Our Cursed Love (bl)

Unexpected Adventures

Inside the castle walls resided the royal elven family, but they were in a heated argument with a man on his knees, in chains.

"Please, Rowan! You have to understand why I didn't tell you!" The man yelled. His face was covered in dirt and his hair was tangled. His clothes had rips in them and small wounds covered his body. "I couldn't bring myself to kill my own child."

The couple sitting on the two giant thrones stared at the pitiful man. The male, Rowan, spoke first. "You went against me. As your king and as a friend. You told me Lillian had died! As well as that damned child!" The king's eyes glowed with fury. The woman next to him put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Axel." The woman's voice was soft. The man on the floor looked up. "I can not vouch for you on this. I am also extremely disappointed in you. You told me one of my closest friends was dead," she looked like she had more to say but kept quiet. Her eyes were glossed with tears as she looked down at the man.

"Please understand! It was my only son! How could I do that to them?" The man looked over to the side of the couple and locked eyes with a white-haired boy. "What if it was your son who carried the curse? How could you ever do that to him?" He looked up at the couple with desperate eyes.

The man on the throne glanced over at the boy and gears seemed to be turning in his head. He paused for a moment before looking over to his wife. "I have decided!" His voice rumbled loudly throughout the room of officials. "The traitor, Axel, will be sentenced to serve a life sentence in The Ruins. As for the damned child, I shall send my own son, Prince Zyair, to capture it and bring it in for a trial and execution." Many people gasped at the mention of 'The Ruins' as it was a place even the bravest of warriors wouldn't step foot in.

It was a place of utmost terror and those sent there never returned if they were lucky enough to survive that long. It was a place deep inside The Forest and was the old castle of the tyrant that was killed by the current king's father. It was said to be a cursed and haunted land where only the most disgraceful of criminals were sentenced.

The boy looked over at his father in surprise. "Prince Zyair will travel to the Human Realm with a chosen companion of his choice and bring back the child." The man finished and dismissed the occupants in the throne room. Two guards roughly picked up Axel and dragged him out. The pitiful man didn't even try to resist.

The boy named Zyair stood in front of his parents' throne and bowed. "Mother. Father. I appreciate you entrusting me with this mission, but this is such short notice. I haven't even finished all of my studies on the human realm." He finished.

His mother smiled and held back a laugh, "You are more than ready for the human realm. Studies can wait. You are at the top of your class and already ahead of everyone your age!" His mother said with a look of disbelief.

The prince stood in silence and nodded. If his mother thought he was ready, he was ready. His mother gave him confidence in this sudden task ahead. Zyair dismissed himself and made his way to the stable where his close friend awaited him.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting," Zyair says as he approaches a tall brunette stood by a large black horse. Their hair blew around in their face with their pointy ears poking out as they turned their head to face Zyair.

"Nah, Rose here kept me company." They said turning back to brushing the mare's mane. "Besides 'The Great Ares' will never be struck down by the thought of boredom so rest assured my friend, you could be in there for an hour and it would be 20 minutes at most for me!"

Zyair shakes his head with a chuckle, ''I didn't think so." Zyair turns to the mare beside them and smiles. "I actually came here to ask you something, Ares." Hearing a hum of acknowledgment, he continues,  "During the meeting, I got wrapped into the mess and now I have to track down the cursed child in the human realm. I've decided you have no choice but to come with me.'

Ares stares at Zyair's blank expression as he spoke. "I didn't hear a question in there, did I?'' Ares asks with a sigh

"Nope. You didn't." 

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The shout of men and horses could be heard all through the front courtyard. The prince and his companion would be escorted to an area to open a gate to the human realm.  All the men mounted their horses and surrounded the two as they rode. The journey wouldn't be long but opening portals was dangerous so they had to venture into The Forest. The Forest was home to many nature spirits and fairies, so that part was easy. 

The most dangerous part of the journey was having to ride across a narrow path on the side of a mountain. Not only was this terrain dangerous, so were its residents. At least to elves they were. The rock goblins and trolls that lived here never got along with anyone other than the nature spirits and fairies. That's why the territory was so close. Thankfully though the group had gotten through the roughest part of the mountain trail but, they still weren't out of the clear quite yet.

"Everyone keep a sharp eye! We are still in their territory." The leader of the troop of soldiers yelled out to the rest.

Zyair and Ares rode beside one another a bit farther back from the group but, enough they were guarded. "Why would he yell that out so loud if he wanted to go unnoticed. Jeez, some people are seriously lacking up here." Ares whispers to Zyair, gesturing to their temples. 

As the two paused in their whispersation, a sudden rustle in the brush beside the trail startled the horses. The group halted and stood silent for a moment. Nothing happened.  Just as they were about to start riding again,  arrows shot from the brush, knocking down more than half of the party. Those left upon their horses drew their weapons. 

Suddenly the arrows stopped, leaving everyone in confusion. "Go." Ares whispered to Zyair in a manner of emergency. Zyair needed no more instruction before he and his horse darted down the trail, Ares and their horse right beside him.  The two made it down the mountain within almost a minute of bolting. 

"Don't stop," Ares yelled over the galloping feet of the horses. They rode for a few more minutes until they slowed to a trot. "Those men are trained by my father so they will be fine," Ares says, reassuring Zyair as he looked back.

"I know that but it didn't feel right to just run away like that. I mean if I'm to be King one day, shouldn't I fight alongside my men?" Zyair furrows his brows and looks over at Ares.

"Well think of it like this, you have a mission to pretty much save this realm. If you would have stayed and fought, you could get hurt and delay this entire thing. then you would feel even worse." Ares tried to comfort Zyair with gentle words.

Zyair nodded and the twp stayed silent the rest of the way. They soon arrived at a clearing. "This should do." Zyair took out a journal from his bag and flipped to a certain page. He spoke in an ancient language and drew shapes in the air. Where his finger drew, lines of teal followed until a rune was formed. Zyair seemed to push the rune forward and the two watched it glow and form into a gate.

"Watching your magick never gets old, dude," Ares comments in astonishment.

Zyair makes his way through the glowing gate first, seeming confident in his spell.  Ares waited for a second before following in his lead. They seemed to be at ease and to have let their guard down as they rode through the gate.

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