Outcasts and Royals

Chapter 1

The giant clock in the middle of the town chimed three times as Erik and his best friend Damien made their way through the crowd to be at the edge of the woods so they could talk in secret.

"So, what did you earn today?" Erik asked as he began to look through his bag to count the money he had made.

"Ten gold pieces, a bag of grapes, a pearl necklace, and a bottle of the village's best and most expensive wine," Damien replied.

"And you wonder why everyone is trying to arrest us," Erik said as he looked at the wine and necklace he could tell his friend had stolen.

"Hey, it's not hurting anyone. And besides, I just turned twenty-one. I think I'm old enough to have it."

"Excuse me, but have you seen a pearl necklace anywhere? I was wearing one earlier, but now I can't seem to find it?" a young woman in an expensive-looking dress asked.

"Funny that you should ask that. Because I was able to stop a man from running into the forest recently, and he was trying to steal this necklace right here," Damien answered as he held out the necklace.

"Oh, thank you so much, kind sir. What shall I do to reward you?" the woman asked as Damien began to put the necklace back on her.

"Perhaps three pieces of silver," Damien suggested.

"Of course," she replied before pulling out a small bag.

"Lydia, what are you doing talking to these peasants?" an older-looking man on a horse demanded angrily.

"Someone stole my necklace, but this young man was able to stop the thief and returned it to me," Lydia tried to explain.

"Well, if you weren't walking around unsupervised, that necklace would most likely have not been stolen in the first place. Come along now. As for you, peasants, stay away from my daughter and our family," the man said coldly as he and Lydia walked away before Lydia could repay Damien. However, before they were out of sight, the horse whipped its tail into Damien's and Erik's faces.

"Oh, man, even the horses hate us," Erik said as he tried to get the horsetail hair out of his mouth.

"I'm back. What did I miss?" Sylvia, Damien and Erik's other friend, asked as she joined the group.

"What basically happens every time we go into town," Damien replied before taking the last piece of horsetail hair out of his mouth.

"Also, a horse gave us a mouth full of tail hair," Erik added.

"Announcement to the Kingdom!" the royal messenger yelled to the people in the streets.

"Oh, boy, this had better be interesting," Damien whispered to his friends.

"You can say that again," Erik replied.

"Last night, the fair Princess Madeline was kidnapped straight out of her bedroom. We don't know who took her, but whoever successfully returns the Princess home to the King and Queen shall receive a massive reward in gold coins," the messenger explained.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Erik asked after the messenger left to continue to deliver the message to other parts of the kingdom.

"We go on a quest to find the Princess and get rich quick?" Damien guessed.

"You know me so well," Erik replied.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Sylvia added with a smile.

"Hey! That man stole my best wine!" one of the merchants yelled after getting a good look at Damien.

"Looks like that's our exit cue," Damien told Erik and Sylvia.

"You can say that again," Erik added as he, Damien, and Sylvia ran into the forest near the town to escape.