Beyond the Darkness

Chapter 18

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           Kai spurred his horse down the dark strip of dirt road. He had pulled off his mask and tucked it into his saddle bag. He didn't know what to expect when he got back to King Roland's, but knew he was in deep trouble. He had seen what the King would do to people who disobey him and it never was pretty. After Amaya had left, the King had gotten crazy about finding a new assassin. Many people had died before Kai had come along. Without one he had no power, and he hadn't liked that one bit.

         Kai made it to the King Roland's castle. It was nowhere near as grand as the one Amaya was staying at, but it was well fortified and soldiers were constantly patrolling the land. He ran into a few on his way to the stables. One of the soldiers ran off, presumably to alert the King of his arrival. The other guards didn't question him as he passed, just merely gave him wary glances. Some of them used to be his friends once. He had known them from his village. But now many were too afraid to approach him. They had heard the stories of what Amaya did and knew Kai had become like her and began to grow afraid of him.

        Kai handed his horse off to the stable boy and walked into the castle. He went to his rooms and quickly changed out of his fine black tunic into something less fancy. He deposited all of his weapons except for one knife. He could practically hear Amaya scolding him as he did so. The more weapons the better when it came to the Serpent King, but he was already expecting Kai and there would be no winning the fight that came next. Amaya could probably pull it off, but he just wasn't that good yet. She had her whole life to get used to her abilities and learn how to use them to their full potential, he on the other hand had less than a year.

          He rolled his shoulders and then stepped out his door where a page was holding his hand up to knock.

        "King Roland requests your immediate appearance," the boy said timidly.

        Kai nodded and the page scampered off down the hall, already disappearing before Kai was even able to take a couple steps.

        He made his way to the throne room and walked through the grand doors, pushing them open in front of him. Kai's intelligent eyes flickered across the room until they finally landed on the King. He was sitting on his golden throne staring at him down the tip of his nose. On his face was barely controlled rage.

         There were twenty archers trained on Kai along with thirty guards in the room. Roland expected a fight, but Kai had already known it would have been one he would have lost.

         "I've missed you, my pet," King Roland sneered, "You know you shouldn't run off like that. I thought giving you time to yourself would make you more adjusted, but it seems I was mistaken."   

          Kai kept quiet, knowing it was best not to reply.

         "You know I heard the funniest thing," King Roland continued, "that you had snuck off to go to a ball."

         Kai frantically searched his mind, wondering how he had known that. This wasn't good news. All if his instincts were screaming at him to run, and run now. The King knew something and whatever it was made him gleeful.

          "You see, I had sent someone to the Caravian palace after hearing rumors of a blond-haired silver-eyed girl. Sound familiar? I thought it did. Anyways my spy attended the recent ball and to my delight was able to identify my missing former assassin along with my missing present assassin. Now would you care to explain what you were doing there with her?" the Serpent King asked.