The Outlaw and his Queen [WIP]

Chapter 2 - Tox

Tox Nether woke up to the sounds of the crows cawing overhead. He sighed and looked at his watch.

"5:00 am," he said, but then smacked his forehead remembering that his watch had died sometime about three years ago. 

"I wonder what Rose is doing," Tox said aloud. The crow perched on his window tilted its head, as if confused by what Tox had said. Then it cawed loudly at Tox and flew away, feathers drifting in through the hole Tox called his window. Why don't we have glass, he asked himself as feathers fell all over his cot.

Tox sat up and looked out the hole. Many people were up and about, so he decided he should be too.

Tox walked across the hall and to the left to the lodge bathroom to tidy himself up. While he brushed his teeth, Tox combed his hair and crossed yesterday off the catalog. 

The occupants of the lodge were allowed to mark their birthday along with that of someone they loved on the catalog. Today was Saturn's day, and it was also Jell's birthday.

Jell was one of the few people Tox was friends with in all of the Outlands. But to be fair, the Outlands weren't that big and didn't have many occupants.

Tox tried not to interact with the females, for he was afraid he would forget about Rose if he did.

Rose.

He missed her.

He was in the Otherlands because she was chosen as Queen. King Gillion exiled Tox for interfering with the nonexistent love life between Gillion and Rose.

I should have seen it coming, Tox thought. Lots of boys in the kingdom had eyes for Rose, but she only had eyes for Tox.

Of course Gillion would have chosen Rose as Queen, he continued, she's perfect!

Tox was outside now, and kicked a pebble out of anger and frustration. It rolled over to Jell, Mino, Ree, and Sam. They looked up at Tox.

"Morning mood?" Jell asked. Tox sighed with a nod. It wasn't that unusual for Tox to be upset thinking about Rose in the morning.

"Happy birthday, Jell," Tox said, forcing a smile.

"Thanks, dude," Jell said, returning Tox's forced smile with a genuine one.

Now Tox was genuinely smiling.

Some exile, he thought, I actually kinda like this place.