The Knight's Eyes

22: ABEBE

All through the night, the heart cringing screeches of cravers filled the sky. Tucked in his ever so comfortable bed he could not sleep for the life in him. Every time he was able to shut his eyes nightmares of bloodshed, screaming, and hungry trees engulfed him. Sweet memories of his mother Aurora slowly transformed into the last crucial days leading to her death. Moments of insanity broke free from his soul when one nightmare dropped him into clear water within four walls of mirrors. His heart sunk and he jerked awake gasping for air, and sweat pouring down his face.

Images of his father facing an unfortunate death in his dark cell, alone in grief for a son who never took his advice. Walta, sitting alone in her tiny house, cries up to the gods for mercy on her Kingdom of Terra. Every aspect of his quest from entering the Forest of Doom to falling to close death from a bridge overwhelmed him.

He wept.

He silently vowed into the darkness of this cage called a bedroom to kill the witch.

"I cannot fail. No matter what, Alsindad, the witch must die," he whispered squeezing his eyes to the screeches claiming the night outside his window or was it in his head?

Finally, when the first needle of sunlight poked through his window, a calm sleep took him. There was no nightmare or dream. Just nothing but darkness. The muffled sound of a door opening clicked in his head. The hairs along his arm rose to the unnatural presence beside the bed. Alsin groaned, a slit forming in his closed eyelids. A beastly figure with a long snout of razor teeth peered down at him, claws twirling something black and thin around a few fingers.

It cleared its throat, "Human, wake up."

Alsin growled and waved the intruder away. "Go away, you lizard. I'm sleeping."

"I do not want to whip you so early in the morning, but I will."

"Look, mate, I don't wanna start anything, but please I didn't get any sleep last night-,"

"I don't care," he hissed unraveling his strap.

"If you want me to be at my fullest, give me five, please."

Kaahiss sighed with annoyance, "Must I remind you, human. You are a servant not a guest. You have work to do."

Alsin groaned aloud and gazed up at the raptor. Today he wore a black bowtie, which Alsin had to swallow very hard to keep from laughing. He pointed at the angered mystic beast. "You know, lizard, I think you have a heart. You just never used it in a while."

"Your five minutes are up, human. Get up or I will whip you."

"Oh alright now. Calm down lizzy."

He caught Kaahiss flex his jaw and clench his teeth. Those yellow eyes narrowing with scrutiny slid their gaze to the covered mirror. Alsin threw his legs over the side of the bed as the raptor slowly approached the abomination.

"Should I even ask-,"

"No you don't need to," Alsin snapped, shoulders tensing as Kaahiss stared at the hanging sheet with an eerie curiosity.

"Why? Did you break it?"

Kaahiss' clawed hand hovered close to the sheet. Alsin slowly stood with great caution. His stomach clenched and his breathing came faint. The lizard glanced at him, curiosity and mischief glowing from his eyes. Sweat formed along Alsin's forehead and bare chest, hands going up silently begging the lizard to not do what he was thinking to do. The corner of the lizard's lips curved upward and the unthinkable happened.

With great speed of a natural reptile, Kaahiss yanked the sheet from its tucked corners letting it drop freely onto the vanity surface. Alsin's guts watered and fear savaged his nerves sending him sprinting to the wall of the closest. He pressed his back against it, but it was not enough to block his view completely of the rest of the room's reflection.