What Lurks Behind The Trees

The king

"Ugh!" Gregor groaned when the guards threw him in the dungeons, locking the big metal gates securely. He lifted his head up and saw hundreds of eyes staring at him.

"Looks like we've got a new member of the family" One of the men chuckled.

"A kid"

"That's new"

"Must be stupid to walk into a forest."

The all laughed mockingly. Gregor stood up and looked at the men. They wore tattered, old clothes, their beards grown and their hair long. "W-what is this place? Who are you people?" He asked hesitantly.

"This place? These are the castle dungeons you fool, did they blindfold you when you came here?"

Gregor knows. He saw the tall towers of the capital, the busy streets, the hard walls of the castle as the guards dragged him along. He's never been to the capital and never dreamt of going. His father always told him it was the home of liars and thieves, a place where the poor and rich were divided by an imaginary wall of steel, a thick wall, that meant the poor had nothing and the rich had everything. He always told him it was the most important place in the kingdom, but worst place to be born and live. But Gregor hoped that maybe these weren't really the dungeons, a place of doom for the people of Osledel from what he's heard.

"We are the cursed." an old shabby man said in a rough, barely there voice.

"You are too kid."

"We've all been attacked by these tall ugly creatures, remember 'em kid?"

"They call them the night slayers." One of them scoffed.

"So, why are we here?" Gregor asked.

"The king'll tell ya." one man with jet black hair and bright green eyes said. He was tall and built, his eyes were fierce and bright, Gregor had never seen someone with these eyes before.

"You don't look like you're from here." Gregor asked with genuine curiosity.

"I'm not from these lands, I come from beyond the great big forest." the man said with a grin on his face. Gregor lifted an eyebrow. "I came to these lands 'cause I killed many people in my country." The man came closer and Gregor shifted back uncomfortably.

"You don't want to be messin' with me boy." A smirk plastered on his handsome face, until a hand came smacking him on the back of his head causing him to chuckle loudly.

"Aden, don't frighten the new kid." the man who smacked him scolded. He had his blond hair tied back, short locks shadowing his eyes and brown eyes rolling at Aden, a sharp jaw and broad shoulders. They were both young and handsome.

"I couldn't help it! You ruined the fun Alan" He laughed harder.

The man named Alan turned to Gregor "He's lying kid, no one ever crosses the forest, don't listen to this guzzler."

Aden then wiped a tear from his eye and let out an exaggerated sigh and held out his hand "I'm Aden Belmore from the south, a city named Cruin, you'll find plenty of people like me there." Gregor took his hand and shook it.

"Gregor Blackwood, from Northwest of here, from a small village called Wilagorn." He grinned.

Alan smacked Gregor on the back and laughed "You're a northerner! Good on you, heard you're all great hunters! I'm Alan Chermann, from the city of Thronna in the Southeast not far from here."

"I've never been far from North before." Gregor said.

"Well lemme tell you somethin'" Aden straightened his back. "In Cruin we have tall walls protectin' us, surrounding the city. We have ships, scattered all over the sea, a great big fleet, it's amazing really!"

"Sea?" Gregor frowned in confusion. Aden and Alan looked at each other.

"Yeah, the colossal sea? You don't know your own country boy? You've been living under a rock?" Alan said.

"Lemme explain kid." Aden got a stick and started drawing on the dusty floor, labelling the sea, the land and the forest. "This country is huge, surrounded by two dangers, the colossal sea and the Stygian forest. This castle we're in, the capital is right at the centre of the kingdom." He pointed at each with the stick.

"You know how to write?"

"Of course I do kid, I'm from the south. Now look, you come from Northwest of this kingdom, closer to the forest. I come from the South, closer to the sea. Hard?"

Gregor shook his head. This is the first time he knew that Osledel had a coast.

"Why is the sea a 'danger'?"

"It's filled with creatures that guard the sea, just as the night slayers guard the forest." Alan said.

"They guard it? From what?"

"That is another story for another day." Alan smirked. Gregor was about to protest when the clanging of the lock turned his attention to the gate.

"Gregor Blackwood, come with us." The guards said flatly.

Gregor looked at Alan and Aden in alarm and they just grinned at him "Good luck chattin' with the king." Aden said and Alan smacked him on the back. Gregor's eyes widened in fear and stood up to leave with the guards.

They lead him up the damp, dark dungeon halls to beautiful, green gardens then through clean, polished halls and finally to the great hall, the throne room. It's ceiling so high, marble floors so clean you could see the reflection of the thousands of candles on them, and at the end a large throne, glorious and mighty, holding the power of a powerful kingdom in its stone frame. The back of the throne was so high, almost reaching the ceilings and carved with drawings of past kings, wars and their names. Gregor swallowed nervously and looked at the man sitting on the throne. He was sitting straight, dark hair reaching his shoulders with the crown sitting proudly on his head. He was young, maybe in his mid thirties, body strong and healthy and eyes fierce, the eyes of king Edmund Sheild.

The guards walked Gregor a few feet from the steps to the throne, left his arms and stood on the far of each of his sides. Gregor bowed his head. The king examined him up and down, then stared at his eyes, and stared until it felt like he was reading his thoughts.

"Do you know why you're here Blackwood?" he said without breaking his gaze.

"N-no, my king." Gregor stuttered pathetically and slapped himself mentally.

"Your majesty will do."

"Yes, your majesty."

"You have entered the forbidden Stygian forest, and as you can see, faced consequences that could risk your life and the lives of the people of this kingdom." King Edmund said sternly.

"I-I apologise your majesty, it was an urgent matter." He bowed his head in shame.

"Tell me Gregor." Gregor looked up and saw a dagger in his hands. "Who gave you this dagger?" Gregor frowned, when had they taken this dagger from him?

"My father."

"Your father?"

Gregor nodded. The king turned to his guards "Bring me his father."

Gregor's eyes widened "N-no! He had no part in all this! It was my fault, please!"

"You dare raise your voice at your king?" He frowned angrily "Take him back to the dungeons!"

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