Watty's Shortlist 2023
"I have been waiting a long time to meet you."
________________
When two warring kingdoms hear of a magical object that will end the conflict once and for all, two rival heirs embark on a quest to retrieve it and bring their...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kaiden's mind was roaring. He didn't fully register what he was doing or where he was heading. All he knew was that someone was in danger, and he had to help.
Perhaps it was impulsive to bolt without discussing with Aila and Castor. In the moment, he assumed they'd follow. But as he whirled down corridor after corridor as if a wind were pushing at his heels, he couldn't hear their footsteps behind him.
On more than a few occasions, he reached a dead end, but his nature didn't allow him to grow frustrated. He backtracked and tried another route, confident that the more mistakes he made, the more likely he'd ultimately be on the right path.
The otherworldly shriek sounded again, and Kaiden followed the sound, sprinting faster and feeling reassured by the steady weight of a hilt in his hand.
As he hurtled around another corner, he abruptly stopped at a familiar sound - the sound of a horse's hooves clacking against a hard surface. Fear and confusion warred within him as he turned left with wariness, following the sound.
His eyes widened at the scene his fire lit up before him. A man was leading a horse by the reins, but it wasn't just any horse. Perplexity slapped him as he realised it was the same animal he'd left outside, unable to bring him into the caves. It was the same animal with whom he'd travelled for days, and he would recognise his steed, his friendanywhere.
Kaiden lifted his sword.
"That's my horse," he spoke, his voice firm but not threatening.
Yet.
The man laughed. "Victor? No, my good man. He's mine."
"His name is Kallias."
Twin flames burst to life in the man's eyes, and Kaiden involuntarily took a step back, certain that he must have imagined it. Perhaps his own fire was merely reflecting off the man's iris.
"Let him go," he instructed.
"Or else?" The man raised an eyebrow, an antagonising smirk dancing on his lips.
Kaiden studied the man: his face was all harsh angles and violent emotions. His body wasn't honed by muscle, yet still seemed sharp with the promise of something much more dangerous. Fire continued to reflect in his eyes, giving him the appearance of looking all the more threatening.
"Or else, you'll learn what happens to those who defy the king of Perador."
Kaiden advanced slowly, fire burning in one hand and illuminating the space between them, and a lethal weapon in his other.
"The king of what?" The stranger asked, genuinely seeming to not have heard the name before.
"Let. Him. Go."
"No."
In a quick motion, Kaiden had him pinned to the wall, his sword resting against the man's throat. The stranger's breath didn't change, and there was no fear in his face, which unnerved Kaiden.
