HYBRID (Now a draft)

Eighteen

Or he pretended to.

Laughter echoed through the gigantic clearing.Max lay on the wood with his eyes closed. He curled himself into a small ball. He shivered.He felt the rapid vibrations of thumping footsteps. They stopped before him.

"What is it that you are doing, Sister Finke?" A calm and familiar voice said. Evellyn. He peeked an eye out from under his arm. She was probably going to execute him on the spot.

"Your majesty." Sister Finke bowed a slow and deliberate bow. The crowd was silent once again." I am merely punishing this filthy rogue." She snarled at Max." He has uprooted the sacred Tree of the seven, and therefore must be one of them filthy rogues. Who else would dare commit such a sin?"

" Sister Finke, It is my role as a princess to command you to leave such decisions to me. It may seem appropriate to you to rid this world of wrong, yet still, justice shall be sought. Every person has a right to prove of their innocence. Although this act of uprooting is deemed a horrible crime, we must not jump to conclusions, Sister."

"As you wish, your majesty."

Evellyn stood tall, her lush black mane blowing in the wind. " You will stand trial tonight, Max." She said in a dead monotone.

Max fainted for real this time.

                                                                          *******************

The metal clanged shut in a hollow tone as the door to his cell was shut tightly. Max groaned. this was getting worse. Aunt Pearl taken, his house turned to ash, the uprooting of the tree.

Uprooting?

It was certainly unbelievable.  At least he wasn't out there being beaten up again. There was nothing on the stone floor to give him any warmth. His teeth chattered. Dried blood and scrapes and bruises were everywhere. Heat slipped away from him as easily as would water slide through a gap formed by stones."Wow" Max muttered to himself.

"Wow" Someone echoed back. Max started. " Who's there? " he asked nervously.

  The shadows parted as a girl appeared.

She was clearly his age with straight bangs and long dark hair pulled back into a tail. She was surprisingly clean for someone residing in a cell. Her eyes were wide and innocent with long lashes that batted at him.He felt himself blush as her eyes traveled across him from head to toe. "Today must be my lucky day." she said in a giggly voice.

"Why is that?" Asked Max awkwardly.

" For you being my cellmate, silly!" She giggled. " You,are so cute." She leaned a bit closer." I've heard that you've upended that sacred tree of theirs?" She clasped her palms to Max's cheeks and tugged him closer. Max struggled to pull off her hands gently. " I guess so." He lowered his eyes to the floor. The girl gave a light laugh. " Such cuteness."She sighed.  "Don't be guilty about it. It's just a dumb'ole tree. " "Very old." "Yeah. Sure. An old tree. Pfft." She rolled her black eyes. "These people just don't appreciate talent such as yours. Nor mine."

"Yours?"

" Duh, why do you think I'm here , Max? "

"You know my name?"

" And you don't know mine." She sighed. It was a heartbreaking sigh. " I am Willow."She batted her eyelashes at him. And put a hand over her heart. " You will remember my name, won't you?" She pouted her lips and widened her eyes. "Yes, of course." "Of course,Willow." "Of course Willow."

"Now about my talent." Dramatic pause. Willow shut her eyes.She opened them. " You're hiding something." "No..." "It's in the palm of your left hand." "But..."

Then Max felt it. The vial from Aunt Pearl. It had miraculously appeared in his hand. Willow snatched it from him. "Hey...!" Willow examined the vial. She turned it in her fingers,  the afternoon sunlight passing through the transparent glass. "Where did you get it? It's so pretty." "I ..I found it." Willow spun her head around, facing Max. "Really?" She spun the glass. " Then you do know it contains a heavy spell?" " Um...Yes, yes." 

" You see, Max. I have talent. I know what to do that can get us out. You do want to escape don't you?" Max nodded slowly. " So give it to me." Max froze. This was the probably the last thing he received from Aunt Pearl. It held sentimental values for him. Then he shook his head. Willow's smile turned a bit strange. " I'm standing trial tonight, I don't need to escape. I'm innocent." Willow sighed. Her smile faded in a sudden. "Trial? What good are trials if the ones holding the trials are against you?" Max stared at Willow. "I'm in this cell right? Wonder why? Wonder why such a person that is as cute as me and you stuck in this tiny dark dungeon? I'll tell you why. The trials aren't fair at all. They only person they listen to is their pretty princess Evellyn. What she says is law. And she calls herself justice. The only thing I've done is steal a tiny potion, and I've been locked up here since." She sighed and batted her lashes at Max, a sad puppy face. " Don't you want to leave? You might end up here just as me, even if you go and stand trial. You're here because of her, right? That horrible princess." Max widened his eyes." How did you know?." " I know many things, Max" "So?"She paused for him to answer. " I can do so much with that vial of yours while it sits useless in your hands. It's beneficial to share."

Max looked at the vial in his hands. He wasn't going to be stranded here forever. " You know you can keep the vial,Max." Max's face was an expression of determination. " I need to save   someone, but I'm not sure if this is the last way to contact that person. But, you can help me, right?"

 " Of course, Max. We're dungeon buddies aren't we?" 

" I guess we are."

"Time for a twist in the trial." Willow winked.