The Difference In Capital Letters

Blown It

  When I woke up from being unconscious, I was still in the throne room, at least that's where I thought I was. I was alone, the gash had stopped bleeding and I ran a finger over it tenderly. It went all the way from above my left eye to below my lip. Thankfully, my left eye isn't particularly bad but for now I can't see through it as it has swollen a little. I don't dare stretch for fear of interfering with it's healing, but I can feel the dried blood caked over my skin and I can taste it on my lips.

  I look into the floor, what I see staring back at me reflects how I feel inside. Insane. My black hair is in a tangle and my good eye gleams madly from its socket. Despite looking and feeling slightly insane, the look also reflects how I'm feeling triumphant and determined for revenge. I know revenge is bad, and I've never in my life gone for revenge - but right now I feel he deserves it and needs bringing down a few pegs. Although at this rate I'll be unconscious every day trying. I stagger to my feet and run my hands through the mangle of hair. It gets rid of a few knots and makes me look a little more presentable. I go to stroll out the room and discover it's locked. Normally I would just sit and bash my head against a wall, but going out with Agripin that night taught me that there can be exits where there doesn't appear to be. Keoki had started teaching me how to travel through shadow walls, but it's really difficult and I'm not sure my father is that much of an idiot.

  I think back to before I was taken here and remember when I'd been good at picking locks. I turn to this tactic as searching the walls for hidden passages has proven to be a fruitless task. I take from my belt a coil of wire and set about trying to pick the lock. I can hear the ticks of the coil inside the lock but just as I'm about to unlock it, a huge jolt of electricity goes flying up my arm and sends the whole of the right-hand side of my body into spasms. After that shock I sit and sulk on the throne. Inside I feel a slight victory at the fact that I'm probably not allowed to sit here.

  After a few minutes thought I jump up and start searching the floor, and the throne. Again I find nothing and out of boredom I start frantically screaming inside, calling for Agripin, Keoki or anyone who could hear me. I can feel a great mind barrier around the room, but this makes me all the more determined because I'm now extremely angry and tired. Not to mention that I haven't eaten in hours and my stomach is doing somersaults at the idea of food. I hurl a giant mind-bolt and feel the barrier smash beneath it, I desperately cry out for Keoki and I soon hear footsteps outside. I speak telepathically with him and explain all that happened. Although he wants me out, he's determined to stay on our father's good side so he refuses to help me. As he starts trudging off I cry out for Agripin but he must be grazing somewhere.

  With a splitting headache growing in my mind, I flop onto the floor exhausted. I can feel the demand for food growing in me and the lack of energy finally sends me to sleep. It's a dreamless sleep, so it's unsurprising when I wake only half and hour later to hear scratching at the door.

  I reach out tentatively with my mind. I discover that it's Fillin, a sweet little Wolvark, only a year old. Fillin's taken quite a liking to me and has a fierce loyalty to me, unlike other Wolvarks he gets on well with the Darrorsows. I now note that he's got the attention of Agripin because he's there too.

  It takes a moment or two for the scratching and low whining to stop and moments later they appear through one of the walls. Fillin immediately jumps into my lap, licking my face and whining slightly at the sight of the gash on my face. I mount Agripin and stroke Fillin lovingly between his ears as we gallop at the speed of light out of the throne room. As soon as we're out, I can feel the tension around me relax, and I gallop into the outside world.

  I've blown any chance of getting along with my father, first I humiliated him (even if he won't accept it), then I escaped (with some help) the throne room, and now to top things off I've left the Dark Realm. To be honest I can't now be bothered to try and get back on his good side, I doubt I ever was on his good side. Right now I doubt he even has a good side.

  Agripin takes me down a sloping hill into a village. He and Fillin hide whilst I go to find a little help, I doubt quite highly I'd get any help if they were seen with me. I stroll into the nearest food shop I find and go to buy some food. As soon as the lady at the counter sees my face she refuses to let me pay for any of it. I'm taken into a plush little sitting room round the back of the shop and I sit there for a while.

  I can't really be bothered to look around me, but I look a little. I spot some grapes nearby and wolf a few down. I can't help myself but I fall asleep on the floor, I hadn't sat down on one of the chairs, I don't think they'd appreciate me dirtying the sofa. I wake with the light of the sun and notice that I'm now lying down on the sofa, there's a small plate of food nearby and I wolf it down without thinking. The plate is rather shiny and I can see my reflection. My gash has cleaned up a lot and it looks like it's been stitched up. I wasn't that tired was I?

  I pull a shadow towards me and create a hairbrush, I've got to be a little bit presentable haven't I? I pull my hair into a side plait and let a bulk of it cover the gash. This way everyone will think I'm fine. I use the coil of metal from around my belt to make a hairband and wander to the kitchen where I splash my face and clean the cuts on my arms. I feel a lot more awake now and rather refreshed. I pull on my hoodie to keep me warmer and leave a 'thank you' note on the counter along with some coins that I have in my pocket.

  Armed with my backpack full of food I quickly pay for a few lovely knives I find and leave. I charge up the hill with alarming speed and find Fillin and Agripin, gnawing on a bone and eating a few clumps of grass. I'll have to return to the castle for a while to leave a note for Keoki and to grab some other supplies. I might even get a little late training in to help me, but I won't be able to stay long. As I mount Agripin and cuddle Fillin close to my arms, I hear a low and distant roar. Any chance I had at a 'late training session' was over. Keoki would be alerted of my escape and his duty would be to turn me in - I hate feeling unwanted at home. I know that I can't properly be chucked out though, even the king has to abide by the rules and one such rule is that they have to leave a living space for every child with shadow powers, even if they are deemed as traitors. My father is going to find that a pain in the royal behind.