(Outdated) The King of Elements

Hell

"Where are we going?" Princess A-mii called to him over the thundering gallops of the horses.

"To the slave gate. I want to see this person myself," Reiax said. "The Spirit Sage proclaimed that father isn't supposed to have children under the age of thirteen as a slave. I fear that if he did, something may happen to the kingdom."

Dre had a new sense of respect for Prince Reiax. Not only did he refer to people less fortunate than him as "people," but he also showed concern for him, something that most people at school had never shown him. He could feel his heart swell, if it wasn't for Reiax's heart pounding in his chest.

"But you know that we aren't allowed there."

"I don't care about that. I have to go help him, no matter what father says about it. If I don't, then who will?"

A-mii said nothing, but buried her face into the back of Reiax's tunic.

After a long amount of time riding down the country-side- Dre couldn't keep track of how long they had been riding- they finally began approaching a stone wall that seemed to drag on forever. There was a moat in front of the structure, with silvery liquid flowing through it. Directly in front of them was a large drawbridge and two shining armored knights with silver battle axes standing on each side. Beside the knight on the right was a crank that Dre supposed was to raise or lower the drawbridge. Reiax reigned his horse in front of them.

"Prince Reiax? How did you leave the kingdom?" the knight on the left had asked.

"Never mind that now," Reiax said impatiently. "I must enter the kingdom."

The knight on the right nodded as he laid the axe against the wall and began turning the crank. Slowly, the bridge began to fall until it was finally at ground level. Between the two guards and where the drawbridge was lowered, was a blinding light. Reiax nodded to the two guards and rode into it.

Instantly, the light dimmed, and Dre found Reiax and A-mii behind a tree in a dark forest staring at a tall metal fence. Behind the fence were hundreds of people in filthy, tattered clothing who looked as though they haven't had a well prepared meal in days. The smell of human waste and body odor was almost overwhelming as they scanned the area for the young boy.

"I don't see him anywhere," Reiax whispered with his nose clinched together by his fingers.

"He must be around here somewhere- wait, there he is!" A-mii said quietly as she pointed to a small boy at the corner of the cage.

He was tucked away from everyone else, hugging his knees as he stared vacantly at the nothingness on the grassless ground. His pale, sunken-in face was covered in dried blood and mud and his black unkempt hair was just as filthy. He wore a torn, light brown sheet over his body, though it looked like it could have been white before, and weren't wearing any shoes. Compared to the other prisoners, he looked the most pitiful in Dre's perspective.

After scanning the area for guards, Reiax and A-mii rushed to the cage and lightly began tapping on a link of the fence. The boy slowly looked up with gray, hopeless eyes, his lips severely chapped. "You must leave before the guards show," he said wearily as he tucked his head between his knees.

"Poor guy. You must be starving in here," Reiax said as he reached in his knapsack and pulled out a glowing, lime-green fruit. "Here. This will make you feel much better."

He was just barely able to pass the fruit through the fence and held it in front of the boy's face. The boy looked up, salivating uncontrollably at the generous offer that this stranger had shown him. "You're willing to help me? Even though you don't know who I am?"

Both Reiax and A-mii nodded. The boy grabbed the soft fruit and began eating it ravenously. "Feel better?" A-mii asked him as he finished the fruit. He looked at the both of them and began to smile; the edges of his mouth began tearing as his smile grew wider, until he was literally smiling ear to ear. It wasn't until then that Dre had recognized him as the boy that was mimicking the strangling motions of Principal Dixon.

"Much better," he said through sharp, bloodied teeth, "now that you've been awaken, King. You may be hidden from me now, but I will find you."