Leonaira: Tales of fallen kings

"The Boy in the cave" :- Chapter 2

The Girl

I shoot up. "Oh..." I wince looking around, breathing heavily. It takes me a few seconds to realize I just had a nightmare one that I can't remember, and a few more to notice I'm not somewhere out in the woods but sitting on a comfortable, slightly scruffy bed. It's standing in a room with stone walls, some rugs hang on them to keep everything warm.

A small homemade forge and an old armchair sit in the middle, moonlight is flooding through the entrance which is met by the warmth of the fire.

Outside I can only see the stars and the mountains in the distance, the room must be high off the ground. 'What happened last night?' - My leg is aching, someone wrapped a simple bandage around it. All I remember is me running with that boy, or man. A young man.

Oh, wait I was shot by a silver crossbow.

Steps from the second room across from the bed, then the young man who saved me enters. "ah your awake. You've been out for about six hours now." He leans against the door frame, the moon illuminates his face. Short dark hair, edgy chin, and brown eyes that almost seem black. He's not very tall, only about the same height as me, maybe a few inches taller, yet his stance is broad. Even at first glance I can tell he's strong.

"Where are the hunters?" I ask, half expecting them to wait in the next room ready to take me back to the capital. To my relief he just shakes his head.

"you don't need to worry about them for now. Also you'd best stay off that, It will be rather sore for the next few days" he adds. I pull my hands from the bloodied bandage.

"Yeah.." I rub my forehead, the silver left in my blood from the bolt still makes me feel dizzy. I wonder why the man brought me here. I hope he didn't notice the hunter's uniforms. If they would only chase a normal human they wouldn't wear those gray cloaks. Unfortunately I'm not an ordinary human. Most people would instantly hand me over to the hunters, or kill me themselves as soon as they find out who, or rather what I am. Most people would never help a shape-shifter. They call us werewolves. They fear us.

"Why were those men chasing after you, they said you killed someone?" The guy asks. He doesn't seem cautious more intrigued if anything.

"Yeah they did accuse me to be a serial killer, because they couldn't find the real one." Hoping he'll believe me I nervously bite on my thumb nail.

"You know I know what you are?" he sounds amused. "Don't worry I'm not afraid, just curious that's all"

"If your not scared who or what are you?"

"I'm James, an estranged outcast, and survivalist. Not that I matter anyway, plus you seem like you've had a hard time. I know how annoying hunters can be." As he talks he crosses the room until he stands in front of me.

"You got into trouble with them before?" I ask.

"I'm an outcast who lives by his own rules just like you, what do you expect." He sits down on the edge of my bed.

"An outcast? Who cast you out- if I may ask"

"The false king Victor himself. I used to live in the dark castle" That's Vampire's territory. Why would King Victor the usurper keep a human who once lived there alive. He killed all of his brother's friends and allies. That includes the humans and shape-shifters that were unfortunate enough to stay in the castle the day he murdered the king. The king who was his own brother.

"How can you still be alive?"

"I was meant to rule them." He snorts. "A fit of irony. Now I'm stuck here"

"Wait, you... do you mean you are King Artimus's son?" My pack now lives in his kingdom. I know he had a son around my age, half- Vampire, half human. It was a scandal amongst vampires back then, a half-human heir, but his father never seemed to care. I have seen the King once when he visited the capital back when I was a child. James looks a lot like him.

"Once Artimus the bold, now Artimus the dead. Yes" James replies with bitterness in his voice.

"They said you were killed too"

"I feel pretty alive." He says sarcastically. He licks his lips like he's trying to get the bitter taste out of his mouth. "Anyway, what's your name, which clan do you belong to?"

"My name is Mia. I don't belong to any clan. Not anymore" During the last few years I learned not to think about my pack too often.

"Join the club" He gives me a half-smile. Oddly it's comforting to know that someone is in the same situation, probably as lost as me. I smile back carefully, then cover my mouth suppressing a yawn.

"Well," he gets up patting the sheets next to my legs. "You get some rest, I'll get some more water. I'll be back before sunrise." without waiting for a reply he walks to the entrance, and jumps off the edge.

"Uh, see you" I say, but he's already gone. Looks like he can fly like many Vampires.

What a strange young man. I lie back in bed as I peer out of the glass covered hole in the wall. A window. Looks like I owe my life to this stranger. I wonder why the usurper would ever let James live, but then decide not to think about it. The view is actually beautiful, the thin moon barely shows the mountains and trees on the horizon, but I can see all the stars. No wonder he chose to live here,