai answered. "I just finished the most amazing book about a spellcaster and–"
"That's nice." The baker replied, having clearly stopped listening after Kai said library and called to his assistant to finish making the croissants for the day. Kai rolled his amber eyes and called for Lloyd. They continued their stroll to the only real place Kai felt at home in the dull, little town. Already, townspeople began to gossip about them as he walked by.
"That boy is strange, no question." A group of gossiping old ladies muttered amongst themselves.
"He's always distracted."
"He's never part of any crowd." An aristocratic woman pointed out. "He's always by himself reading books."
"His head's in the clouds, all the time." An old man grunted.
"No denying he's a funny boy that Kai." A group of shoppers conversed amongst themselves, while men running shopped, bowed, and tipped their hats respectively to any woman who came by. Kai growled in annoyance as he heard the gossip. A caravan drove by, ignoring the two boys after the driver said the usual good day, while three teenage girls giggled like school girls when the brunette walked by.
"That boy is so peculiar."
"I wonder if he's feeling well?"
"He's too wild." A man said to his wife. It took all of Kai's will to not growl in frustration.
"He always has a dreamy far-off look on his face."
"If his nose isn't in a book, he's scribbling away in a notebook."
"He's so strange but special; it's a pity he doesn't fit in."
"Oh yes, he's ravishing isn't he?"
"Quite, he is a funny boy though."
"A beauty, but a funny boy."
"Very different from the rest of us."
"FSM take me now if I ever become part of this life!" Kai growled to the heavens, stomping his foot in frustration. His fists clenched whenever the words odd, strange, funny, or peculiar were mumbled over and over just like yesterday and the day before that. Every day was the same thing and he had half a mind to turn around and tell everyone in town to piss off and mind their own business. But he forced his tongue in check. He cared nothing that such an outburst would only warrant more disrespect from the town and they'd treat him even worse than he already was.
It was solely out of respect for his family that he kept his cool.
Kai had adored and respected both his parents. He, Nya, and Lloyd had been devastated when age robbed them of their beloved father. Shortly after the disease killed their mother, their father's broken heart followed her in death less than a year later. The town could say whatever they wished about him, but Kai would never forgive himself if he accidentally tarnished his parents' good name because of his inability to control his temper. That and he knew the only thing losing his temper would accomplish nothing.
Except the residents marching up to his house and complaining to Nya about how her twin brother was too wild and lacked discipline.
Quite frankly, Kai loved Nya too much to let her put up with their nonsense simply because she was Kai's twin. It simply wasn't worth it. Kai had never denied he was different from everyone else, even in his own bizarre family. But after years of traveling and seeing so many different cultures and places, his own mannerisms seemed minor in comparison. However, in this backwater town so pedestrian and old-fashioned, those simple characteristics were all the town seemed to care about.
Unlike most boys, he wanted to become a writer and travel rather than marry and inherit and run a vast estate.
Kai loathed the mannerisms that many considered normal, and as headstrong and outspoken as he was, wasn't afraid to voice it and for that, he was considered odd and freaky. Not that Kai cared, he'd long since ceased caring about what others here thought of him. But despite that, he truly wished someone would look beyond his looks and accept him for who he was. An individual and not another handsome boy bound for a wealthy marriage and was simply just too headstrong for his own good.
His sharp eyes barely caught his reflection in the glass of one of the shop windows when he and Lloyd stopped to gather the groceries on Nya's list.
He turned to meet the lovely boy staring back at him. People always said the twins were lovely like their parents. Nya possessed their father's charcoal black hair and their mother's ocean blue eyes. Her brother had their mother's brown hair, even though his hair was a lighter shade, and he had his father's burning amber eyes. Lloyd may have been young but Kai could already he was going to become a handsome young man. Kai was fully aware of his appearance and what others thought of him.
But in his mind and his normal standards, he wasn't beautiful or even handsome.
To be beautiful you had to be tall and lean like his mother or Nya, and you had to have a perfect tan and look like prince charming. Compared to Kai, Nya was a gorgeous princess and Lloyd was an angel, while Kai looked more like a damsel in distress masquerading as a boy. Yet while Kai didn't see the beauty in his appearance, everyone else in the town saw nothing but his fair facade. They made no attempt to look behind it and considered him odd, peculiar, and strange.
Though he couldn't care less what others thought of him, it saddened and frustrated the fiery teen to no end, not one in town could accept him for who he was.
"Kai?" A sweet voice broke the older teen from his thoughts, and he diverted his attention from his reflection to his worried little brother, holding two large paper bags of already paid for food. "You okay?"
"I'm fine bro," He smiled, "Just lost in my thoughts." He replied following his reflection until the glass faded into the wood, they continued on their way...
It was many a year ago, at least by mortal reckoning when a proud and magnificent family ruled the lands from a shining castle of marble and stone. They were both fierce and protective, yet kind and loyal and fair. Their reign was a golden age and the people were eternally grateful to them. It wasn't always like this, however. The royal family had been faced with many foes over the years. The most fierce and dangerous of the enemies came from within their own castle.
The royal family had always had a royal sorcerer to protect and entertain them, but one day, the sorcerer's young, orphan apprentice found him experimenting with dark magic.
He had been planning on overthrowing the royal family for years. The apprentice immediately went to inform the King. The sorcerer was promptly exiled to the farthest mountains and his family name banished from the realm. For her heroic actions, the royal family adopted the apprentice. The townspeople and the country flourished under the peaceful and prosperous reign of the King, Queen, and their son and adopted daughter. The King, known throughout the land as Lou, though had eccentric and unorthodox manners of ruling the kingdom, was an exceptionally good King.
His wife Lily was his equal in every way, an eccentric warrior whose strong spirit and golden heart could not be tamed.
Both loved their people and made the fact known both within and outside the walls of the castle. Many of the castle's servants were wards of the king and queen who were given jobs and treated as if they were their own flesh and blood. But the most beloved of all the royal family was the only son. He was truly a handsome man both externally and within. A proud and stubborn man but with a will as strong as a dragon and a heart brighter than gold, eyes as beautiful and green as a stunning emerald.
Though it was uncommon in that day and age, the royals spent as much time among their citizens as they could.
Even their adopted daughter was loved among them. Among his people, the prince was kind and fair, and among the servants, each one was like a younger sibling to him, but when the people were in danger he defended them with the ferocity and power of a dragon, earning him a nickname. The Dragon Lord. The people loved their rulers and their rulers loved their people, but the dark destiny of all kingdoms would soon doom this peaceful paradise.
Deep in the mountains, the exiled sorcerer swore vengeance upon the royal family for their betrayal and his own thirst for the crown.
Yet above all he despised the prince. Most people believed he hated the prince was because he was jealous and believed the throne that should be his. However, that was only a small part of it. In truth, he envied the prince with all his soul. He hated how the people loved and respected him, how everyone idolized the Dragon Lord instead of him. He hated how the prince commanded the love, respect, and attention of everyone who laid eyes on him without even trying.
But he'd had to perform complex and difficult magical spells to demand their love.
He hated how, while he'd had to struggle and work for every little thing his entire life, the people simply gave the Dragon Lord their love on a silver platter. Yet the prince did nothing with it. Even if the King and Queen were the true rulers, the exiled sorcerer knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the Dragon Lord who had the kingdom's love and respect. He vowed one day to return and rip away everything the Prince loved and treasured so deeply.
He wanted to do it in the most malicious and unforgiving manner he could concoct.
Banished to the darkest shadows and forced to live a solitary existence of seclusion, his bitterness festered until it consumed his soul. Finally, after years of training in the dark arts, his bitterness, jealousy, and rage transformed him into a more powerful sorcerer. His dark heart had all but consumed him. One dark day, after all, but signing away his soul to the darkness, he unlocked the dark, unforgiving arts of the Cursed Realm. The darkness consumed him, making him a prisoner of his own power yet affording him the ability to control some of the darkest magic.
Only one thing burned within his poisoned mind now.
His never-ending lust for vengeance...
****************
It was a day that should've been a day of great celebration. The Prince's coronation on his 21st birthday, the day he became a man, and the day he would be no longer known as the Dragon Lord, but the King. It was on this day that everything changed. The sorcerer, wearing a mask of glamour to hide his black hair and the wickedness in his eyes with an appearance more commonly seen among the people attended the new king's majesty with a terrible plan.
He was going to make the new king and his family suffer for their crimes against his person.
Only after everyone else had presented their gifts and their best wishes and promises to their beloved prince and soon-to-be king, Lou stood from his throne, holding in his hands a magnificently sculpted crown in the shape of a majestic silver dragon with eyes of emerald and powerful onyx wings. Just as the former king was about to crown his son, the Sorcerer stepped forward and spoke his impossible demands. He commanded that the Dragon Lord relinquish his crown and his throne to him or great doom would befall them all.
He cast aside his glamour as he spoke, eliciting a scream of terror from his former apprentice who was the first to recognize him, and gasps of shock and fear from the townspeople whom he had terrorized.
Naturally, the prince refused, claiming nothing would convince him to relinquish his throne and the lives of his people and loved ones to a madman. He did not fear death or enchantment. The sorcerer's eyes narrowed at the defiant family of royals before a smile struck his face; a smile that sent a shiver of fear down the spines of everyone present, chilling everyone in the room to the bone. Even as the royal guards attacked and the people rushed to escape, the Sorcerer's wicked eyes turned black as shadows and dark purple energy flooded his body like a wispy ghost.
Finally, the sorcerer unleashed a deadly wave of black magic, consuming the entire throne room.
While the townspeople had already escaped, the servants and those loyal to their royals refused to leave and screamed in anguish and fear as their very essences warped to that of the dark master's sick desires. The sorcerer's dark magic ensnared the royals, and all except for the Dragon Lord's vanished before the young king's horrified eyes. But the Sorcerer refused to reveal to the devastated Dragon Lord what had become of his parents and adopted sister.
He then invoked the magic of the Cursed Realm and placed a terrible curse upon the castle and a deadly spell upon the kingdom and all who lived there.
Proclaiming doom on the royal family and all who served them, friends and servants alike, the servants and wards of the castle were stripped of their physical forms and were warped into new ones for their loyalty, ones of creatures from the realm of fantasy. As for the prince himself, the Sorcerer wanted him to suffer the most. He wanted to see him wither away and suffer alone in solitude and anguish just as he had suffered, before extracting the final act of his vengeance.
So he cursed him with the most terrible form of all.
The form of the most magnificent and dangerous creature of myth and legend, once beloved by the royal family and the kingdom, and would now be used to doom the new King. The form of the Dragon. But his form was cursed to be neither monster nor human, but something awful in between. Trapped as a prisoner within his own body, with only his most loyal of followers in bodies no human would dare trust, he was imprisoned within his castle.
To entertain himself, the Sorcerer gave the prince an ultimatum.
The prince would have a century to find his one true love and break the curse. It couldn't just be anyone, however. It had to be a person that could accept the King for the monster he was, else his soul and the souls of all those he held dear would never know peace and would instead be trapped within the dark depths of the Cursed Realm for all eternity. With a maniacal laugh and a haunting scream, he vanished, claiming to return once his time had come, leaving behind a confused and terrified crowd who couldn't recognize themselves in a mirror.
The prince let out a shallow gasp as he collapsed to his knees before he screamed in horror at the body that was no longer his.
Instead of human hands, black claws had replaced his fingers and scaled paws were his hands. Thick scales and black talons adorned his arms. At his feet were the back legs and claws of a dragon. Confused and scared he turned to his servants, each holding a sad expression on their faces, and when a mirror was raised to the prince's face, he screamed. Black scales adorned his body, torso, and chest, a powerful, whip-like tail sprouted from behind him; fin-like appendages grew from his shoulders.
From his shoulder blades sprouted two enormous wings large enough to consume his body, glittering with blood as they ripped from his skin.
But most terrifying of all were his eyes. No longer were they the brilliant green he'd grown up with, nor were they human. Instead, he saw the dark brown eyes and slit-like pupils of a dragon staring back at him in horror and fear. It was just as the sorcerer cursed him. He was neither dragon nor man but something terrible in-between. His servants and friends urged him not to lose hope, that they would find his love, whoever it may be, and rescue his parents and the young princess from wherever the evil Sorcerer sent them.
But it wasn't long before hope began to fade. As the years passed, he fell into despair.
His followers and the people he'd worked so hard to protect refused to leave him or abandon the castle. The rest of the world forgot as the long years of the century rolled by. Alone in the castle, the former King's heir began to chill and stiffen, angered and bitter towards the world that shunned him so cruelly as a horrible monster. As hope became an illusion scorned by the prince, his lonely heart grew cold and desolate. But his servants never lost hope.
They prayed and prayed to the FSM for aid, to save their master from the malicious fate cursed upon him and to help him find his love.
For only the Prince knew about his love and told only a select two and they swore to take the secret to their graves, keeping it from even their most trusted friends and family. They just trusted their Master to find his love, knowing that whoever it may be would have to be a special soul to earn the heart and rescue the soul of their master. Though the secret was safe, it didn't stop the servants from wonder who would lift their curse. They wondered who was the Dragon Lord's one true love...