The Ivory Killer (DISCONTINUED)

-Chapter Seventeen- Aron

Chapter 17! Enjoy!

A beat of sweat dripped down my temple in a slow manner, like time was struggling through a vat of molasses. Everything was moving so slow, agonizingly so. I couldn't tell if it was the heat or the long cart ride, but I could barely stand it. Something needed to happen and it needed to happen fast. The bead of sweat soaked into my collar and another one started to trace the same path.

Just a day before, I had wished for the events to slow down and give me a chance to breathe. After the aggressive and terrifying visit with the King of Otania, I was sent back to my cell acting bedroom. They had placed another bowl of soup on the dresser and it was still second place to Mary's.

I dared to sleep. It was certainly a risk, trying to sleep so soon after such a nightmare, but I managed. Before I lay down on the bed, I had tucked the blanket under the bed and out of sight. It was a cold sleep, but a sleep nonetheless. My dreams were oddly tame. I had fully expected another onslaught of vivid images, fueled by fear and regret, but all I got were vague pieces of pictures and sound. I was grateful for that, but was disappointed to find that I woke up exhausted.

As soon as I cracked my eyes open, I was viciously attacked by the early morning sun. It was just starting to rise and had an insane amount of brightness so early in the morning. I wanted to roll over, but as soon as I moved, a whole wave of reality came flooding in.

Sleep was the best escape I had ever heard of and had the pleasure of using. When sleeping, I didn't have the chance to overthink things or be faced with new problems. As soon as I was awake, though, my brain shot into action and began working through every detail it could soak up from around me. All it took was a small movement and I was reminded of absolutely everything. It felt like a weight on my chest that just grew heavier the more I thought about it.

I had agreed to kill someone.

Kill.

Killing as in "erasing a life from existence" killing. I hated myself for it, but I could safely say that there was no other choice. In the end, I would rather ruin myself than ruin a whole bunch of lives down in the village.

There wasn't any food in the room yet, so I just waited. I waited for something to happen, but I prayed that it wouldn't. I just wanted everything to stop and give me a chance to run away before it was too late. I could probably consider it too late, but the past had already happened, so I only had the present to work with. In the future, I wanted to escape everything.

I stared at the wall for a long time. Like the night before, the sun danced across the room as it rose in the sky. Faint sounds started to rise up into the air as the village woke up. It could almost be peaceful, but I knew that it couldn't last.

My head snapped up and to the door when the ever familiar sound of the heavy lock being lifted met my ears. I hoped they were bringing food; I didn't realize how hungry I was until I had snapped out of my trance.

In stepped two guards, but they were different from the ones before. In an odd way, I didn't like that they had switched the guards. I missed the familiarity of the ones from before, no matter how cold and distant they had seemed. What I didn't miss was the king, and my heart fell when he stepped into the room as well.

"Good morning!" he chirped in a cheery voice, which I was almost completely sure was fake, "I'm glad to see you up early. We have things to discuss!" A third guard entered the room with a heavy looking wooden chair and placed it in the center of the room. King Maximillion sat down, and with a quick flick of his hands, all three soldiers left the room.