A New Kingdom (USUK Cardverse/Omegaverse)

Alfred

The horse galloped alone, like a phantom in the dark. As it zipped along, a penetrating coolness trickled over the man's shivering body. Alfred clenched his jaw as his grip on the reigns tightened, his knuckles white as they froze in the battering wind. "Damn rain" he muttered as his grey stallion, Hachi, began to gallop faster. Her ears pricked, as they moved swiftly, powerful limbs tearing into the barren earth. The raindrops felt like bullets against Alfred's raw skin as they whipped through the dark forest like an arrow.

Naturally, riding like this would have given the boy a massive adrenaline rush - the kind of feeling that fills you with a sense of power and freedom, yet that wasn't the case this time. He wasn't sure how long they had been moving at this speed, or how far they had travelled - he couldn't remember, nor could he bring himself to care. As Alfred's glasses slipped down his nose, he could feel his body grow numb - partly because of the biting cold, but the main reason his body shook so, was because of the horrors that replayed over and over in his mind.

Sudden shrieks woke the serving boy up and unfamiliar heat nipped at his skin. Bolting upright, to Alfred's horror his home was alight and screams pierced his ears. Grabbing his dagger, he shrugged his shirt on and scampered down the staircase to his parent's room. Slamming into the wooden door, Alfred realized it was locked - without thinking; he raised his leg and kicked it down with all his strength. It flew open revealing the all too familiar room, dark and unwelcoming. Memories of his childhood flashed in front of his eyes as he saw the curtains up in flames, furniture smashed and blood smeared across the walls.

"Alfred..." his mother had whispered, her once strong form shaking from under a fur blanket. Her brown eyes began clouding over as blood soaked through cloths, which she had pressed to her side. "Ma!" Alfred shrieked, rushing to his mother, taking her tanned hand and helping her sit up. "What happened?! Here let me -". She shook her head and pushed him away with what little strength she had left, her raven hair still flowing in silky waves. "Alfie..." she choked, "Get out of here". Frowning, Alfred shook his head "What? No! What's going on?". The woman looked away, stubbornness riddled across her face as she murmured something softly. "MA!" Alfred shouted, panic rising in his throat, "Tell me now!".

Fala refused to look back at her son; instead she slapped his hands away and crawled across to a wooden chest. Taking the key that was always tied around her neck, she unlocked it - lifting a leather satchel from box, she thrusted it into Alfred's hands. Looking up at him, she saw his large blue eyes filled in worry.

Her son... her boy.... Could she do this to him? She could be selfish and keep him with her... but...

She bit down her fears and nodded rapidly. "Take this and get out of here right now. Take the horse and ride, ride as far as you can before the third sunrise and don't you dare stop for anything. Once that third sun rises, open the bag, but don't open it before hand".

'But ma-" Alfred interrupted, confusion turning to fear, large tears rolling down his cheeks. Shaking her head as the American coughed roughly, "Go" she spluttered. Her hands squeezed Alfred's before she let go, her body shaking violently as she struggled to breathe, "GO!".

Alfred whimpered softly as the moonlight became visible through the thinning canopy. The moon was sinking in the starry sky, setting a purple glow on the rocky hills. "The third sunrise..." he muttered as his lids drooped. Biting his own tongue fiercely, he forced himself to stay awake even though sour taste of iron filled his mouth. Shuddering, Hachi's gallop soon turned into a halfhearted stumble. Pressing his lips to the silver mane, Alfred shut his eyes and hummed softly. Hachi's beating heart and warmth was the only thing that reminded him he was alive and that this wasn't some horrid nightmare. Counting the soft beats of Hachi's heart and the gentle movement of the stumbling beast soon captured the boy's will to remain awake and was quickly lulled into a gentle sleep.