Faery Island

We Are Who We Are

Chapter XX - We Are Who We Are

Rick

The tavern slowly went back to the normal chatter and drunken threats.

Faeries seemed to enjoy their drinks and parties even more than mortals. They laughed, hollered and danced. The guard who was holding the fights and bets stood against the wall watching over everyone, laughing and talking to guest.

Ztnook limped around like a whipped dog. He gently took slow sips of his drink. His lime green eyes would sometimes flick over to where Ricalos sat slumped in the darkness brooding.

The longer he sat there the heavier the tension became and the more he became anger at the slave. Why did she look like mom? Why does she keep stalking me? The questions seemed to eat at him and before he could stop himself he had thrown himself out of the seat and out of the tavern where everyone busied themselves.

The majority of Amarathine was filled with guards and slaves. Shining metal and dirty cloth. The girl would have blended in if it hadn't been for the color of her hair. She stood out among the blonds and brunnets. She carried a basket of fruit.

Ricalos pushed through the crowd of faeries and faught his way to the slave girl. Once free from the crowd he ran for her, careful not to draw more attention from the passers. Who knew how they treat their slaves? They didn't seem to cloth or bathe them well but they had living quaters and no visible bruises and scars.

He grabbed the girls shoulder and twisted her around. He smothered her scream with the palm of his hand. He could feel the blood veins below her skin pump as she fought against him.

"What do you think you have been doing watching me?" He growled. Her eyes had gone wide and she screamed into his hand but did nothing. He shook her a bit, making her scream even more but it was only then that he realized she wouldn't be able to tell him anything anyways.

"Don't you dare scream. Answer my question." He released her and she dropped to the ground, a cloud of dirt forming around her. She coughed but didn't cry nor say a word.

"Why?" Ricalos asked.

She said nothing.

Anger pusled inside him and he screamed. "Why!"

She only flinched, watching him rage and fume like a bull.

"Why do you look like mom?" He screamed at her, his words taken aback the both of them. Enough to push him backwards away from her.

"Why. . ." the girl began to speak. Her voice intelligent and gentle like both of Rick's parents. It was like a stab in the heart. "Why do you look like me?"

His heart bled and he ran away from her.
___

Zelroth was no where to be seen. Fellien's home was empty all but for the weapons that lined the wall and the soft trickle of water. Ricalos laid awake on his floor, starring up at the ceiling.

"Mr. Fellien?" A timid voice asked outside. Ricalos didn't answer. Though he rolled over and dashed for the bathroom as the curtain was drawn and a slave boy walked inside carrying a hard bristled broom.

The slave boy began to sweep the floor, stirring up dust in the air. The boy was older than Ricalos and thick, meaning they fed them well.

Ricalos found himself watching the boy with a hunger intensity. Every movement the boy made it made him want to jump out and attack the boy with predator grace.

He began to approach the boy. The shadows creeped below him, helping to quiet his footfalls and be unseen.

He hovered behind him, close enough to see the veins in his neck throb. His throat was sore and on fire, he needed it. He had no time to scream. The broom clattered to the floor and his body fell in a heap under Ricalos' bloodthirsty hands.

It was over in seconds and was no where near enough. His breathing slowed and soon ceased.

"Ricalos, what have you done?" Fellien asked, quickly checking behind him and drawing the curtains closed.

"He entered at his own risk."

"You can't kill people in my house," Fellien hissed. "they will notice."

"They have plenty of slaves how are they going to notice one-"

"The Goddess will know, boy," Zelroth said. He gave one passing glance at Fellien and strided over to Ricalos.

"You're being ridiculous. Killing is one thing, killing stupidily is another."

"Whatever-" Ricalos tried to brush away Zelroth and get on to his feet but he was instantly thrown back by his throat.

"Do not 'whatever' me, Ricalos!" Zelroth growled. "I have given you your memories back. I have given you a new chance. You're no longer attached to your humanity, and yet you still haven't let go of your filthy mortal habits of stupidity."

His head was knocked against the wall to the point his eyes felt like they would dance right out of his skull and a throbbing pain formed at his temple.

"Stay away from the slave girl."

He slumped against the wall. "Fellien, clean this up and hide the body. . ." Zelroth ordered and left just as he came.

"I hope you know you missed up."

All Ricalos could bring himself to do was glare at Fellien as he began to pick the body off the floor. He muttered to himself and complained about the stains.

Soon the body and the blood was gone. The room looked bare now that he had to take the blood stained objects out and destroy them as well. Where everything went, Ricalos wasn't sure.

During the night moans coming from Fellien's sleeping quaters kept him drifting in and out of sleep. When he did sleep he was haunted by memories.

The little boy haunted him most.
__

Ricalos had been just releaved from his guard hours where he had let a new Narrazza knight take over for him. The king didn't have many knights, he could protect himself on his own if he wanted.

The halls were empty, light shun through the windows. The kingdom was asleep.

Or so he thought.

"What were you doing outside?" The voice of the princess was high and taunting.

"I was just seeing what it was like. . . To go out there in the sunlight," this one was more timid and a boy.

Ricalos sighed, he knew it was the kings son and daughter. He prized his daughter so much, but his son? He barely speaks of him and when he does its in rage because the boy has something called a heart.

He crept closer and closer to where the voices were coming from. It was the boys room, but they stood just outside, the girl blocking his way inside.

"What's wrong brother? You scared of the dark?'

"No, I just wanted to see. . ." He had already given up. His shoulders were slumped and she knew she had won.
She had began to approach the boy, darkness gathering around her. "Would you like to play?"

"No, no. . ." The boy stuttered and backed away. His feline friend, a white tiger cub meowed and hissed at the slithering darkness.

"C'mon, it'll only hurt a lot-"

"Avis!" Ricalos shouted and the two kids both jumped with surprise. The darkness around the little girl quickly vanished and replace she smiled sweetly. "Yes, knight?"

"Go to bed."

"Yes, sir." Through her long black hair she didn't think Ricalos could see the glare she gave him and the hate she had for own brother.

"Thank you. . ." The boy said, Ricalos couldn't help but smile back at him.

"You're welcome Pyry, now get in there before she comes back."